Reviewing the Diverse Effects of Protein Phosphorylation in Neural Signaling Transduction.

Signaling transduction pathways are now known to be foundational mechanisms for a wide variety of biological function. Nobel laureate Paul Greengard dedicated his early career to the exploration of how these molecular cascades are triggered by neurotransmitters, hence applying a general phenomenon to the nervous system. A review by Hemmings, Nairn, McGuinness, Huganir, and Greengard published in the FASEB journal in 1989 identifies three different effects of protein phosphorylation, namely vesicle release, modulation of receptor sensitivity, and initiation of positive or negative feedback systems. The work's focus on three specific examples, rather than the exhaustive approach taken by many other reviews, provides students with an accessible framework within which to learn fundamental concepts in molecular neuroscience. The review could be incorporated as assigned reading for introductory neuroscience or even upper level molecular neurobiology, as it holds very versatile teaching potential.