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Nature Cell Biology 7, 338–339 (1 April 2005) | doi:10.1038/ncb0405-338

Directing NGF's actions: it's a Rap

Philip J. S. Stork

The contrasting actions of NGF and epidermal growth factor (EGF) to differentiate or proliferate PC12 cells — a model for neuronal versus endocrine differentiation — has been used to develop a paradigm for growth factor specificity. Early studies demonstrate that the duration of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signalling can dictate the biological outcome of these growth factors.