New views of Arc, a master regulator of synaptic plasticity

• Published in: Nature neuroscience Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 279 - 284
• Main Authors: Shepherd, Jason D, Bear, Mark F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.03.2011; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/208/200; 631/378/2571/2572; 631/378/2591; 631/378/2613/1875; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Techniques; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Cytoskeleton; Homeostasis; Humans; Immediate-Early Proteins - genetics; Immediate-Early Proteins - metabolism; Information processing; Information storage; Memory; Neural networks; Neurobiology; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - physiology; Neuroplasticity; Neurosciences; perspective; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Receptors, AMPA - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Signal Transduction - physiology; Synapses - metabolism; Visual Cortex - physiology; United States > US; Massachusetts
• ISSN: 1097-6256; 1546-1726
• DOI: 10.1038/nn.2708

The immediate early gene product Arc has been broadly implicated in synaptic and experience-dependent plasticity. In this perspective, the authors synthesize disparate views of Arc in molecular signaling and its relevance to neurological disorders. Many proteins have been implicated in synaptic and experience-dependent plasticity. However, few demonstrate the exquisite regulation of expression and breadth of functional importance as the immediate early gene product Arc. Here we review and attempt to synthesize the disparate views of Arc in neuronal function. The main conclusion garnered from this body of work is that Arc is a critical effector molecule downstream of many molecular signaling pathways and that dysregulation of Arc expression can have dire consequences for normal brain function.