The supple synapse: an affair that remembers
Roush, W.
Science 274(5290): 1102-1103
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 8966586 Document Number: 460649
Part of a special section on developmental neurobiology. Scientists are trying to identify the ingredients of the remarkable plasticity of the neuromuscular synapse, which could provide insight into the workings of the human brain. Neuroscientists believe that man's long-term memories are deposited in the brain in the form of physical connections between neurons that wax and wane in strength. Strong behavioral and anatomical similarities between fruit fly synapses and nerve connections in the mammalian brain have led some researchers to believe that decoding plasticity in the fly could enhance knowledge about learning and memory. A number of papers in the October issue of Neuron report on experiments that identify some of the genes and proteins involved in remodeling fly synapses and shed light on broader puzzles in synaptic plasticity. These experiments are discussed.