Remmers Christine, Sweet Robert A, Penzes Peter
Department of Physiology, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; VISN 4 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Brain Res Bull. 2014 Apr;103:29-38. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2013.12.006. Epub 2013 Dec 12.
Changes in dendritic spines structure and function play a critical role in a number of physiological processes, including synaptic transmission and plasticity, and are intimately linked to cognitive function. Alterations in dendritic spine morphogenesis occur in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders and likely underlie the cognitive and behavioral changes associated with these disorders. The neuronal guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) kalirin is emerging as a key regulator of structural and functional plasticity at dendritic spines. Moreover, a series of recent studies have genetically and functionally linked kalirin signaling to several disorders, including schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Kalirin signaling may thus represent a disease mechanism and provide a novel therapeutic target.
树突棘结构和功能的变化在包括突触传递和可塑性在内的许多生理过程中起着关键作用,并且与认知功能密切相关。树突棘形态发生的改变发生在多种神经精神疾病中,并且可能是这些疾病相关的认知和行为变化的基础。神经元鸟嘌呤核苷酸交换因子(GEF)卡里林正逐渐成为树突棘结构和功能可塑性的关键调节因子。此外,最近的一系列研究已在基因和功能上将卡里林信号传导与包括精神分裂症和阿尔茨海默病在内的几种疾病联系起来。因此,卡里林信号传导可能代表一种疾病机制,并提供一个新的治疗靶点。