Aberrant morphology and residual transmitter release at the Munc13-deficient mouse neuromuscular synapse.

ABSTRACT: In cultured hippocampal neurons, synaptogenesis is largely independent of synaptic transmission, while several accounts in the literature indicate that synaptogenesis at cholinergic neuromuscular junctions in mammals appears to partially depend on synaptic activity. To systematically examine the role of synaptic activity in synaptogenesis at the neuromuscular junction, we investigated neuromuscular synaptogenesis and neurotransmitter release of mice lacking all synaptic vesicle priming proteins of the Munc13 family. Munc13-deficient mice are completely paralyzed at birth and die immediately, but form specialized neuromuscular endplates that display typical synaptic features. However, the distribution, number, size, and shape of these synapses, as well as the number of motor neurons they or

SUBMITTER: Varoqueaux F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1168806 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature