A synaptic balancing act: local and global signaling in the clustering of ACh receptors at vertebrate neuromuscular junctions.
The clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in muscle is a hallmark step in the development of vertebrate neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). It involves localized signaling, which is initiated by the activation of MuSK (muscle-specific kinase) and leads to the concentration and cytoskeletal anchoring of AChRs at the synapse, and global signaling, which traverses the muscle to disperse extra-synaptic AChR clusters. Here we review some of the recent findings that indicate important roles for the actin cytoskeleton and tyrosine phosphatases in mediating these processes.
Madhavan
Raghavan
R
Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
Peng
H Benjamin
HB
D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000378:metabolism*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism
D000199:Actins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic