title: Perisynaptic Schwann cells at the neuromuscular junction: nerve- and activity-dependent contributions to synaptic efficacy, plasticity, and reinnervation.
abstract: Glial cells are increasingly recognized for their important contributions to CNS and PNS synaptic function. Perisynaptic Schwann cells, which are glial cells at the neuromuscular junction, have proven to be an exceptionally useful model for studying these roles. Recent studies have shown that they detect and reciprocally modulate synaptic efficacy in an activity-dependent manner in the short term. In addition, perisynaptic Schwann cells guide reinnervating nerve sprouts after deinnervation, and many important parameters of this are dependent on synapse activity. Thus, it is hypothesized that perisynaptic Schwann cells are key integrators in a continuum of synaptic efficacy, stability, and plasticity at the neuromuscular junction, which is important for maintaining and restoring synaptic efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Sciences Neurologiques, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Auld
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Robitaille
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000502:physiology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors