Receptors, gephyrin and gephyrin-associated proteins: novel insights into the assembly of inhibitory postsynaptic membrane specializations

The synaptic localization of ion channel receptors is essential for efficient synaptic transmission and the precise regulation of diverse neuronal functions, such as signal integration and synaptic plasticity. Emerging evidence points to an important role of cytoskeleton associated proteins that assemble receptors and components of the subsynaptic machinery at postsynaptic membrane specializations. This article reviews interactions of inhibitory postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors with the receptor anchoring protein gephyrin and intracellular components involved in downstream signalling and/or control of signal transduction processes. The presently available data suggest a central synaptic organizer function fur gephyrin in inhibitory postsynaptic membrane assembly and stabilization.