title: Postsynaptic silent synapses: evidence and mechanisms.
abstract: In this review I discuss the evidence that some glutamatergic synapses exist that lack surface-expressed postsynaptic AMPA receptors (AMPARs) but contain NMDA receptors opposed to a functional release site. I have summarised the electrophysiological, anatomical and cell biological evidence for such postsynaptically silent synapses, and data that support the idea of rapid AMPAR insertion at silent synapses during long-term potentiation (LTP). I also discuss recent findings suggesting that developmental and activity-dependent alteration in the postsynaptic glutamate receptor composition is a general principle that occurs for other receptor subtypes. This review is not intended to provide a full discussion of possible presynaptic mechanisms for silent synapses; these are covered in the accompanying recent article [Voronin and Cherubini (this issue)].
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, Department of Anatomy, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK. j.t.r.issacs@bris.ac.uk
authors.forename: John T R
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Isaac
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D017470:Receptors, Glutamate