Regulation of synaptic plasticity by the cyclic-AMP signalling pathway

神经生物学的一个主要目标是确定复杂的分子和细胞机制，重要地调节哺乳动物大脑中的学习和记忆存储。这不是一项容易的任务，但它是目前生物科学中最重要的努力之一。 兴奋性突触强度的活动依赖性变化（“突触可塑性”）对于特定形式的学习和记忆至关重要。长时程增强（LTP）是一种可塑性：它是兴奋性突触生理强度的活动诱导增强。 LTP被广泛认为是哺乳动物大脑中信息存储的主要候选突触机制，因为LTP发生所需的许多分子机制对记忆功能也至关重要。 许多细胞内信号传导途径与LTP和记忆储存有关。对于这些过程至关重要的一个途径是环AMP（cAMP）信号传导途径。本研究的主要目的是阐明cAMP信号通路如何调节LTP和记忆。从广义上看，这项研究将揭示大脑如何执行依赖于记忆的多种功能，包括感知，注意力和自我意识。

A major goal of neurobiology is to identify the complex molecular and cellular mechanisms that importantly regulate learning and memory storage in the mammalian brain. This is not an easy task, but it is currently one of the most important endeavours in the biological sciences. Activity-dependent changes in excitatory synaptic strength ("synaptic plasticity") are critical for specific forms of learning and memory. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is one type of plasticity: it is an activity-induced enhancement of the physiological strength of excitatory synapses. LTP is widely regarded as a leading candidate synaptic mechanism for information storage in the mammalian brain, because many of the molecular mechanisms that are required for LTP to occur are also critical for memory function. Numerous intracellular signaling pathways have been implicated in both LTP and memory storage. One pathway that is critical for these processes is the cyclic-AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway. The major objective of my research is to elucidate how the cAMP signaling pathway regulates LTP and memory. Broadly viewed, this research will shed light on how the brain performs multiple functions that depend on memory, including perception, attention, self-awareness.