Susswein Abraham J, Katzoff Ayelet, Miller Nimrod, Hurwitz Itay
Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900 Israel.
Neuroscientist. 2004 Apr;10(2):153-62. doi: 10.1177/1073858403261226.
Nitric oxide (NO) is widely used in neural circuits giving rise to learning and memory. NO is an unusual neurotransmitter in its modes of release and action. Is its association with learning and memory related to its unusual properties? Reviewing the literature might allow the formulation of a general principle on how NO and memory are related. However, other than confirming that there is indeed a strong association between NO and memory, no simple rules emerge on the role of NO in learning and memory. The effects of NO are not associated with a particular stage or form of memory and are highly dependent on species, strain, and behavior or training paradigm. Nonetheless, a review does provide hints on why NO is associated with learning and memory. Unlike transmitters acting via receptors expressed only in neurons designed to respond to the transmitter, NO is a promiscuous signal that can affect a wide variety of neurons, via many molecular mechanisms. In circuits giving rise to learning and memory, it may be useful to signal some events via a promiscuous messenger having widespread effects. However, each circuit will use the promiscuous signal in a different way, to achieve different ends.
一氧化氮（NO）广泛存在于产生学习和记忆的神经回路中。NO在释放和作用方式上是一种不同寻常的神经递质。它与学习和记忆的关联是否与其独特性质有关？回顾相关文献可能会形成关于NO与记忆如何关联的一般原则。然而，除了证实NO与记忆之间确实存在紧密联系外，关于NO在学习和记忆中的作用并没有简单的规律可循。NO的作用与记忆的特定阶段或形式无关，并且高度依赖于物种、品系以及行为或训练范式。尽管如此，一篇综述确实为NO与学习和记忆相关的原因提供了线索。与通过仅在旨在对该递质做出反应的神经元中表达的受体起作用的递质不同，NO是一种混杂信号，可通过多种分子机制影响多种神经元。在产生学习和记忆的神经回路中，通过具有广泛影响的混杂信使来标记某些事件可能是有用的。然而，每个神经回路会以不同方式利用这种混杂信号，以实现不同目的。
