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Cyclic Changes In Estradiol Regulate Synaptic Plasticity Through The Map Kinase Pathway, Ruifen Bi, Michael R. Foy, Rose-Marie Vouimba, Richard F. Thompson, Michel Baudry
Cyclic Changes In Estradiol Regulate Synaptic Plasticity Through The Map Kinase Pathway, Ruifen Bi, Michael R. Foy, Rose-Marie Vouimba, Richard F. Thompson, Michel Baudry
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Hippocampal synaptic structure and function exhibit marked variations during the estrus cycle of female rats. Estradiol activates the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway in numerous cell types, and MAP kinase has been shown to play a critical role in the mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. Here, we report that endogenous estrogen produces a tonic phosphorylation/activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2)/MAP kinase throughout the female rat brain and an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2 subunits of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Moreover, cyclic changes in estrogen levels during the estrus cycle of female rats are associated with corresponding changes in the levels …