title: Assembly and plasticity of the glutamatergic postsynaptic specialization.
abstract: Glutamate mediates most excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. Synaptic strength at glutamatergic synapses shows a remarkable degree of use-dependent plasticity and such modifications may represent a physiological correlate to learning and memory. Glutamate receptors and downstream enzymes are organized at synapses by cytoskeletal proteins containing multiple protein-interacting domains. Recent studies demonstrate that these 'scaffolding' proteins within the postsynaptic specialization have the capacity to promote synaptic maturation, influence synapse size, and modulate glutamate receptor function.
authors.affiliation: University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, 513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, California 94143-0444, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bredt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate