E D Gundelfinger

..In the present study we investigated the distribution of the respective neurotransmitter receptors in the fly visual system, namely nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and GABA receptors (GABARs) demonstrated by antibody labeling...

..Based on these observations, we propose a new model of synaptic plasticity in which Zn2+ influx directly and instantly modulates the structure and function of the postsynaptic density...

..This review discusses emerging insights into the coupling of these processes, both in the chemical synapses of neurons and in non-neuronal cells...

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..These results suggest that visinin-like protein-3, which is mainly expressed in Purkinje cells in vivo, shows a calcium-dependent association with cell membranes which is mediated by a calcium-myristoyl switch...

..Therefore, proteins of the ProSAP family represent a novel link between SAP90/PSD-95 bound membrane receptors and the cytoskeleton at glutamatergic synapses of the central nervous system...

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..These results indicate a central role for DLG in the structural organization and downstream signaling mechanisms of cell adhesion molecules and ion channels at synapses...

..These data demonstrate that the presence of the two alpha subunits within a single receptor complex confers new receptor properties that cannot be predicted from knowledge of the binary receptor's properties...

..To examine the expression and localization of the neuroplastins (np), two synapse-enriched members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily of cell-adhesion molecules, in the developing and adult retina and optic nerve...

..Dalpha3 antibodies co-immunoprecipitate Dalpha3 and ARD proteins and, vice versa, anti-ARD antibodies co-precipitate ARD and Dalpha3. These data demonstrate that one type of fly nAChRs includes these two subunits as integral components...

..These data suggest that neuroplastin plays an essential role in implementing long-term changes in synaptic activity, possibly by means of a homophilic adhesion mechanism...

..Finally, we will summarize recent progress that has been made in understanding how active zones are assembled during nervous system development...

..These data indicate that Bassoon is a strong candidate to be involved in cytomatrix organization at the site of neurotransmitter release...

..Prohibitin, however, could be a new potential marker for the synaptic pathology of schizophrenia and might be causally involved in the disease process...

..Our morphological and neurochemical findings point to an involvement of these two neuronal calcium sensor proteins in pathology and possibly pathophysiology of changed calcium homeostasis in AD...

..Both interaction with the actin-binding protein cortactin and early appearance at postsynaptic sites suggest that ProSAP1/CortBP1 may be involved in the assembly of the PSD during neuronal differentiation...

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..These results suggest that depending on myristoylation, low level ectopic expression of VILIP affects basal cAMP homeostasis differentially, thereby influencing differentiation of C6 model cells...

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..These results suggest that VILIP acts as a calcium sensor molecule that modulates cell signaling cascades, possibly by direct or indirect regulation of adenylyl cyclase activity...

..This late appearance of GPI-linked brevican, its predominant expression in glial cells and its tight association with brain myelin fractions suggest a functional role in neuroglia...

..In both cases the majority of synaptic structures does not contain adducin. Significant immunoreactivity is also detected in processes of glial cells both in the hippocampus and the cerebellum...

..This demonstrates that both pre- and postsynaptic elements purify with the PSD fraction...

..In situ hybridization experiments with a common and a gp65-specific probe suggest differential expression of gp65 and gp55 transcripts in the rat brain...

..e. principal axes alignment followed by consistent matrix transformation. The power and efficiency of this new 2-step method is compared to those of various previously described procedures...

..Furthermore, axon initial segments are strongly covered by a dense brevican coat. Altogether, we show that mature primary cultures can form PNN, and that basic features of these extracellular matrix structures may be studied in vitro...

..Furthermore, this study shows that ME-MRI can become a valuable tool for a structural characterization of genetically modified mice...

..Zn2+, which is found in high concentrations in the PSD, binds tightly to Shank3 and may regulate assembly. Sheets of the Shank protein could form a platform for the construction of the PSD complex...

..Paradigmatically this establishes Golgi transit as an obligatory step for subcellular trafficking of distinct cytoplasmic scaffolding proteins...

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..We therefore conclude that calmyrin will not contribute significantly as a Ca(2+)-sensor that transduces Ca(2+)-signaling events to PS2 in forebrain...

..Sema4B co-localizes with PSD-95 at synaptic contacts between cultured hippocampal neurons. This synaptic localization depends on the presence of the PDZ-binding motif...

..These results demonstrate that the Shank3 adaptor protein can mediate cellular signaling, and provide a molecular mechanism for the biological divergence between the Ret9 and Ret51 isoform...

..We conclude that ribbon-dependent synchronous release of multiple vesicles at the hair cell afferent synapse is essential for normal hearing...

..Finally, we found the RIBEYE homologue CtBP1 at ribbon and conventional synapses, suggesting a novel role for the CtBP/BARS family in the molecular assembly and function of central nervous system synapses...

..Altogether, our data delineate a hitherto unknown targeting signal in both ProSAP1/Shank2 and ProSAP2/Shank3 and provide evidence for an implication of these proteins and their close homologue, Shank1, in distinct molecular pathways...

..KARAP/DAP12 may thus alter microglial physiology and subsequently synaptic function and plasticity through a novel microglia-neuron interaction...

..Thus, ProSAPiP1 and PSD-Zip70 are founders of a novel family of scaffolding proteins, the "Fezzins," which adds further complexity to the organization of the PSD protein network...

..These multidomain proteins are instrumental for the diverse functions performed by the presynaptic active zone...

..Our results imply that SPAR2 is a new RapGAP with specific functions in cerebellar and hippocampal granule cells...

..Simultaneous analysis of fluorescence decays of the donor and the acceptor probes along with their decay-associated spectra allowed a clear discrimination of energy transfer...

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..This 3D analysis reveals the morphological constraints exerted by the presynaptic molecular scaffold. SVs are tightly interconnected in the axonal bouton, and this network is preferentially connected to the AZ...

..These opposing mechanisms might be present in a large proportion of forebrain synapses and may contribute importantly to synaptic plasticity...

..Data show that Abi-1 can act as a specific synapto-nuclear messenger and is essentially involved in dendrite and synapse formation...

..In addition we found no segregation of np65 immunolabel in hippocampal subregions like it was reported previously for the rat. These results might indicate different cellular functions of the molecule in different species...

..Several PTVs can fuse on demand with the presynaptic membrane to rapidly form an active zone...

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..This function is not shared by the highly homologous protein Bassoon, which indicates that Piccolo has a unique role in coupling the mobilization of SVs in the reserve pool to events within the active zone...

..The widespread presence of Shank mRNAs in dendrites suggests a role for local synthesis of Shanks in response to stimuli that induce alterations in synaptic morphology...

..These findings suggest that AZs are assembled from unitary amounts of AZ material carried on PTVs...

..During embryonic development, proteins that include the S97N domain are essential for proper neuronal differentiation and organization, acting through mechanisms that may include the adequate localization of cell fate determinants...

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..These data show that Bassoon is not essential for synapse formation but plays an essential role in the regulated neurotransmitter release from a subset of glutamatergic synapses...

..These results suggest that, through their multimerization and interaction with Piccolo, the GIT family proteins are involved in the organization of the CAZ...

..Taken together, this could provide a mechanism by which perineuronal nets are anchored on neuronal surfaces...

..Detailed behavioral analysis revealed no statistically significant deficits in learning and memory. These data indicate that brevican is not crucial for brain development but has restricted structural and functional roles...

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..This ProSAP2/Shank3 haploinsufficiency may cause a syndrome that is characterized by severe expressive language delay, mild mental retardation and minor facial dysmorphisms...

..The method seems to be suitable to address the question of how differential gene expression contributes to degeneration, survival and axonal repair after partial nerve crush...

..The data suggest a role for neuroplastins in the development and maintenance of normal synaptic connections in the cerebellum...

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..1 calcium channels these data suggest that this interaction takes place in neurohypophyseal axons and pituitary cells indicating functions of the short splice variants in triggering Ca2+ transients to a vesicular target interaction...

..This creates a functional connection between synaptic stimulation and cytoskeletal rearrangements...

..These findings indicate that the assembly processes of PSDs and AZs may be fundamentally different...

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..These findings provide molecular evidence that NCS can transduce signals to a specific target interaction irrespective of Ca(2+)-concentrations and CaM-levels...

..Together, these results imply that the postsynaptic density may have the ability to function (semi-) autonomously and may direct various cellular functions in order to integrate synaptic physiology...

..Therefore, the new method is a powerful tool, which enhances the comparison of complex biological structures and the quantitative evaluation of functional imaging data...

..These findings suggest that the transduction of dendritic Ca2+-signals via caldendrin is altered by epileptic seizures and that caldendrin might be involved in the pathophysiology of temporal lobe epilepsy...

..Whereas one process is required for the initial maintenance of memory for about one day the second one is involved in the regulation of its long-lasting persistence in conditioning to FMs...

..These results imply that the recruitment of DLin-7 to MAGUK-based protein complexes is defined by cell-type specific mechanisms and that DLin-7 acts downstream of Sdt in epithelia and downstream of Dlg at synapses...

..Ion channels involved in chemotransduction could be reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers for electrophysiological recordings. Our procedure should allow the identification of further chemotransduction-related proteins...

..Axotomized ganglion cells, which contain pNF-H in soma and dendrites appear to have been disconnected from the colliculus at an early stage but survive axonal trauma for long periods...

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..This identifies a new mechanism of communication between the nervous and the immune system that might directly affect the wiring of the brain during development...

..These observations add to existing evidence for a de-regulation of neuronal Ca(2+)-signaling in schizophrenia...

..Collectively, these results suggest that VILIP-1 represents a novel modulator of alpha4beta2 AChRs that increases their surface expression levels and agonist sensitivity in response to changes in the intracellular levels of calcium...

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..To study seizure-induced changes in signaling proteins present in postsynaptic densities (PSDs) isolated from human epileptic neocortex and from rat cortex in which seizures were induced by injection of kainic acid...

..Despite some significant structural differences it is conceivable that they are involved in similar Ca2+ regulated processes like caldendrin and neuronal calcium sensor proteins...

..Moreover, our data point to a possible role for neuroactive amino acids in reproductive physiology...

..Abp1 thus plays an important role in the formation and morphology control of synapses by making a required functional connection between postsynaptic density components and postsynaptic actin dynamics...