Advances in synapse formation: Forging connections in the worm

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Synapse formation is the quintessential process by which neurons form specific connections with their targets to enable the development of functional circuits. Over the past few decades, intense research efforts have identified thousands of proteins that localize to the pre- and postsynaptic compartments. Genetic dissection has provided important insights into the nexus of the molecular and cellular network, and has greatly advanced our knowledge about how synapses form and function physiologically. Moreover, recent studies have highlighted the complex regulation of synapse formation with the identification of novel mechanisms involving cell interactions from non-neuronal sources. In this review, we cover the conserved pathways required for synaptogenesis and place specific focus on new themes of synapse modulation arising from studies in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)85-97
Number of pages13
JournalWiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Developmental Biology
Volume4
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

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