The postsynaptic density (PSD), apparent in electron micrographs as a dense lamina just beneath the postsynaptic membrane, includes a deeper layer, the "pallium", containing a scaffold of Shank and Homer proteins. Though poorly defined in traditionally prepared thin-section electron micrographs, the pallium becomes denser and more conspicuous during intense synaptic activity, due to the reversible addition of CaMKII and other proteins. In this Perspective article, we review the significance of CaMKII-mediated recruitment of proteins to the pallium with respect to both the trafficking of receptors and the remodeling of spine shape that follow synaptic stimulation. We suggest that the level and duration of CaMKII translocation and activation in the pallium will shape activity-induced changes in the spine.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnsyn.2016.00023 | DOI Listing |
J Neuroinflammation
January 2025
Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
The brain presents various structural and functional sex differences, for which multiple factors are attributed: genetic, epigenetic, metabolic, and hormonal. While biological sex is determined by both sex chromosomes and sex hormones, little is known about how these two factors interact to establish this dimorphism. Sex differences in the brain also affect its resident immune cells, microglia, which actively survey the brain parenchyma and interact with sex hormones throughout life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurobiol Dis
January 2025
Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada. Electronic address:
The consequences of non-pathogenic huntingtin (HTT) reduction in the mature brain are of substantial importance as clinical trials for numerous HTT-lowering therapies are underway; many of which are non-selective in that they reduce both mutant and wild type protein variants. In this study, we injected CaMKII-promoted AAV-Cre directly into the hippocampus of adult HTT floxed mice to explore the role of wild-type huntingtin (wtHTT) in adult hippocampal pyramidal neurons and the broader implications of its loss. Our findings reveal that wtHTT depletion results in profound macroscopic morphological abnormalities in hippocampal structure, accompanied by significant reactive gliosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTzu Chi Med J
August 2024
Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic psychotic disorder that profoundly alters an individual's perception of reality, resulting in abnormal behavior, cognitive deficits, thought distortions, and disorientation in emotions. Many complicated factors can lead to SCZ, and investigations are ongoing to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of this condition. Presynaptic Netrin G1 and its cognate partner postsynaptic Netrin-G-Ligand-1 (NGL-1) have been implicated in SCZ.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends Neurosci
January 2025
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Neurology in the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging and Intelligent Processing, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China. Electronic address:
The precise organization of the complex set of synaptic proteins at the nanometer scale is crucial for synaptic transmission. At the heart of this nanoscale architecture lies the nanocolumn. This aligns presynaptic neurotransmitter release with a high local density of postsynaptic receptor channels, thereby optimizing synaptic strength.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiol Psychiatry
January 2025
Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University. Electronic address:
Background: Certain cognitive processes require inhibition provided by the somatostatin (SST) class of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This inhibition onto pyramidal neuron dendrites depends on both SST and GABA signaling. Although SST mRNA levels are lower in the DLPFC in schizophrenia, it is not known if SST neurons exhibit alterations in the capacity to synthesize GABA, principally via the 67-kilodalton isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67).
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