Rho Signaling in Synaptic Plasticity, Memory, and Brain Disorders

Memory impairments are associated with many brain disorders such as autism, Alzheimer's disease, and depression. Forming memories involves modifications of synaptic transmission and spine morphology. The Rho family small GTPases are key regulators of synaptic plasticity by affecting various dow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 2021-10, Vol.9, p.729076-729076
Main Authors: Zhang, Haorui, Ben Zablah, Youssif, Zhang, Haiwang, Jia, Zhengping
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
brain disorders
Cell and Developmental Biology
dendritic spine
long-term depression
long-term potentiation
Rho GTPases
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Summary:Memory impairments are associated with many brain disorders such as autism, Alzheimer's disease, and depression. Forming memories involves modifications of synaptic transmission and spine morphology. The Rho family small GTPases are key regulators of synaptic plasticity by affecting various downstream molecules to remodel the actin cytoskeleton. In this paper, we will review recent studies on the roles of Rho proteins in the regulation of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), the most extensively studied forms of synaptic plasticity widely regarded as cellular mechanisms for learning and memory. We will also discuss the involvement of Rho signaling in spine morphology, the structural basis of synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Finally, we will review the association between brain disorders and abnormalities of Rho function. It is expected that studying Rho signaling at the synapse will contribute to the understanding of how memory is formed and disrupted in diseases.
ISSN:2296-634X
2296-634X
DOI:10.3389/fcell.2021.729076