SUPRAMOLECULAR ARCHITECTURE OF THE POSTSYNAPTIC DENSITY

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：兴奋性神经传递 主要通过离子型谷氨酸受体介导。这些 受体通过细胞质蛋白锚定在突触后膜上 主要集中在突触后致密区（postsynaptic density，PSD）。PSD蛋白可能有助于塑造 对谷氨酸的突触后反应，但即使在全范围的谷氨酸作用之后， 这些分子可能的生物化学和电生理学效应， 虽然在体外已经有记录，但它们在体内的作用将取决于它们是如何在体内发挥作用的。 在突触处物理地排列和组织。现代生物化学技术 允许构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用的拓扑图 在PSD的大分子复合物内，但不提供直接信息 在这个复杂的元素的定位，“超分子 这些分子的“结构”。目前的研究将利用新的工具 用于蛋白质的超微结构定位，以研究超分子 结构的PSD，作为一个步骤，阐明结构和 兴奋性突触的功能。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): Excitatory neurotransmission in the brain is mediated mainly via ionotropic glutamate receptors. These receptors are anchored at the postsynaptic membrane by cytoplasmic proteins concentrated in the postsynaptic density (PSD). PSD proteins may help to shape the postsynaptic response to glutamate, but even after the full range of possible biochemical and electrophysiological effects of these molecules has been documented in vitro, their actions in vivo will depend on how they are physically arranged and organized at the synapse. Modern biochemical techniques permit construction of a topological diagram of protein-protein interactions within the macromolecular complex of the PSD, but provide no direct information on the positioning of the elements of this complex, the "supramolecular architecture" of these molecules. The present research will harness new tools for ultrastructural localization of proteins to investigate the supramolecular architecture of the PSD, as a step toward elucidation of the structure and function of the excitatory synapse.