title: Illuminating the multifaceted roles of neurotransmission in shaping neuronal circuitry.
abstract: Across the nervous system, neurons form highly stereotypic patterns of synaptic connections that are designed to serve specific functions. Mature wiring patterns are often attained upon the refinement of early, less precise connectivity. Much work has led to the prevailing view that many developing circuits are sculpted by activity-dependent competition among converging afferents, which results in the elimination of unwanted synapses and the maintenance and strengthening of desired connections. Studies of the vertebrate retina, however, have recently revealed that activity can play a role in shaping developing circuits without engaging competition among converging inputs that differ in their activity levels. Such neurotransmission-mediated processes can produce stereotypic wiring patterns by promoting selective synapse formation rather than elimination. We discuss how the influence of transmission may also be limited by circuit design and further highlight the importance of transmission beyond development in maintaining wiring specificity and synaptic organization of neural circuits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Haruhisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Mrinalini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshimatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle WA 98195, USA.|Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Della Santina
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel O L
authors.initials: ROL
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*