QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, February 2, 2005, 25(5):1249-1259; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1786-04.2005

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) A correction has been published Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (7) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Banks, G. B. Articles by Noakes, P. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Banks, G. B. Articles by Noakes, P. G. Pubmed/NCBI databases Gene GEO Profiles HomoloGene UniGene Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB GLYCINE

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Development/Plasticity/Repair
Glycinergic and GABAergic Synaptic Activity Differentially Regulate Motoneuron Survival and Skeletal Muscle Innervation

Glen B. Banks,¹ Refik Kanjhan,¹ Stefan Wiese,³ Matthias Kneussel,² Loke M. Wong,¹ Gregory O'Sullivan,² Michael Sendtner,³ Mark C. Bellingham,¹ Heinrich Betz,² and Peter G. Noakes¹

¹School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 4072 Queensland, Australia, ²Department of Neurochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, D-60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany, and ³Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University of Wuerzburg, D-97080 Wuerzburg, Germany

GABAergic and glycinergic synaptic transmission is proposed to promote the maturation and refinement of the developing CNS. Here we provide morphological and functional evidence that glycinergic and GABAergic synapses control motoneuron development in a region-specific manner during programmed cell death. In gephyrin-deficient mice that lack all postsynaptic glycine receptor and some GABA_A receptor clusters, there was increased spontaneous respiratory motor activity, reduced respiratory motoneuron survival, and decreased innervation of the diaphragm. In contrast, limb-innervating motoneurons showed decreased spontaneous activity, increased survival, and increased innervation of their target muscles. Both GABA and glycine increased limb-innervating motoneuron activity and decreased respiratory motoneuron activity in wild-type mice, but only glycine responses were abolished in gephyrin-deficient mice. Our results provide genetic evidence that the development of glycinergic and GABAergic synaptic inputs onto motoneurons plays an important role in the survival, axonal branching, and spontaneous activity of motoneurons in developing mammalian embryos.

Key words: motor neuron; synapse formation; cell death; GABA; glycine; axon branching

---

Received May 9, 2004; revised December 16, 2004; accepted December 16, 2004.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Heck, A. Golbs, T. Riedemann, J.-J. Sun, V. Lessmann, and H. J. Luhmann Activity-Dependent Regulation of Neuronal Apoptosis in Neonatal Mouse Cerebral Cortex Cereb Cortex, June 1, 2008; 18(6): 1335 - 1349. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Lu, J. A. Harris, and E. W. Rubel Development of Spontaneous Miniature EPSCs in Mouse AVCN Neurons During a Critical Period of Afferent-Dependent Neuron Survival J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2007; 97(1): 635 - 646. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. McDearmid, M. Liao, and P. Drapeau Glycine receptors regulate interneuron differentiation during spinal network development PNAS, June 20, 2006; 103(25): 9679 - 9684. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help