Synaptic Plasticity at Crayfish Neuromuscular Junctions

Abstract

Crustacean neuromuscular junctions have provided some very favorable preparations for the study of synaptic plasticity. The crayfish, in particular, has junctions at which facilitation and depression, both rapid and long-lasting varieties, can be studied in great detail. Since the ability of synapses to adjust their strength of transmission as a consequence of previous activity plays a major role in many theories of learning (Mark, 1974), synaptic plasticity has attracted wide interest among neurobiologists. This chapter will summarize attempts to understand synaptic plasticity in terms of underlying cellular processes.