REGULATION OF A NEURONAL FORM OF FOCAL ADHESION KINASE BY ANANDAMIDE

Anandamide is an endogenous ligand for central cannabinoid receptors a nd is released after neuronal depolarization. Anandamide increased pro tein tyrosine phosphorylation in rat hippocampal slices and neurons in culture. The action of anandamide resulted from the inhibition of ade nylyl cyclase and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent prote in kinase. One of the proteins phosphorylated in response to anandamid e was an isoform of pp125-focal adhesion kinase (FAK+) expressed prefe rentially in neurons. Focal adhesion kinase is a tyrosine kinase invol ved in the interactions between the integrins and actin-based cytoskel eton. Thus, anandamide may exert neurotrophic effects and play a role in synaptic plasticity.