Publication Date:
1984-09-21
Description:
Contrary to long-held assumptions, recent work indicates that neurons may profoundly change transmitter status during development and maturity. For example, sympathetic neurons, classically regarded as exclusively noradrenergic or cholinergic, can also express putative peptide transmitters such as substance P. This neuronal plasticity is directly related to membrane depolarization and sodium ion influx. The same molecular mechanisms and plastic responses occur in mature as well as developing neurons. Further, contrary to traditional teaching, adult primary sensory neurons may express the catecholaminergic phenotype in vivo. Transmitter plasticity is not restricted to the peripheral nervous system: ongoing studies of the brain nucleus locus ceruleus in culture indicate that specific extracellular factors elicit marked transmitter changes. Consequently, neurotransmitter expression and metabolism are dynamic, changing processes, regulated by a variety of defined factors. Transmitter plasticity adds a newly recognized dimension of flexibility to nervous system function.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Black, I B -- Adler, J E -- Dreyfus, C F -- Jonakait, G M -- Katz, D M -- LaGamma, E F -- Markey, K M -- HD12108/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/ -- NS10259/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ -- NS17814/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ -- etc. -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 1984 Sep 21;225(4668):1266-70.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6147894" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Adrenal Medulla/physiology
;
Aging
;
Animals
;
Brain/growth & development/physiology
;
Catecholamines/physiology
;
Nervous System/*growth & development
;
*Neuronal Plasticity
;
Neurons/*physiology
;
Neurons, Afferent/physiology
;
Neurotransmitter Agents/*physiology
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
