title: A novel synaptic plasticity rule explains homeostasis of neuromuscular transmission.
abstract: Excitability differs among muscle fibers and undergoes continuous changes during development and growth, yet the neuromuscular synapse maintains a remarkable fidelity of execution. Here we show in two evolutionarily distant vertebrates (Xenopus laevis cell culture and mouse nerve-muscle ex-vivo) that the skeletal muscle cell constantly senses, through two identified calcium signals, synaptic events and their efficacy in eliciting spikes. These sensors trigger retrograde signal(s) that control presynaptic neurotransmitter release, resulting in synaptic potentiation or depression. In the absence of spikes, synaptic events trigger potentiation. Once the synapse is sufficiently strong to initiate spiking, the occurrence of these spikes activates a negative retrograde feedback. These opposing signals dynamically balance the synapse in order to continuously adjust neurotransmitter release to a level matching current muscle cell excitability.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Neuroscience Information et Complexité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FRE 3693, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5658-7005
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ouanounou
authors.affiliation: Unité de Neuroscience Information et Complexité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FRE 3693, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baux
authors.affiliation: Unité de Neuroscience Information et Complexité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FRE 3693, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bal
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D006706:Homeostasis; D051379:Mice; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents
keywords: calcium signaling; cell biology; homeostatic plasticity; mouse; neuromuscular junction; neuroscience; xenopus