Human diseases reveal novel roles for neural lamininsCortical deficiency of laminin γ1 impairs the AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway and leads to defects in neurite outgrowth and neuronal migration

In this study, Chen and colleagues demonstrate the importance of laminin γ1 in the cerebral cortex and its absence leading to defects in neuritogenesis and neuronal migration. Mice lacking laminin γ1 gene expression suffered from disrupted cortical layers and impaired axonal pathfinding. Such loss during development has been shown to greatly affect the FAK and paxillin mediated integrin signaling mechanisms. Furthermore, mutant mice also display reduced phosphorylation of GSK-3β and AKT proteins. These data clearly show the participation of both integrin signaling and AKT/GSK-3β pathway in the regulation of neurite growth and neuronal migration by laminins.