Brain Plasticity, Signal Transduction and Epigenesis: a Missing Link Revealed

Báez-Saldaña A, Fetter-Pruneda I, Fuentes-Farías AL, Granados-Rojas L, Gutiérrez-Ospina G, MartínezMéndez R, Meléndez-Herrera E, Mendoza-Torreblanca J, Sandoval-Velasco M. Brain Plasticity, Signal Transduction and Epigenesis: a Missing Link Revealed. Annu Rev Biomed Sci 2009;11:T114-T122. It has been long thought that the brain reorganizes itself in response to environmental needs. Sensory experiences coded in action potentials are the mean by which information on the surroundings is introduced into neuronal networks. The information approaching the brain in the form of electrochemical codes must then be translated in biochemical, epigenetic and genetic ones. Only until recently we have begun understanding the underpinning of such informational transformations and how this process is expressed as neuronal plastic responses. Central for our comprehension of this matter is the finding that signals transduction cascades can modify gene expression by remodeling the chromatin through epigenetic mechanisms. Hence, chromatin remodeling seems to be the process by which experiences are “imprinted” * Correspondence Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda, Laboratorio de Biología Integrativa, Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México 04510. Phone: 01 555 5622-8909, Fax: 01 555 5622-8920. E-mail: [email protected] Gabriel Gutiérrez-Ospina: [email protected] † All these authors contributed equally to the present work. Financial Support: This work was supported by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (J28035N, 45872M, 38615N and 82879 to GGO and 86784 to LGR), Dirección General de Asuntos de Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (PAPIIT 232604). ARBS Annual Review of Biomedical Sciences Theme Topic on “Cell Receptors and Signaling” pdf freely available at http://arbs.biblioteca.unesp.br