Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination.

Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination. Research Abstract Details 

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Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination. Abstract Text:

Kirkwood E Personius,Qiang Chang,George Z Mentis,Michael J O'Donovan,Rita J Balice-Gordon,

During late embryonic and early postnatal life, neuromuscular junctions undergo synapse elimination that is modulated by patterns of motor neuron activity. Here, we test the hypothesis that reduced spinal neuron gap junctional coupling decreases temporally correlated motor neuron activity that, in turn, modulates neuromuscular synapse elimination, by using mutant mice lacking connexin 40 (Cx40), a developmentally regulated gap junction protein expressed in motor and other spinal neurons. In Cx40-/- mice, electrical coupling among lumbar motor neurons, measured by whole-cell recordings, was reduced, and single motor unit recordings in awake, behaving neonates showed that temporally correlated motor neuron activity was also reduced. Immunostaining and intracellular recording showed that the neuromuscular synapse elimination was accelerated in muscles from Cx40-/- mice compared with WT littermates. Our work shows that gap junctional coupling modulates neuronal activity patterns that, in turn, mediate synaptic competition, a process that shapes synaptic circuitry in the developing brain.

Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination. Publishing Authors By Initials

KE Personius,Q Chang,GZ Mentis,MJ O'Donovan,RJ Balice-Gordon,

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Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination. Journal Published:

PUBLICATION TYPE: Research Support, U.S. Gov't,

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of

VOLUME: 104

Page Numbers: 11808-13

Journal Abbreviation: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

ISSN: 0027-8424

DAY: 3

MONTH: 07

YEAR: 2007

Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination. Information

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LANGUAGE: eng

NlmUniqueID: 7505876

Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination. Keywords Mesh Terms:

KEYWORDS: Reaction Time

MESH TERMS: physiology

Chemical & Substance for Abstract: Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination. Information

Substance Name: connexin 40

Registry Number: 0

Grant and Affiliation Information for Reduced gap junctional coupling leads to uncorrelated motor neuron firing and precocious neuromuscular synapse elimination.

AFFILIATION: Department of Rehabilitation Science, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14214-3079, USA.

Country: United States

AGENCY: United States NINDS

GRANT: NS38517

ACRONYM: NS

MEDLINETA: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

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