Publication Date:
1987-06-05
Description:
The use of molecular biological approaches has defined new mechanisms that store information in the mammalian nervous system. Environmental stimuli alter steady-state levels of messenger RNA species encoding neurotransmitters, thereby altering synaptic, neuronal, and network function over time. External or internal stimuli alter impulse activity, which alters membrane depolarization and selectively changes the expression of specific transmitter genes. These processes occur in diverse peripheral and central neurons, suggesting that information storage is widespread in the neuraxis. The temporal profile of any particular molecular mnemonic process is determined by specific kinetics of turnover and by the geometry of the neuron resulting in axonal transport of molecules to different synaptic arrays at different times. Generally, transmitters, the agents of millisecond-to-millisecond communication, are subject to relatively long-lasting changes in expression, ensuring that ongoing physiological function is translated into information storage.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Black, I B -- Adler, J E -- Dreyfus, C F -- Friedman, W F -- LaGamma, E F -- Roach, A H -- HD 12108/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/ -- NS 10259/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ -- NS 20788/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 1987 Jun 5;236(4806):1263-8.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2884727" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Adrenal Medulla/metabolism
;
Animals
;
Brain/physiology
;
Memory/*physiology
;
Nervous System/anatomy & histology/metabolism
;
*Nervous System Physiological Phenomena
;
Neurons/physiology
;
Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism/*physiology
;
Sympathetic Nervous System/metabolism/physiology
;
Transcription, Genetic
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
