Synaptic Connections Need Nurturing To Retain Their Structure And Keep Outsiders At Bay: "The ability of the brain to transmit and process information requires a lifelong commitment to maintaining the integrity of synapses--the special connections that permit the passage of nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and colleagues in Hokkaido University School of Medicine (Japan). A report on this work appears in the November 15 issue of Nature Neuroscience.
This long-term commitment requires proteins called synaptotrophins, the prototype of which is Cbln1, to maintain countless millions of synapses in good working order, the researchers said. In the absence of such proteins, the synapses weaken and eventually fall apart. This not only compromises nerve transmission, but also provides the opportunity for other nerves to extend their axons toward these faltering synapses and make inappropriate connections that further disrupt brain function."
