Do activity-dependent changes in expression of regulatory proteins play a role in the progression of central nervous system neural degeneration?

Abstract

Cellular responses to the environment are initiated through membrane receptors that are activated by hormones or other extracellular agents. Activated receptors communicate to molecular machinery within the cell either by changing the flux of ions across the membrane or by altering the synthesis or degradation of second messengers such as CAMP, calcium ion, or diacylglycerol. One major mechanism through which these messengers control cell function is the activation of protein kinases. It seems increasingly clear that coordinated control over many cell processes at once is often exerted by networks of protein kinases, perhaps tailored specifically for each cell type. We have only begun to glimpse how these networks might be organized. Most current research is still aimed at the important goal of identifying and thoroughly characterizing the key regulatory proteins (often protein kinases) that mediate regulation by each second messenger in each specialized cell.