A fresh look at an ancient receptor family: emerging roles for low density lipoprotein receptors in synaptic plasticity and memory formation.
The well-known family of low-density lipoprotein receptors represents a collection of ancient membrane receptors that have been remarkably conserved throughout evolution. These multifunctional receptors, known to regulate cholesterol transport, are becoming increasingly interesting to the neuroscience community due to their ability to transduce a diversity of extracellular signals across the membrane in the adult CNS. Their roles in modulating synaptic plasticity and necessity in hippocampus-specific learning and memory have recently come to light. In addition, genetic, biochemical and behavioral studies have implicated these signaling systems in a number of human neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders involving loss of cognitive ability, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and autism. This review describes the known functions of these receptors and discusses their potential role in processes of synaptic regulation and memory formation.
Qiu
Shenfeng
S
Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-0615, USA.
Korwek
Kimberly M
KM
Weeber
Edwin J
EJ
D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000378:metabolism; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein / Q000378:metabolism; D000091042:Reelin Protein; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D016023:Integrins; D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein; D000091042:Reelin Protein; C098773:low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 8; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases