Background: The functioning of the nervous system depends upon the specificity of its synaptic contacts. The mechanismstriggering the expression of the appropriate receptors on postsynaptic membrane and the role of the presynaptic partner inthe differentiation of postsynaptic structures are little known.Methods and Findings: To address these questions we cocultured murine primary muscle cells with several glutamatergic neurons, either cortical, cerebellar or hippocampal. Immunofluorescence and electrophysiology analyses revealed that functional excitatory synaptic contacts were formed between glutamatergic neurons and muscle cells. Moreover,immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence experiments showed that typical anchoring proteins of central excitatorysynapses coimmunoprecipitate and colocalize with rapsyn, the acetylcholine receptor anchoring protein at the neuromuscular junction.Conclusions: These results support an important role of the presynaptic partner in the induction and differentiation of thepostsynaptic structures.

Glutamatergic neurons induce expression of functional glutamatergic synapses in primary myotubes

ETTORRE, Michele;LORENZETTO, Erika;LAPERCHIA, Claudia;BUFFELLI, Mario Rosario
2012-01-01

Abstract

Background: The functioning of the nervous system depends upon the specificity of its synaptic contacts. The mechanismstriggering the expression of the appropriate receptors on postsynaptic membrane and the role of the presynaptic partner inthe differentiation of postsynaptic structures are little known.Methods and Findings: To address these questions we cocultured murine primary muscle cells with several glutamatergic neurons, either cortical, cerebellar or hippocampal. Immunofluorescence and electrophysiology analyses revealed that functional excitatory synaptic contacts were formed between glutamatergic neurons and muscle cells. Moreover,immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence experiments showed that typical anchoring proteins of central excitatorysynapses coimmunoprecipitate and colocalize with rapsyn, the acetylcholine receptor anchoring protein at the neuromuscular junction.Conclusions: These results support an important role of the presynaptic partner in the induction and differentiation of thepostsynaptic structures.
2012
Synapse development; Post-synaptic differentiation; Glutamatergic neurons; Neurotransmitter receptors
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/389245
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 1
  • Scopus 3
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 2
social impact