Navigation Links
CSHL scientists show in unprecedented detail how cortical nerve cells form synapses with neighbors
Date:12/21/2010

se they communicate via neurotransmitters called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).

"The question is: how can you form synapses with the right partners?" says Huang, "and what mechanism is involved to achieve the necessary specificity?" Some have proposed that nerve cells secrete some kind of repulsive or attractive molecules. "But when you are in the cortex, the distance between different potential partners is so minuteit's inconceivable that kind of mechanism could work."

"It's more plausible that the cortical neuron's strategy is to initiate synapse formation with almost any nearby target and then to test it, by trying to communicate using synaptic transmission," Huang explains. "Most of these tentative connections don't prove to be correct and will be eliminated. Only those between functionally compatible neurons will be validated and strengthened."

Building upon the knowledge that cellular "glues," in the form of cell-adhesion molecules called neurexins and neuroligins, are needed to make a preliminary connection, Huang and Fu observed in live cortical circuits precisely how they interacted. "They work like a zipper: two neuronscalled pre-synaptic and post-synapticare touching; there are adhesion molecules coming from both sides, and they actually lock," Huang says.

Their key finding concerns the steps that occur following this preliminary zippering: the presynaptic neuron sends a quantity of neurotransmitter across to the prospective partner. But how does this neurotransmission get translated into molecular adhesion? Huang and Fu looked closely at neurexins, proteins that interact with neuroligins to form the zipper that holds synapses together. They found for the first time that two forms of neurexin, called alpha and beta, have very different properties, and respond in different ways to neural activity.

"The alpha neurexin molecule seems to be acting like a search engine," says Huang. Widely distributed along
'/>"/>

Contact: Peter Tarr
tarr@cshl.edu
516-367-8455
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Jefferson scientists deliver toxic genes to effectively kill pancreatic cancer cells
2. Scientists identify novel inhibitor of human microRNA
3. Argonne scientists peer into heart of compound that may detect chemical, biological weapons
4. MU scientists go green with gold, distribute environmentally friendly nanoparticles
5. Scientists identify gene that may contribute to improved rice yield
6. Scientists discover why a mothers high-fat diet contributes to obesity in her children
7. MU scientists see how HIV matures into an infection
8. Earth scientists keep an eye on Texas
9. Thinking it through: Scientists call for policy to guide biofuels industry toward sustainability
10. Scientists identify a molecule that coordinates the movement of cells
11. Scientists Find new migratory patterns for Mediterranean and Western Atlantic bluefin tuna
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/22/2013)... and engineers must join together in a major new ... a crisis in providing Earth,s people with clean water ... focus of a comment article in the current edition ... newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world,s ... L. Sedlak, Ph.D., and Jerald L. Schnoor, Ph.D., explain ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... engineering drastically reduces the time and effort needed ... of biotechnology, scientists are reporting. Published in the ... paves the way for more rapid development of ... other activities. , Keith Shearwin and colleagues explain ... genetic material DNA into a bacterium,s genome is ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... Adventitious changes in cellular DNA can endanger the whole ... cancer. Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now report ... the double helix. , The DNA in our cells ... in our bodies. The instructions for this are encoded ... in DNA, the bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):DNA damage: The dark side of respiration 2
... a better understanding of why some pediatric acute lymphoblastic ... when existing clinical predictive criteria point towards a positive ... of Cancer Cell, is likely to facilitate development of ... for children with ALL. , Nearly 80% of children ...
... protect itself from HIV infection via the innate immune ... been shown to have anti-HIV activity. However, the mechanism ... been known. Appearing online on February 17 in advance ... the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Theresa Chang and colleagues ...
... products used to wrap or contain food and beverages ... can sometimes leach out of the plastic and migrate ... plastic is old or scratched. In two studies funded ... at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia have demonstrated ...
Cached Biology News:Multiple-drug resistant gene expression pattern predicts treatment outcome for pediatric leukemia 2Compounds in plastic packaging act as environmental estrogens altering breast genes 2
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013  Rahal Letterman Lanigan ... human cord blood stem cell banking and therapeutics, announced ... the No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts Indy car driven by ... the remainder of the IZOD IndyCar 2013 season.   ... will work to support awareness of umbilical cord blood ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... PI’s new LPS-24 positioners are less ... travel range with closed-loop sensor resolution up to ... new positioners the ideal choice for high precision ... is also available. , More Information: Specifications ... found at: , http://www.physikinstrumente.com/en/products/prdetail.php?sortnr=1000745&prw-lps24 , Reference-Class ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Calif. , May 23, 2013  Saddleback Memorial ... recently became the first hospital on the West ... technology. This new surgical option provides women with a ... Marc Winter , M.D., a ... and surgeon and medical director of minimally invasive surgery ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... EXTON, Pa. , May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ ... leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical ... gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and infectious disease specialists reported that ... warehousing patients (e.g., intentionally delaying treatment) in anticipation ... physicians than six months ago, when only 6 ...
Breaking Biology Technology:StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 2StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 3Precision Positioning System Uses Miniaturezed Piezo Linear Motor: LPS-24 Linear Stage by PI 2Saddleback Memorial Surgeon First on the West Coast to Perform Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy 2Saddleback Memorial Surgeon First on the West Coast to Perform Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy 3The Majority of Physicians that Treat Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Have Begun "Warehousing" and Preparing Their HCV Patients for the Next Generation of HCV Treatments 2The Majority of Physicians that Treat Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Have Begun "Warehousing" and Preparing Their HCV Patients for the Next Generation of HCV Treatments 3
... New System to Streamline Process, Drive Value from ... Software Inc., a leading,provider of web-based employee performance ... been selected by Quiznos to provide a system,for ... is a,national chain with over 5000 franchise restaurants, ...
... Alimera Sciences,and pSivida Ltd (Nasdaq: PSDV ... have amended their license and collaboration agreement relating ... for,diabetic macular edema (DME), and other Medidur products. ... of Medidur FA from 50 to 80,percent in ...
... Million Distribution Contract from Anhui ... Huayuan Pharmaceutical Co., ... Co., Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: TYNP), a manufacturer and,supplier ... today announced that the Company has been granted SFDA,approval ...
Cached Biology Technology:Quiznos Selects Halogen for Fresh Approach to Talent Management 2Alimera Sciences, pSivida Limited Amend Medidur(TM) FA Collaboration Agreement 2Alimera Sciences, pSivida Limited Amend Medidur(TM) FA Collaboration Agreement 3Alimera Sciences, pSivida Limited Amend Medidur(TM) FA Collaboration Agreement 4Tianyin Pharmaceutical Announces SFDA Approval to Market Azithromycin Dispersible Tablets 2Tianyin Pharmaceutical Announces SFDA Approval to Market Azithromycin Dispersible Tablets 3