CLUSTERING OF ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTOR DURING SYNAPTOGENESIS

化学突触的形成需要前和后两个阶段- 突触细胞在接触部位经历局部特化 在两个细胞之间。这一过程涉及到浓缩 位点的突触蛋白及其组装成大分子 跨越突触的复合体。这一过程是由一系列 作为突触发生在两个细胞之间交换的信号 收益。我们的实验室正在努力了解这些 信号以及它们是如何驱动复合体的形成的 突触结构。我们对定义的组件感兴趣 结构以及它是如何组装的。这些研究对以下方面具有重要意义 了解突触如何运作以及它们是如何形成的。因为 精神疾病的重要方面被认为是由 突触结构和功能的变化，这些研究是高度 与了解精神疾病的生物学基础有关。

The formation of the chemical synapse requires that both pre- and post- synaptic cells undergo a local specialization at the site of contact between the two cells. This process involves the concentration of synaptic proteins at the site and their assembly into a macromolecular complex that spans the synapse. The process is orchestrated by a series of signals that are exchanged between the two cells as synaptogenesis proceeds. Our laboratory is engaged in trying to understand what these signals are and how they act to drive the formation of the complext synaptic structures. We are interested in definining the components of the structure and how it is assembled. These studies are important for understanding how synapses function and how they are formed. Because important aspects of mental illness are thought to be mediated by changes in synaptic structure and function, these studies are highly relevant to understanding the biological basis of mental illness.