A1: Molecular basis of glycine- and GABAA receptor clustering and signaling - A2: Inhibitory synapses and synaptic plasticity: structural and functional coupling of local synthesis with inhibitory ion channels

许多含有甘氨酸受体或-氨基丁酸受体的突触后膜特化细胞也含有外周细胞膜蛋白Geporrin的支架。虽然与GlyR亚基相互作用的GePhyrin在甘氨酸能突触的形成和维持中所起的作用已经有了充分的证据，但其他GlyR相关蛋白的功能作用仍然不清楚。我们已经确定了一组与GlyR2亚基相互作用的蛋白质，它们可能参与调节蛋白质合成和/或肌动蛋白动态。我们希望继续利用生化和分子生物学方法对这些GlyR相互作用蛋白的功能特性进行研究。应从形态和功能两个层面分析新发现的抑制性突触成分的贡献。可以想象，抑制性突触下面的蛋白质机制的组成的动态变化可能有助于突触的活性依赖性可塑性变化和功能适应。此外，这些亚突触蛋白可能参与抑制性突触的形成和维持，调节它们的发育变化或修饰，以及次级信号级联。

Many postsynaptic membrane specializations harboring glycine- (GlyR) or -amino butyric acid (GABA) receptors also contain scaffolds of the peripheral membrane protein gephyrin. Whereas the contribution of gephyrin, which interacts with the GlyR  subunit, to the formation and maintenance of glycinergic synapses has been amply documented, the functional role of other GlyR associated proteins is still unclear. We have identified a set of proteins interacting with GlyR 2 subunits, which are possibly involved in regulating protein synthesis and/or actin dynamics. We would like to continue our research on the functional characterization of these GlyR interacting proteins using biochemical and molecular biological approaches. The contribution of the newly identified components of inhibitory synapses shall be analysed both on the morphological and functional level. It is conceivable that dynamic changes in the composition of the protein machinery underneath inhibitory synapses may contribute to activity-dependent plastic changes and functional adaptations of synapses. Moreover, these subsynaptic proteins could be involved in the formation and maintenance of inhibitory synapses, the regulation of their developmental changes or modifications and secondary signaling cascades.