Abstract
The neuronal dendritic tree is a key determinant of how neurons receive, compute, and transmit information. During early postnatal life, synaptic activity promotes dendrite elaboration. Spinal motor neurons utilize GluA1-containing AMPA (2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid) receptors (AMPA-R) to control this process. This form of developmental dendrite growth can occur independently of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDA-R). This review focuses on the mechanism by which the GluA1 subunit of AMPA-R transforms synaptic activity into dendrite growth, and describes the essential role of the GluA1 binding partner SAP97 (synapse-associated protein of 97 kDa molecular weight) in this process. This work defines a new mechanism of activity-dependent development, which might be harnessed to stimulate the recovery of function following insult to the central nervous system.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 54-59 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Volume | 1279 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2013 |
Keywords
- AMPA
- Activity dependent
- Dendrite
- Development
- GluA1
- Growth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- History and Philosophy of Science