Enzymes of the Nervous System

Dear Colleagues,

Enzymes enable biomolecular reactions and as such constitute one of the most important requirements for life. This is especially important for the nervous system, which has to remain functional throughout the lifetime of an individual.

In the nervous system, enzymes harbour roles that stretch from the intracellular level to the extracellular level, maintaining metabolism, cell survival and proliferation, and enabling intercellular communication and neuronal trophic support. Some examples include the involvement of enzymes in synaptic transmission, which is based on neurotransmitter passage between the pre- and post-synaptic membranes. This involves the controlled synthesis and degradation of such neurotransmitters. Additionally, the ubiquitin-proteasome system adjusts synaptic connections and synaptic plasticity, in which ubiquitination is regulated by a group of deubiquitinating enzymes. Similarly and at the same time, glial metabolism is involved in neuronal upkeep, e.g. by shuttling Krebs cycle substrates to neurons to maintain appropriate energy levels, and by depleting and degrading harmful end products of neuronal metabolism.

Several enzymes that take part in the vast array of reactions in the central and peripheral nervous systems are of clinical significance. Enzyme-associated pathology ranges from hereditary conditions to autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, and further to enzymes acting as targets for pathological natural compounds, such as venoms. Studying the molecular basis of these enzymes and their involvement in disease is a prerequisite for future medical treatments, which include the design of e.g. novel enzyme inhibitors, activators and pharmacological chaperones.

This Special Issue will focus on enzymes of the nervous system from a broad array of disciplines and approaches. To decipher the functional nuances of the nervous system on the biochemical level, and to tackle disease, it becomes evident that there is need to understand how the expression of enzymes, the modulation of their activity, and the impact of pathological mutations on enzyme structure and function affects the health of the nervous system. Original manuscripts and reviews of both basic and applied research are invited from all relevant branches of life sciences and natural sciences. We especially encourage the submission of manuscripts that take advantage of interdisciplinary approaches and novel experimental methodology.

Dr. Arne Raasakka
Dr. Salla Ruskamo
Ms. Oda C. Krokengen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. NeuroSci is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• action potential energetics
• allosteric mechanisms
• catalytic mechanisms
• central nervous system
• drug design
• enzyme inhibitors
• glial enzymes
• myelin enzymes
• neurodegenerative disease
• neuronal function and upkeep
• neuronal metabolism
• neurotransmitter synthesis and degradation
• nervous system pathology
• peripheral nervous system
• pre- and postsynaptic enzymes