Matrix metalloproteinase-7 disrupts dendritic spines in hippocampal neurons through NMDA receptor activation.

ABSTRACT: Dendritic spines are protrusions from the dendritic shaft that host most excitatory synapses in the brain. Although they first emerge during neuronal maturation, dendritic spines remain plastic through adulthood, and recent advances in the molecular mechanisms governing spine morphology have shown them to be exquisitely sensitive to changes in the micro-environment. Among the many factors affecting spine morphology are components and regulators of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Modification of the ECM is critical to the repair of injuries throughout the body, including the CNS. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7/matrilysin is a key regulator of the ECM during pathogen infection, after nerve crush and in encephalitogenic disorders. We have investigated the effects of MMP-7 on dendritic spine

SUBMITTER: Bilousova TV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3369267 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature