Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• DiAntonio, Aaron
• Ruiz-Canada, Catalina
• Budnik, Vivian

Titel

Glutamate Receptors At The Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction

Ist Teil von

• International Review of Neurobiology, 2006-01, Vol.75 (1), p.165-179

Ort / Verlag

United States: Elsevier Science & Technology

Erscheinungsjahr

2006

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• This chapter discusses the role of glutamate receptors not only in mediating synaptic transmission but also in the formation and plasticity of synapses in Drosophila. The chapter discusses the composition of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), describes the way the subunit composition iGluRs shapes the properties of synapses, presents mechanisms involved in clustering iGluRs at the synapse, and describes the myriad ways in which iGluRs contribute to synaptic plasticity at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Based on their sequence, iGluRs are subdivided into families, physiological properties, and pharmacological profiles. Molecular mechanisms that cluster the receptors at the synapse are being defined, and the cell biology of receptor trafficking is now accessible to live-imaging studies. GluRs are both regulated by and themselves regulate plasticity mechanisms that shape the size and strength of the NMJ. Combining genetic, physiological, and optical techniques should continue to provide important insights into the role of GluRs at the Drosophila NMJ.