GSK-3 at the Intersection of Neuronal Plasticity and Neurodegeneration.

In neurons, Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK-3) has been shown to regulate various critical processes underlying structural and functional synaptic plasticity. Mouse models with neuron-selective expression or deletion of GSK-3 present behavioral and cognitive abnormalities, positioning this protein kinase as a key signaling molecule in normal brain functioning. Furthermore, mouse models with defective GSK-3 activity display distinct structural and behavioral abnormalities, which model some aspects of different neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.