Loss of correlated motor neuron activity during synaptic competition at developing neuromuscular synapses. 2001

K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 215 Stemmler Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

During late stages of neural development, synaptic circuitry is edited by neural activity. At neuromuscular synapses, the transition from multiple to single innervation is modulated by the relative pattern of activity among inputs competing for innervation of the same muscle fiber. While experimental perturbations of activity result in marked changes in the timing of neuromuscular synaptic competition, little is known about the patterns of activity present during normal development. Here, we report the temporal patterning of motor unit activity in the soleus muscle of awake, behaving neonatal mice, and that patterning is modulated by gap-junctional coupling. Our work suggests that neuromuscular synaptic competition is modulated by surprisingly low levels of activity and may be triggered by the disappearance of temporally correlated activity among inputs competing for innervation of the same muscle fiber.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008959 Models, Neurological Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of the neurological system, processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment. Neurologic Models,Model, Neurological,Neurologic Model,Neurological Model,Neurological Models,Model, Neurologic,Models, Neurologic
D009046 Motor Neurons Neurons which activate MUSCLE CELLS. Neurons, Motor,Alpha Motorneurons,Motoneurons,Motor Neurons, Alpha,Neurons, Alpha Motor,Alpha Motor Neuron,Alpha Motor Neurons,Alpha Motorneuron,Motoneuron,Motor Neuron,Motor Neuron, Alpha,Motorneuron, Alpha,Motorneurons, Alpha,Neuron, Alpha Motor,Neuron, Motor
D009469 Neuromuscular Junction The synapse between a neuron and a muscle. Myoneural Junction,Nerve-Muscle Preparation,Junction, Myoneural,Junction, Neuromuscular,Junctions, Myoneural,Junctions, Neuromuscular,Myoneural Junctions,Nerve Muscle Preparation,Nerve-Muscle Preparations,Neuromuscular Junctions,Preparation, Nerve-Muscle,Preparations, Nerve-Muscle
D002229 Carbenoxolone An agent derived from licorice root. It is used for the treatment of digestive tract ulcers, especially in the stomach. Antidiuretic side effects are frequent, but otherwise the drug is low in toxicity. Carbenoxalone,18alpha-Carbenoxolone,18alpha-Glycyrrhetinic Acid 3beta-O-Hemisuccinate,Biogastrone,Bioral,Carbeneoxolone,Carbenoxolone Disodium Salt,Carbenoxolone Sodium,Carbosan,Duogastrone,Glycyrrhetinic Acid 3-O-hemisuccinate,Pharmaxolon,Sanodin,18alpha Carbenoxolone,18alpha Glycyrrhetinic Acid 3beta O Hemisuccinate,3-O-hemisuccinate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid,3beta-O-Hemisuccinate, 18alpha-Glycyrrhetinic Acid,Acid 3-O-hemisuccinate, Glycyrrhetinic,Acid 3beta-O-Hemisuccinate, 18alpha-Glycyrrhetinic,Glycyrrhetinic Acid 3 O hemisuccinate
D004576 Electromyography Recording of the changes in electric potential of muscle by means of surface or needle electrodes. Electromyogram,Surface Electromyography,Electromyograms,Electromyographies,Electromyographies, Surface,Electromyography, Surface,Surface Electromyographies
D000375 Aging The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time. Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000831 Animals, Newborn Refers to animals in the period of time just after birth. Animals, Neonatal,Animal, Neonatal,Animal, Newborn,Neonatal Animal,Neonatal Animals,Newborn Animal,Newborn Animals
D013569 Synapses Specialized junctions at which a neuron communicates with a target cell. At classical synapses, a neuron's presynaptic terminal releases a chemical transmitter stored in synaptic vesicles which diffuses across a narrow synaptic cleft and activates receptors on the postsynaptic membrane of the target cell. The target may be a dendrite, cell body, or axon of another neuron, or a specialized region of a muscle or secretory cell. Neurons may also communicate via direct electrical coupling with ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES. Several other non-synaptic chemical or electric signal transmitting processes occur via extracellular mediated interactions. Synapse
D017629 Gap Junctions Connections between cells which allow passage of small molecules and electric current. Gap junctions were first described anatomically as regions of close apposition between cells with a narrow (1-2 nm) gap between cell membranes. The variety in the properties of gap junctions is reflected in the number of CONNEXINS, the family of proteins which form the junctions. Gap Junction,Junction, Gap,Junctions, Gap

Related Publications

K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
September 2008, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience,
K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
November 1991, Science (New York, N.Y.),
K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
June 2004, News in physiological sciences : an international journal of physiology produced jointly by the International Union of Physiological Sciences and the American Physiological Society,
K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
January 1990, Progress in brain research,
K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
May 2009, The Journal of cell biology,
K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
June 2007, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience,
K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
January 1994, Advances in second messenger and phosphoprotein research,
K E Personius, and R J Balice-Gordon
September 1999, Science (New York, N.Y.),
Copied contents to your clipboard!