1. Molecular Assembly and Structural Plasticity of Sensory Ribbon Synapses-A Presynaptic Perspective.
- Author
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Voorn RA and Vogl C
- Subjects
- Alcohol Oxidoreductases genetics, Alcohol Oxidoreductases metabolism, Animals, Co-Repressor Proteins genetics, Co-Repressor Proteins metabolism, Cytoskeletal Proteins genetics, Cytoskeletal Proteins metabolism, Cytoskeleton metabolism, Cytoskeleton ultrastructure, Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner ultrastructure, Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer ultrastructure, Hair Cells, Vestibular metabolism, Hair Cells, Vestibular ultrastructure, Mechanotransduction, Cellular, Mice, Nerve Tissue Proteins genetics, Nerve Tissue Proteins metabolism, Neuronal Plasticity genetics, Neuropeptides genetics, Neuropeptides metabolism, Rats, Synapses ultrastructure, Synaptic Transmission genetics, Synaptic Vesicles ultrastructure, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner metabolism, Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer metabolism, Synapses metabolism, Synaptic Vesicles metabolism
- Abstract
In the mammalian cochlea, specialized ribbon-type synapses between sensory inner hair cells (IHCs) and postsynaptic spiral ganglion neurons ensure the temporal precision and indefatigability of synaptic sound encoding. These high-through-put synapses are presynaptically characterized by an electron-dense projection-the synaptic ribbon-which provides structural scaffolding and tethers a large pool of synaptic vesicles. While advances have been made in recent years in deciphering the molecular anatomy and function of these specialized active zones, the developmental assembly of this presynaptic interaction hub remains largely elusive. In this review, we discuss the dynamic nature of IHC (pre-) synaptogenesis and highlight molecular key players as well as the transport pathways underlying this process. Since developmental assembly appears to be a highly dynamic process, we further ask if this structural plasticity might be maintained into adulthood, how this may influence the functional properties of a given IHC synapse and how such plasticity could be regulated on the molecular level. To do so, we take a closer look at other ribbon-bearing systems, such as retinal photoreceptors and pinealocytes and aim to infer conserved mechanisms that may mediate these phenomena.
- Published
- 2020
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