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Form follows function: actin-binding proteins as critical regulators of excitatory synapses

  • Review article
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e-Neuroforum

Abstract

Actin filaments (F-actin) are the major structural component of excitatory synapses. In excitatory synapses, F-actin is enriched in presynaptic terminals and in dendritic spines, and actin dynamics—the spatiotemporally controlled assembly and disassembly of F-actin—have been implicated in pre- and postsynaptic physiology. Hence, actin-binding proteins that control actin dynamics emerged as important regulators of excitatory synapses linking synaptic function and structure, and therefore they are of vital importance for behavior. By the analyses of gene-targeted mice and by loss- and gain-of-function approaches in acute brain slices or dissociated neuronal cultures, studies from the last decade, including studies from our own labs, unraveled the versatile synaptic functions for members of two important families of actin dynamics regulating proteins, namely ADF/cofilin and profilin. After a short introduction into chemical synapses and actin dynamics, we will summarize and discuss recent findings on the synaptic functions of ADF/cofilin and profilin in this review article, and we will outline future directions and perspectives in the field.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Drs. Martin Korte and Walter Witke for supporting our research projects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 1, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    Marco B. Rust

  2. Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Kristin Michaelsen-Preusse

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Correspondence to Marco B. Rust.

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Rust, M.B., Michaelsen-Preusse, K. Form follows function: actin-binding proteins as critical regulators of excitatory synapses. e-Neuroforum 7, 7–12 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13295-015-0019-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13295-015-0019-6

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