The world's first wiki where authorship really matters (Nature Genetics, 2008). Due credit and reputation for authors. Imagine a global collaborative knowledge base for original thoughts. Search thousands of articles and collaborate with scientists around the globe.

wikigene or wiki gene protein drug chemical gene disease author authorship tracking collaborative publishing evolutionary knowledge reputation system wiki2.0 global collaboration genes proteins drugs chemicals diseases compound
Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

Platelet-activating factor as a potential retrograde messenger in CA1 hippocampal long-term potentiation.

Long-term potentiation (LTP) refers to a persisting enhancement of neurotransmission that follows high-frequency activation of certain synapses. Although both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms contribute to LTP, it is believed that the enhanced release of neurotransmitter that accompanies this process results from the production of a diffusible messenger in postsynaptic neurons which traverses the synaptic cleft and alters the function of presynaptic terminals. One candidate for such a messenger is arachidonic acid, a metabolite produced by phospholipase A2 which augments synaptic transmission when coupled with presynaptic stimulation. However, the effects of arachidonic acid require activation of the postsynaptic receptor for N-methyl-D-aspartate. Previously we found that platelet-activating factor (1 O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), another phospholipase A2-derived messenger, selectively enhances excitatory postsynaptic currents in hippocampal neurons by a presynaptic mechanism. We now present evidence that platelet-activating factor, acting at a receptor localized to synaptic regions, participates in LTP in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices and may serve as part of a retrograde signalling cascade.[1]

References

 
WikiGenes - Universities