Molecular neurobiology for practicing psychiatrists, part 4: Transferring the message of chemical neurotransmission from presynaptic neurotransmitter to postsynaptic gene expression

Issue: Neurotransmitters activate genes in their target neurons by precipitating a molecular cascade, which may be the ultimate consequence of chemical neurotransmission. When this transfer is aberrant, a mental disorder may, be manifest. when drugs act upon neurons to change gene expression, this could lead to therapeutic actions, side effects, and the long-term consequences of drug abuse.