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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Aug 5.
Published in final edited form as: Neurosci Lett. 2015 May 21;601:4–10. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.05.034

Figure 2. Receptors signaling to single Rho-GTPases through multiple pathways.

Figure 2

A. Both phagocytosis and excitatory synaptogenesis require Rac1 activation. The adhesion-GPCR BAI1 regulates both processes by signaling through different Rac1-GEFs. The C-terminus of BAI1 interacts with Tiam1 through a TEV motif and DOCK180 via ELMO through a helical region (HR). Tiam1 and DOCK180 associate with divergent protein complexes capable of generating distinct Rac1 signaling that promotes synaptogenesis or phagocytosis, respectively.

B. At excitatory synapses, Rac1 is activated by EphB2 and NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) via the Rac1-GEFs Tiam1 and Kalirin-7. These Rac1-GEFs signal through parallel pathways to promote spino- and synaptogenesis. Loss of either protein elicits a phenotype, proving that they are not redundant.