Inter-Synaptic Lateral Diffusion of GABAA Receptors Shapes Inhibitory Synaptic Currents
Emanuela de Luca1, Tiziana Ravasenga1, Enrica Maria Petrini1
1Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova, Italy.
Abstract:
The lateral mobility of neurotransmitter receptors has been shown to tune synaptic signals. Here we report that GABAA receptors (GABAARs) can diffuse between adjacent dendritic GABAergic synapses in long-living desensitized states, thus laterally spreading "activation memories" between inhibitory synapses. Glutamatergic activity limits this inter-synaptic diffusion by trapping GABAARs at excitatory synapses. This novel form of activity-dependent hetero-synaptic interplay is likely to modulate dendritic synaptic signaling.
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