The Role of CREB in Neuronal Plasticity, Learning and Memory, and in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

A characteristic of higher organisms is their ability to learn by experience in order to adapt their behaviour. Such plasticity is largely the result of the brain’s ability to convert transient stimuli into long-lasting alterations in neuronal structure and function. This process is complex and involves changes in receptor trafficking, local mRNA translation, protein turnover and gene synthesis. Here, we will review how changes in neuronal activity trigger CREB-dependent gene expression in order to provoke more persistent changes in neuronal function. Interestingly, CREB activity is altered in some psychiatric disorder such as anxiety and depression, which suggest that this programme is essential for the correct functioning of the brain.

Keywords: Transcription factors, CREB, CBP, CREB target genes, Acetylation, Transduction signaling, Learning, Long-term memory, Consolidation, LTP, Neurodegeneration, Anxiety, Depression.