Journal
TRENDS IN BIOCHEMICAL SCIENCES
Volume 31, Issue 7, Pages 366-373Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2006.05.007
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Funding
- NCI NIH HHS [R01 CA 081000, R01 CA081000-07, R01 CA081000, R01 CA081000-09, R01 CA081000-08] Funding Source: Medline
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Chemical synapses are asymmetric cell junctions that mediate communication between neurons. Multidomain scaffolding proteins of the Shank family act as major organizing elements of the 'postsynaptic density' - that is, the cytoskeletal protein matrix associated with the postsynaptic membrane. A recent study has shown that the C-terminal sterile alpha-motif or 'SAM domain' of Shank3 (also known as ProSAP2) can form two-dimensional sheets of helical fibers. Assembly and packaging of these fibers are markedly enhanced by the presence of Zn2+ ions. Zn2+ can be released together with glutamate from synaptic vesicles and can enter the postsynaptic cell through specific ionotropic receptors. Based on these observations, we propose a new model of synaptic plasticity in which Zn2+ influx directly and instantly modulates the structure and function of the postsynaptic density.
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