title: Activity-induced potentiation of developing neuromuscular synapses.
abstract: Electrical activity plays a critical role in shaping the structure and function of synaptic connections in the nervous system. In Xenopus nerve-muscle cultures, a brief burst of action potentials in the presynaptic neuron induced a persistent potentiation of neuromuscular synapses that exhibit immature synaptic functions. Induction of potentiation required an elevation of postsynaptic Ca2+ and expression of potentiation appeared to involve an increased probability of transmitter secretion from the presynaptic nerve terminal. Thus, activity-dependent persistent synaptic enhancement may reflect properties characteristic of immature synaptic connections, and bursting activity in developing spinal neurons may promote functional maturation of the neuromuscular synapse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poo
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000502:physiology; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D002038:Bungarotoxins; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D002614:Chelating Agents; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019703:Calcineurin; C025603:1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid; D002118:Calcium