Ubiquitin and protein turnover in synapse function

Enduring modification of synapses is central to long-lasting neural circuit plasticity. Such adaptations include rapid posttranslational modification of existing synaptic proteins over periods of minutes and persisting changes in the abundance of synaptic proteins over hours to days. Recently, ubiquitination and protein degradation have emerged as additional mechanisms for modifying the function and molecular composition of synapses. These recent findings raise intriguing questions as to how enduring changes at synapses are accomplished in the face of robust, ongoing molecular turnover.