RAB3A/A0037

Another one of the seemingly exhaustive list of MASC proteins, RAB3A, also known as A0037, has been linked to long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampus, which is of particular interest to those working out the molecular correlates of memory...

Another one of the seemingly exhaustive list of MASC proteins, RAB3A, also known as A0037, has been linked to long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampus, which is of particular interest to those working out the molecular correlates of memory formation, and the amygdale, which is of particular relevance to anxiety research. In vitro analysis of transverse slices from the hippocampus and lateral slices of amygdala of null-RAB3A mutant mice, showed quite pronounced diminution of corticoamygdala-type LTP and late–phase hippocampal LTP respectively. At presynaptic level, it can also interact with synapsin and increase vesicle fusion, hence linking presynaptic activity with LTP. One of the intense areas of interest is this interaction or cross-talk between presynaptic events and post-synaptic phenomena, such as LTP, etc. This would appear to quite an interesting corollary to current on the LTP and its dependence on earlier events at a pre–synaptic level.