Presynaptic unsilencing: searching for a mechanism.
Nascent synaptic networks have a high incidence of silent synapses. In this issue of Neuron, Shen et al. show that a brief burst of action potentials rapidly awaken silent synapses by increasing the availability of synaptic vesicles for fusion through BDNF-triggered presynaptic actin remodeling mediated by the small GTPase Cdc42.
Atasoy
Deniz
D
Center for Basic Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.
Kavalali
Ege T
ET