The Regulation of CREB Signaling Pathway in Nervous System Functions

The cAMP response element binding protein(CREB) is a nuclear regulatory factor in eukaryotic cells.CREB is one of eight subtypes of the CREB / ATF family.CREB contains two regions in the structure,a N-terminal region which regulates transcription and a C-terminal region which binds to promoters of target genes.CREB can be regulated through many signaling pathways,such as cAMP,MAPK,and Ca2 +-CaMK pathways.CREB phosphorylation is required for the transcription modulation in various neuronal processes,including neurogenesis,synaptic plasticity,learning and memory.CREB and its regulatory factors can be attractive drug candidates for nervous system diseases.As the role of CREB in memory and learning drew much attention in recent years.This review summarizes recent discoveries in structural analysis,related signaling pathways,and target gene expression of CREB,especially in Alzheimer's disease.