title: Kalirin signaling: implications for synaptic pathology.
abstract: Spine morphogenesis and plasticity are intimately linked to cognition, and there is strong evidence that aberrant regulation of spine plasticity is associated with physiological, behavioral, and pathological conditions. The neuronal guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) kalirin is emerging as a key regulator of structural and functional plasticity at dendritic spines. Here, we review recent studies that have genetically and functionally linked kalirin signaling to a number of human disorders. Kalirin signaling may thus represent a disease mechanism and provide a novel therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. p-penzes@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Penzes
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Remmers
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; C503866:KALRN protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases