There's more than one way to scale a synapse.
TNFalpha has been proposed to underlie synaptic scaling, but the mechanism and functional significance of this remain unclear. In this issue of Neuron, Cingolani et al. demonstrate that TNFalpha can mediate scaling through the regulation of beta3 integrins. Kaneko et al. show that TNFalpha-dependent synaptic scaling plays an important role in visual cortical plasticity.
Aizenman
Carlos D
CD
Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. carlos_aizenman@brown.edu
Pratt
Kara G
KG
D000818:Animals; D039661:Integrin beta3 / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology
D039661:Integrin beta3; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha