title: The role of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) in neuronal growth, plasticity, and degeneration.
abstract: Microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP-2) historically has been perceived primarily as a static, structural protein, necessary along with other cytoskeletal proteins to maintain neuroarchitecture but somewhat removed from the "mainstream" of neuronal response mechanisms. Quite to the contrary, MAP-2 is exquisitely sensitive to many inputs and recent investigations have revealed dynamic functions for MAP-2 in the growth, differentiation, and plasticity of neurons, with key roles in neuronal responses to growth factors, neurotransmitters, synaptic activity, and neurotoxins. These discoveries indicate that modification and rearrangement of MAP-2 is an early obligatory step in many processes which modify neuronal function.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
authors: G V
authors: GV
authors: Johnson
authors: R S
authors: RS
authors: Jope
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009498:Neurotoxins