Synaptic receptor mobility: Discovery of a new mechanism for controlling memory
Communication between neurons passes through over one million billion synapses, tiny structures the tenth of the width of a single hair, in an extremely complex process. Synaptic plasticity -- the ability of synapses to adapt in response to neuronal activity -- was discovered nearly 50 years ago, leading the scientific community to identify it as a vital functional component of memorization and learning. Neurotransmitter receptors -- found at the synapse level -- play a key role in the transmission of nerve messages. A few years ago, the team of researchers in Bordeaux discovered that neurotransmitter receptors were not immobile as thought previously, but in a constant state of agitation. They posited that controlling this agitation through neuronal activity could modulate the effectiveness of synaptic transmission by regulating the number of receptors present at a given time in a synapse. The new research has taken the two teams further in their understanding of the basic mecha...