Activity-regulated phosphorylation of cAMP response element binding protein in the developing striatum: implications...

A distinct feature of the striatum is that much of the expression of neurochemicals in this forebrain structure follows a compartmental (striosome/matrix) ordering. How this pattern of neurochemical compartmentation is developed and regulated is still unknown. In the present paper we propose that a key feature of this early striatal plasticity is differential control of the activation kinetics of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), which in turn influences striatal expression of genes containing cAMP response elements in their promoter sequences. Specifically, we propose that activity-dependent regulation of the kinetics of CREB phosphorylation, brought about early expressed protein phosphatases and protein phosphatase inhibitors in the developing striatal compartments, helps to set up and to maintain patterning of the neurochemical prototypes characteristic of striatal compartments.