BackgroundInformation | GAP-43,acommonMarkerofdifferentiatingneurons,isexpressedatelevatedlevelsbydevelopingorregeneratingneuronsduringaxongrowth.WhileGAP-43isanintegralmembraneproteinassociatedwiththecytoplasmicsurfaceofaxonalgrowthcones(andsynapses),itisabsentfromdendriticgrowthcones.Inadultbrain,GAP-43isfoundinhighconcentrationinpresynapticareaswherememoryformationisthoughttooccur,suchasfrontalcortex,limbicsystemandhippocampus.PhosphorylationofGAP-43byPKC(atSer41onhuman,mouse,rat,andbovineGAP-43orSer42onchickenandXenopusGAP-43)isspecificallycorrelatedwithcertainformsofsynapticplasticity. |