Focal adhesion kinase function in neuronal development

•FAK links extracellular signals with the remodeling of the cytoskeleton.•FAK is differentially phosphorylated depending on the nature of the cues.•FAK is involved in neuronal-glia dependent migration and axonal growth.•Axon and dendritic arborization requires FAK signaling.

During the development and maturation of the adult nervous system, several consecutive events, from neural induction to axon-dendrite arborization and synapse formation, contribute to the final exquisite specificity of neuronal networks. To accomplish this precise and healthy brain architecture, a coordinated rearrangement of the cytoskeleton in response to extracellular cues is essential. In this review, we propose focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as a key intracellular component for this command, and summarize different studies that support this hypothesis. We will discuss how FAK interacts with different extracellular molecules and the cytoskeleton and how FAK functions as a sort of “orchestra conductor” coordinating a broad range of signaling pathways during neuronal motility.