Biomaterial Database

Chromatin remodeling: a novel mechanism of psychotropic drug action. 2006

Samuel S Newton, and Ronald S Duman

Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06508, USA.

Regulation of gene expression is known to contribute to the long-term adaptations underlying the effects of psychotropic drugs, including the actions of antidepressants and drugs of abuse in behavioral models. However, the precise molecular events that are required for modification of chromatin and that underlie gene repression or activation have not been elucidated. Recent reports, including the article by Cassel et al. in this issue of Molecular Pharmacology, address this question and demonstrate that psychotropic drugs modify specific methyl-CpG-binding proteins that control histone acetylation and gene expression.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011619	Psychotropic Drugs	A loosely defined grouping of drugs that have effects on psychological function. Here the psychotropic agents include the antidepressive agents, hallucinogens, and tranquilizing agents (including the antipsychotics and anti-anxiety agents).	Psychoactive Agent,Psychoactive Agents,Psychoactive Drug,Psychopharmaceutical,Psychopharmaceuticals,Psychotropic Drug,Psychoactive Drugs,Agent, Psychoactive,Agents, Psychoactive,Drug, Psychoactive,Drug, Psychotropic,Drugs, Psychoactive,Drugs, Psychotropic
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D006657	Histones	Small chromosomal proteins (approx 12-20 kD) possessing an open, unfolded structure and attached to the DNA in cell nuclei by ionic linkages. Classification into the various types (designated histone I, histone II, etc.) is based on the relative amounts of arginine and lysine in each.	Histone,Histone H1,Histone H1(s),Histone H2a,Histone H2b,Histone H3,Histone H3.3,Histone H4,Histone H5,Histone H7
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000107	Acetylation	Formation of an acetyl derivative. (Stedman, 25th ed)	Acetylations
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D042002	Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly	The mechanisms effecting establishment, maintenance, and modification of that specific physical conformation of CHROMATIN determining the transcriptional accessibility or inaccessibility of the DNA.	Chromatin Remodeling,Chromatin Assembly,Chromatin Disassembly,Chromatin Modeling,Chromatin Disassemblies,Disassembly, Chromatin,Remodeling, Chromatin
D044127	Epigenesis, Genetic	A genetic process by which the adult organism is realized via mechanisms that lead to the restriction in the possible fates of cells, eventually leading to their differentiated state. Mechanisms involved cause heritable changes to cells without changes to DNA sequence such as DNA METHYLATION; HISTONE modification; DNA REPLICATION TIMING; NUCLEOSOME positioning; and heterochromatization which result in selective gene expression or repression.	Epigenetic Processes,Epigenetic Process,Epigenetics Processes,Genetic Epigenesis,Process, Epigenetic,Processes, Epigenetic,Processes, Epigenetics
D051783	Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2	A DNA-binding protein that interacts with methylated CPG ISLANDS. It plays a role in repressing GENETIC TRANSCRIPTION and is frequently mutated in RETT SYNDROME.	MeCP2 Protein,Methyl CpG Binding Protein 2
D019208	Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor	A member of the nerve growth factor family of trophic factors. In the brain BDNF has a trophic action on retinal, cholinergic, and dopaminergic neurons, and in the peripheral nervous system it acts on both motor and sensory neurons. (From Kendrew, The Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, 1994)	BDNF,Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor,Factor, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic,Neurotrophic Factor, Brain-Derived