Soderling and his colleagues are looking at the effects of one of the kinases, CaM-kinase II, on synaptic plasticity, a cellular memory process by which repeated stimuli increase the signal strength in a neural pathway. Intracellular calcium may also initiate events that lead to long term memory through new gene expression. Soderling and his coworkers are collaborating with Richard Goodman to explore the involvement of another type of protein kinase, CaM-kinase IV, in turning on selected genes in response to elevated concentrations of calcium. Recent studies have identified a new CaM-kinase signal transduction cascade that may be regulated by other signaling pathways. Current Opinions in Neurobiol.
Calcium promotes cell survival through CaM-kinase kinase activation of the protein kinase B pathway.
The Vollum Institute.