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Updated: Jul 30, 2025

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Mechanisms of Neural Circuit Assembly and Synapse Formation in Drosophila
Published on: July 26, 2024
Synaptic logistics: Competing over shared resources
Anne-Sophie Hafner1, Jochen Triesch2
1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Abstract:
High turnover rates of synaptic proteins imply that synapses constantly need to replace their constituent building blocks. This requires sophisticated supply chains and potentially exposes synapses to shortages as they compete for limited resources. Interestingly, competition in neurons has been observed at different scales. Whether it is competition of receptors for binding sites inside a single synapse or synapses fighting for resources to grow. Here we review the implications of such competition for synaptic function and plasticity. We identify multiple mechanisms that synapses use to safeguard themselves against supply shortages and identify a fundamental neurologistic trade-off governing the sizes of reserve pools of essential synaptic building blocks.
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