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. 2018 Jan 27;19(2):384. doi: 10.3390/ijms19020384

Figure 7.

Figure 7

VEGF increases growth cone motility and the growth rate by signaling through VEGFR-2. Cdc42 phosphorylates N-WASP, resulting in the activation of ARP2/3. Activated Arp2/3 can bind actin, initiating polymerization and branching. Inhibition of N-WASP via wiskostatin prevents the activation of Arp2/3, and thus also G-actin polymerization to F-actin. VEGF signaling via Cdc42 also activates LIMK, which inactivates cofilin, preventing the fragmentation of F-actin into G-actin. BMS-5 inhibits LIMK, shifting the equilibrium away from Ssh-1, resulting in more active cofilin. Arrows in blue indicate a positive impact on axonal growth, whereas red arrows indicate a repulsive effect.