The enigma of transmitter-selective receptor accumulation at developing inhibitory synapses

Item Type:	Review
Title:	The enigma of transmitter-selective receptor accumulation at developing inhibitory synapses
Creators Name:	Meier, J.
Abstract:	The control of synaptic inhibition is crucial for normal brain function. More than 20 years ago, glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were shown to be the two major inhibitory neurotransmitters. They can be released independently from different terminals or co-released from the same terminal to activate postsynaptic glycine and GABA(A) receptors. The anchoring protein gephyrin is involved in the postsynaptic accumulation of both glycine and GABA(A) receptors. In lower brain regions, both receptors can be concentrated in synapses, whereas in higher brain regions, glycine receptors are mostly excluded from postsynaptic sites. The activation of glycine and/or GABA(A) receptors determines the strength and precise timing of inhibition. Therefore, tight regulation of postsynaptic glycine versus GABA(A) receptor localization is crucial for optimizing synaptic inhibition in neurons. This review focuses on recent findings and discusses questions concerning the specificity of postsynaptic inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor accumulation during inhibitory synapse formation and development.
Keywords:	GABA A receptor, Glycine receptor, Synapse, Gephyrin, Calcium, Development, Animals
Source:	Cell and Tissue Research
ISSN:	0302-766X
Publisher:	Springer
Volume:	311
Number:	3
Page Range:	271-276
Date:	March 2003
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-002-0694-9
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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