Fig. 1.

Schematic describing potential cellular mechanisms for rapid antidepressant properties of l-acetylcarnitine. LAC may act within the nucleus to promote gene expression of mGlu2 receptor and BDNF by acetylation (AC) of transcription factors (TF) that promote DNA binding or of histones proteins surrounding DNA, leading to a permissive transcriptional state. LAC may act outside the nucleus on chaperone proteins, such as HSP90, to impair glucocorticoid receptor (GR) processing and limit the cellular effects of stress. LAC may acetylate microtubule proteins in dendrites to control stability of the neuronal cytoskeleton and prevent stress-induced loss of dendrites.