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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Visualizing the Morphological Characteristics of Neuromuscular Junction in Rat Medial Gastrocnemius Muscle
Published on: May 17, 2022
Perisynaptic Schwann Cells at the Neuromuscular Synapse: Adaptable, Multitasking Glial Cells
Chien-Ping Ko1, Richard Robitaille2
1Section of Neurobiology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-2520.
Abstract:
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is engineered to be a highly reliable synapse to carry the control of the motor commands of the nervous system over the muscles. Its development, organization, and synaptic properties are highly structured and regulated to support such reliability and efficacy. Yet, the NMJ is also highly plastic, able to react to injury and adapt to changes. This balance between structural stability and synaptic efficacy on one hand and structural plasticity and repair on another hand is made possible by the intricate regulation of perisynaptic Schwann cells, glial cells at this synapse. They regulate both the efficacy and structural plasticity of the NMJ in a dynamic, bidirectional manner owing to their ability to decode synaptic transmission and by their interactions via trophic-related factors.
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