title: Retrograde signaling by endocannabinoids.
abstract: Recent studies suggest that endocannabinoids act as retrograde messengers at many synapses in the central nervous system. Activation of phospholipases, either through calcium-mediated or receptor-mediated signaling, leads to the formation and release of endocannabinoids. These lipophilic signaling molecules diffuse to nearby presynaptic terminals where they bind to specific G-protein-coupled receptors and inhibit neurotransmitter release for tens of seconds. Thus, an important physiological role of endocannabinoids may be to provide a mechanism by which neurons can rapidly regulate the strength of their synaptic inputs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Anatol C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kreitzer
authors.forename: Wade G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Regehr
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005989:Glycerides / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D002186:Cannabinoids; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D005989:Glycerides; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011955:Receptors, Drug; C094503:glyceryl 2-arachidonate; C078814:anandamide