Viral-Like Mechanisms of Intercellular Communication in the Pathology of Neurodegeneration

Synaptic and neuronal dysfunction is a characteristic early feature of neurodegenerative disorders, and usually predates neuronal death. Central to synaptic maintenance are intercellular signaling mechanisms that mediate synaptic homeostasis. We recently discovered that the neuronal gene Arc, a master regulator of synaptic plasticity and memory, also has a fundamental role in a novel form of intercellular communication that resembles retrovirus biology.