title: GluA1 promotes the activity-dependent development of motor circuitry in the developing segmental spinal cord.
abstract: The neuronal dendritic tree is a key determinant of how neurons receive, compute, and transmit information. During early postnatal life, synaptic activity promotes dendrite elaboration. Spinal motor neurons utilize GluA1-containing AMPA (2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid) receptors (AMPA-R) to control this process. This form of developmental dendrite growth can occur independently of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDA-R). This review focuses on the mechanism by which the GluA1 subunit of AMPA-R transforms synaptic activity into dendrite growth, and describes the essential role of the GluA1 binding partner SAP97 (synapse-associated protein of 97 kDa molecular weight) in this process. This work defines a new mechanism of activity-dependent development, which might be harnessed to stimulate the recovery of function following insult to the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Graduate Group, Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jablonski
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Kalb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018091:Receptors, AMPA