Neuroscience Fast Receptors in Every Respect

Peter Stern

Science, AAAS, Cambridge CB2 1LQ, UK

Lateral diffusion of receptors has been characterized as an important process for receptor trafficking in and out of synapses. The demonstration of this role has been limited to relatively slow events (in the range of minutes) that occur during development or turnover of receptors, during basal transmission, or during certain forms of neuronal plasticity. Heine et al. (see the Perspective by Silver and Kanichay) now report that receptor lateral movements are also involved in fast (tens of milliseconds) regulation of synaptic transmission. Recovery from synaptic depression involves exchange of desensitized receptors with functional ones through lateral movements within or from nearby the postsynaptic density.

M. Heine, L. Groc, R. Frischknecht, J.-C. Béïque, B. Lounis, G. Rumbaugh, R. L. Huganir, L. Cognet, D. Choquet, Surface mobility of postsynaptic AMPARs tunes synaptic transmission. Science 320, 201-205 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]

R. A. Silver, R. T. Kanichay, Refreshing connections. Science 320, 183-184 (2008). [Summary] [Full Text]

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