title: Molecular neurobiology for practicing psychiatrists, part 3: how second messengers "turn on" genes by activating protein kinases and transcription factors.
abstract: One of the most important advances in molecular neurobiology of relevance to the practicing psychiatrist is how an intracellular second messenger can "turn on" genes by activating first a protein kinase enzyme and then a transcription factor. Failure to turn on the right genes may lead to psychiatric illnesses. Causing the appropriate genes to turn on may be the therapeutic mechanism of action of many current and future psychotropic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Research Center in San Diego and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Stahl
mesh_terms: D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011494:Protein Kinases