Live imaging of inhibitory axons: Synapse formation as a dynamic trial-and-error process

Publication date: Available online 5 October 2016
Source:Brain Research Bulletin
Author(s): Corette J. Wierenga
In this review I discuss recent live imaging studies that demonstrate that synapses, and in particular inhibitory synapses, are highly dynamic structures. The ongoing changes of presynaptic boutons within axons emphasize the stochastic aspect of inhibitory synapse formation and paint a picture of a dynamic trial-and-error process. Furthermore, I discuss recent and previous insights in the molecular and mechanistic pathways that underlie synapse formation, with a specific focus on the formation of inhibitory presynaptic boutons.



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