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Synaptic circuit remodelling by matrix metalloproteinases in health and disease

George W Huntley1

  • 1Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute and the Graduate School of Biological Sciences, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA. george.huntley@mssm.edu

Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|October 11, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes with dual roles in the brain. While previously linked to damage, new research reveals their critical function in synaptic remodeling essential for cognitive processes.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Enzymology

Background:

  • Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are extracellular enzymes historically associated with detrimental effects in brain injury and disease.
  • Their widespread activity can lead to neuronal loss and synaptic dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the evolving understanding of MMPs' roles in synaptic plasticity and function.
  • To highlight the paradigm shift from viewing MMPs solely as detrimental to recognizing their crucial role in cognitive processes.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes findings from recent studies on MMP activity.
  • It examines the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic remodeling and its relation to neurological disorders.

Main Results:

  • Rapid, focal MMP activity drives synaptic structural and functional remodeling vital for cognition.
  • Deficits in this remodeling are linked to psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Conclusions:

  • MMPs play a dual role in the brain, contributing to both damage and essential synaptic remodeling.
  • Aberrant MMP function may underlie deficits in synaptic plasticity seen in various brain disorders.

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