Establishing and sculpting the synapse in Drosophila and C. elegans

• Published in: Current Opinion in Neurobiology 2002-10, Vol.12 (5), p.491-498
• Main Authors: Broadie, Kendal S, Richmond, Janet E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: active zone; Animals; c. elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology; Drosophila; Drosophila - physiology; glutamate; Glutamic Acid - genetics; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; liprin; modulation; Neuromuscular Junction - embryology; Neuromuscular Junction - genetics; Neuromuscular Junction - metabolism; Neuromuscular Junction - ultrastructure; polarization; postsynaptic; presynaptic; synapse; Synapses - genetics; Synapses - metabolism; Synapses - ultrastructure
• ISSN: 0959-4388; 1873-6882
• DOI: 10.1016/S0959-4388(02)00359-8

Genetic approaches in flies and worms continue to dissect the intricate molecular machinery of chemical synapses. Investigations carried out in the last year provide important new insights into the development and modulation of the presynaptic active zones and postsynaptic receptor fields mediating synaptic function. Mutant screens have identified overlapping gene classes mediating synaptogenesis. The leucocyte common antigen-related receptor tyrosine phosphatase interacts with liprin in the formation of the active zone. Spectrins are essential for the spatial restriction of synaptic proteins to define active zones. Glutamate acts as a negative regulator of its cognate postsynaptic receptor to sculpt receptor field size. Finally, protein translation and degradation regulation emerge as possible key regulators of synaptic efficacy. The analysis of synaptic mechanisms in flies and worms has identified overlapping gene classes mediating synaptogenesis, the nature of molecular interactions that form the synaptic active zone, the ability of presynaptic glutamate to influence postsynaptic glutamate receptor numbers, and protein translation/degradation as a key mediator of synaptic efficacy.