title: The role of calmodulin as a signal integrator for synaptic plasticity.
abstract: Excitatory synapses in the brain show several forms of synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), which are initiated by increases in intracellular Ca(2+) that are generated through NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors or voltage-sensitive Ca(2+) channels. LTP depends on the coordinated regulation of an ensemble of enzymes, including Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, adenylyl cyclase 1 and 8, and calcineurin, all of which are stimulated by calmodulin, a Ca(2+)-binding protein. In this review, we discuss the hypothesis that calmodulin is a central integrator of synaptic plasticity and that its unique regulatory properties allow the integration of several forms of signal transduction that are required for LTP and LTD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Zhengui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Storm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin