Mechanisms that communicate features of neuronal activity to the genome

Daniel A Heinz; Brenda L Bloodgood

doi:10.1016/j.conb.2020.03.002

Mechanisms that communicate features of neuronal activity to the genome

Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2020 Aug:63:131-136. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.03.002. Epub 2020 May 13.

Authors

Daniel A Heinz¹, Brenda L Bloodgood²

Affiliations

¹ Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States.
² Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, United States.

PMID: 32416470
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.03.002

Abstract

Stimulus-driven gene expression is a ubiquitous feature of biological systems, allowing cells and organisms to adapt their function in a stimulus-driven manner. Neurons exhibit complex and heterogeneous activity-dependent gene expression, but many of the canonical mechanisms that transduce electrical activity into gene regulation are promiscuous and convergent. We discuss literature that describes mechanisms that drive activity-dependent gene expression with a focus on those that allow the nucleus to decode complex stimulus-features into appropriate transcriptional programs.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Gene Expression
Gene Expression Regulation*
Neurons*