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Published on: March 20, 2014
Tuning synapse strength by nanocolumn plasticity
Na Xu1, Si-Yu Chen2, Ai-Hui Tang2
1Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Neurology in the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging and Intelligent Processing, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China; School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
Abstract:
The precise organization of the complex set of synaptic proteins at the nanometer scale is crucial for synaptic transmission. At the heart of this nanoscale architecture lies the nanocolumn. This aligns presynaptic neurotransmitter release with a high local density of postsynaptic receptor channels, thereby optimizing synaptic strength. Although synapses exhibit diverse protein compositions and nanoscale organizations, the role of structural diversity in the notable differences observed in synaptic physiology remains poorly understood. In this review we examine the current literature on the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of nanocolumns, as well as their role in modulating various aspects of synaptic transmission. We also discuss how the reorganization of nanocolumns contributes to functional dynamics in both synaptic plasticity and pathology.
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