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Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.
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Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient
08:06

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Published on: September 3, 2014

Structure and composition of the postsynaptic density during development.

Matthew T Swulius1, Yoshihisa Kubota, Amélie Forest

  • 1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

The Journal of Comparative Neurology
|September 30, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Postsynaptic densities (PSDs) undergo significant structural and compositional changes during development. Key proteins like PSD-95 are absent early on, indicating a dynamic assembly process for neuronal connections.

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Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

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08:06

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Postsynaptic densities (PSDs) are crucial protein complexes at neuronal synapses.
  • Understanding PSD development is key to comprehending synapse formation and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental changes in PSD morphology and protein composition.
  • To elucidate the temporal and spatial organization of PSD assembly.

Main Methods:

  • Electron tomography was employed to analyze PSD ultrastructure.
  • Immunogold labeling was used to determine the distribution of specific PSD proteins.

Main Results:

  • Distinct morphological and compositional differences in PSDs were observed across developmental stages (E19, P2, P21, P60).
  • PSD-95 was notably absent in early development (E19, P2), while NR1 and NR2b were present.
  • Alpha-actinin was abundant early, suggesting it's a core structural component, and CaMKII levels increased significantly by P21.
  • Calmodulin (CaM) abundance decreased over time, and all studied proteins showed nonrandom spatial distribution within PSDs.

Conclusions:

  • PSDs exhibit dynamic structural and compositional maturation throughout development.
  • PSD assembly is an organized process, not requiring PSD-95 for early NMDA receptor clustering.
  • Developmental changes in PSDs reflect the intricate process of synapse maturation.