Weaving the neuronal net with target-derived fibroblast growth factors.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a large family of secreted growth factors that are involved in the development, regeneration and repair of various tissues. In the nervous system, FGFs have been implicated in early developmental processes, such as neural induction, proliferation and patterning. Accumulating data indicate that FGFs are also important for the formation of functional neural networks. The role of FGFs in axon guidance, target recognition and synaptic differentiation as target-derived factors, and how they cooperate with cell adhesion molecules that are also involved in the wiring of the nervous system are the focus of this review.