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Updated: May 30, 2026

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
Published on: January 4, 2010
Presenilin 1 regulates homeostatic synaptic scaling through Akt signaling
Kara G Pratt1, Eric C Zimmerman, David G Cook
1Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Abstract:
Neurons adapt to long-lasting changes in network activity, both in vivo and in vitro, by adjusting their synaptic strengths to stabilize firing rates. We found that homeostatic scaling of excitatory synapses was impaired in hippocampal neurons derived from mice lacking presenilin 1 (Psen1(-/-) mice) or expressing a familial Alzheimer's disease-linked Psen1 mutation (Psen1(M146V)). These findings suggest that deficits in synaptic homeostasis may contribute to brain dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.
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