Bernstein Barbara W, Maloney Michael T, Bamburg James R
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
Adv Neurobiol. 2011;5:201-234. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-7368-9_11.
Abnormal regulation of the actin cytoskeleton results in several pathological conditions affecting primarily the nervous system. Those of genetic origin arise during development, but others manifest later in life. Actin regulation is also affected profoundly by environmental factors that can have sustained consequences for the nervous system. Those consequences follow from the fact that the actin cytoskeleton is essential for a multitude of cell biological functions ranging from neuronal migration in cortical development and dendritic spine formation to NMDA receptor activity in learning and alcoholism. Improper regulation of actin, causing aggregation, can contribute to the neurodegeneration of amyloidopathies, such as Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. Much progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of these diseases.
肌动蛋白细胞骨架的异常调节会导致多种主要影响神经系统的病理状况。那些由遗传引起的状况在发育过程中出现,但其他一些则在生命后期显现。肌动蛋白调节也受到环境因素的深刻影响,这些因素可能对神经系统产生持续的影响。这些影响源于这样一个事实,即肌动蛋白细胞骨架对于从皮质发育中的神经元迁移、树突棘形成到学习和酗酒中的NMDA受体活性等多种细胞生物学功能至关重要。肌动蛋白的不当调节导致聚集,可能会导致淀粉样变性病(如唐氏综合征和阿尔茨海默病)的神经退行性变。在理解这些疾病的分子基础方面已经取得了很大进展。