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Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons™
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Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Characterizing The Roles Of The Variable Linker And Hub Domains In Camkii Activation, Noelle Dziedzic
Characterizing The Roles Of The Variable Linker And Hub Domains In Camkii Activation, Noelle Dziedzic
Doctoral Dissertations
Learning and memory formation at the cellular level involves decoding complex electrochemical signals between nerve cells, or neurons. Understanding these processes at the molecular level requires a comprehensive study of calcium-sensitive proteins that serve as signal mediators within cells. More specifically, the protein calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a key regulator of downstream cellular signaling events in the brain, playing an important role in long term memory formation. CaMKII is encoded in humans on four different genes: alpha, beta, gamma and delta. For added complexity, each of these gene products can be alternatively spliced and translated into multiple protein …
Structure And Composition Of Postsynaptic Densities, Madeline Farley
Structure And Composition Of Postsynaptic Densities, Madeline Farley
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Communication between neurons within the brain occurs at chemical synapses and is fundamental for all brain functions. Modulation of the strength of communication is controlled by both presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms and is termed synaptic plasticity. One postsynaptic structure postulated to regulate synaptic strength is the postsynaptic density (PSD), a large electron dense protein complex located just below the synaptic membrane. The PSD, which is composed of signaling, scaffold and cytoskeletal proteins, supports and organizes neurotransmitter receptors within the synaptic membrane in addition to bridging signaling with the actin cytoskeletal network. The protein composition and structure of PSDs is known …
Developmental Changes In The Structure And Composition Of The Postsynaptic Density, Matthew T. Swulius
Developmental Changes In The Structure And Composition Of The Postsynaptic Density, Matthew T. Swulius
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
The development of the brain and its underlying circuitry is dependent on the formation of trillions of chemical synapses, which are highly specialized contacts that regulate the flow of information from one neuron to the next. It is through these synaptic connections that neurons wire together into networks capable of performing specific tasks, and activity-dependent changes in their structural and physiological state is one way that the brain is thought to adapt and store information. At the ultrastructural level, developmental and activity-dependent changes in the size and shape of dendritic spines have been well documented, and it is widely believed …