MAPK cascade signaling and long-term potentiation / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Long-term potentiation(LTP) of synaptic activity in the hippocampal is the most widely researched model of synaptic plasticity,which is believed to underlie the brain function of learning and memory.Mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK) respond to a variety of cellular and extracellular stimuli, such as growth factors,cytokines,extracellular mitogen and stresses.MAPK are involved in complex processes such as in cell differentiation,proliferation and programmed cell death.It has been reported that the upstream regulators and downstream substrats of MAPKs still widely exist in the mature neuron.MAPKs cascade induces phosphorylation of many functional protein including some receptors and kinases that is associated with induction and maintain of the LTP in the neuron,indicating that MAPKs do play a crucial role in the synaptic plasticity.Extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK),c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) and p38 activity and its relationship with LTP are reviewed.