QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hamori, J Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Hamori, J

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 153, Issue 1 251-260, Copyright © 1990 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Morphological plasticity of postsynaptic neurones in reactive synaptogenesis

J Hamori
Laboratory of Neurobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.

Partial deafferentation of certain brain regions (septal nuclei, hippocampus, etc.) in adult animals results (1) in the disappearance of degenerating axon terminals and (2) in the short-term persistence of vacant postsynaptic sites. These postsynaptic sites have been shown to be re-supplied by sprouted axon terminals of intact axons. This paper will demonstrate that, in brain regions (e.g. cerebellar cortex, lateral geniculate nucleus) where axonal sprouting of local elements or of persisting afferent axons is negligible or absent, synaptic reorganization involves the active participation of postsynaptic dendritic and somatic elements of surviving local nerve cells. Synaptic regeneration can be demonstrated by morphological means both in developing and in adult central nervous system. The dendrites may show two types of response to deafferentation: (1) the formation of presynaptic specializations along their otherwise 'classical' postsynaptic membrane (the axonization of dendrites) resulting in the formation of new, dendrodendritic synapses, and (2) the 'adaptive' (structural) reduction in size ('atrophy') of the denervated nerve cell dendritic arborization, leading to a relative increase in density of the surviving (though non-sprouting) afferent axon terminals. In both cases a partial functional recovery can be demonstrated.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Tailby, L. L. Wright, A. B. Metha, and M. B. Calford Activity-dependent maintenance and growth of dendrites in adult cortex PNAS, March 22, 2005; 102(12): 4631 - 4636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]