Regulation of postsynaptic signaling in structural synaptic plasticity

Morphological changes of dendritic spines are strongly associated with synaptic development and synaptic plasticity, which underlies learning and memory. These changes are driven by alterations of F-actin dynamics under the control of Rho GTPases or by synaptic trafficking and insertion of glutamate receptors. Understanding the molecular events that occur during the formation and stabilization of dendritic spines, and the signaling pathways regulating these processes, provides insights into the mechanisms of learning and memory. In this review, we discuss the recent advances on these postsynaptic signaling pathways, in particular, we discuss the specific signaling events that couple the cell-surface receptors to intracellular targets. In addition, we discuss the deregulation of these signaling pathways and their subsequent impact on synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.