Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3
S YNAPTIC P LASTICITY : E MERGING R OLE FOR THE
E NDOCANNABINOID S YSTEM
Balapal S. Basavarajappa 1,2,3, * and Ottavio Arancio 4
1 Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, New York State Psychiatric Institute
2 Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research,
Orangeburg, Orangeburg, New York 10962, USA
3 Department of Psychiatry
4 Department of Pathology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the
Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York,
New York 10032, USA
1. S UMMARY
Changes in synaptic strength are thought to be crucial to experience-dependent
modifications of neural function. The diversity of mechanisms underlying these changes is far
greater than previously expected. In the last few years, a new class of use-dependent synaptic
plasticity that requires endocannabinoid signaling system has been identified in several brain
regions. The endocannabinoid signaling system is composed of the cannabinoid receptors;
their endogenous ligands, the endocannabinoids; the enzymes that produce and inactivate the
endocannabinoids; and the endocannabinoid transporters. Endogenous cannabinoids
(endocannabinoids) (ECs) are lipid mediators that activate these same cannabinoid receptors.
Elegant work from several laboratories over the past 6 years has established that ECs are
produced on demand in activity-dependent manners and released from postsynaptic neurons.
The released ECs travel backward across the synapse, activate presynaptic CB1 receptors, and
modulate presynaptic functions. Retrograde EC signaling is crucial for certain forms of short-
term and long-term synaptic plasticity at excitatory or inhibitory synapses in many brain
* Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research 140 Old Orangeburg Rd, Orangeburg, NY-10962, Tel: 845-398-3234 or 5454 Fax: 845-
398-5451 E-mail: Basavaraj@nki.rfmh.org
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