Pfrieger Frank W
Max-Planck/CNRS Group, UPR 2356, Centre de Neurochimie 5, rue Blaise Pascal F-67084 Cedex, Strasbourg, France.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2003 Mar 10;1610(2):271-80. doi: 10.1016/s0005-2736(03)00024-5.
Cholesterol is a multifaceted molecule, which serves as essential membrane component, as cofactor for signaling molecules and as precursor for steroid hormones. Consequently, defects in cholesterol metabolism cause devastating diseases. So far, the role of cholesterol in the nervous system is less well understood. Recent studies showed that cultured neurons from the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) require glia-derived cholesterol to form numerous and efficient synapses. This suggests that the availability of cholesterol in neurons limits the extent of synaptogenesis. Here, I will summarize the experimental evidence for this hypothesis, describe what is known about the structural and functional role of cholesterol at synapses, and discuss how cholesterol may influence synapse development and stability.
胆固醇是一种多面分子，它作为重要的膜成分、信号分子的辅助因子以及类固醇激素的前体。因此，胆固醇代谢缺陷会导致毁灭性疾病。到目前为止，胆固醇在神经系统中的作用还不太清楚。最近的研究表明，来自哺乳动物中枢神经系统（CNS）的培养神经元需要胶质细胞衍生的胆固醇来形成大量且有效的突触。这表明神经元中胆固醇的可用性限制了突触发生的程度。在此，我将总结这一假设的实验证据，描述关于胆固醇在突触处的结构和功能作用的已知情况，并讨论胆固醇如何影响突触发育和稳定性。
