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Brain Sciences
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The Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Development and Function of the...
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The Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Development and Function of the Synapse

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (8 December 2023) | Viewed by 4254

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Zhiyong Shao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Interests: synaptic development and maintenance; nematode C. elegans model; neural circuits; neural development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Synapses are fundamental structures that are required for neuronal information transmission and brain functions. Synapses contain a presynaptic membrane, synaptic cleft and postsynaptic membrane. Synaptic connections are formed with remarkable specificity. Presynaptic axons usually travel a long distance to target the postsynaptic neurons in specific subcellular compartments. Combining molecular, physiological and genetic methods, researchers have identified many molecules involved in  synaptic development and maintenance, including the cytoskeleton, scaffolding, trafficking, cell adhesion and secreted signal molecules and receptors. However, many questions remain. For example, how do presynaptic neurons identify the postsynaptic neurons from diverse cell types? How is synaptic subcellular specificity determined? How are the synaptic proteins trafficked and docked at the correct sites? How are synaptic connections maintained throughout the lifetime, especially during growth and aging? What roles do non-neuronal cells such as glia play in the synaptic assembly? How does the synaptic structure affect neuronal function and behaviors? In this Special Issue, we will collect research articles and reviews related to the mechanisms underlying synaptic development and functions.

Prof. Dr. Zhiyong Shao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • synapses
  • synaptic formation
  • synaptic plasticity
  • synaptic specificity
  • cell adhesion molecules
  • secreted molecules
  • neural circuits
  • synaptic transmission
  • glia

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 9601 KiB  
Article
TempShift Reveals the Sequential Development of Human Neocortex and Skewed Developmental Timing of Down Syndrome Brains
by Yuqiu Zhou, Li Tao and Ying Zhu
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(7), 1070; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13071070 - 13 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1617
Abstract
Development is a complex process involving precise regulation. Developmental regulation may vary in tissues and individuals, and is often altered in disorders. Currently, the regulation of developmental timing across neocortical areas and developmental changes in Down syndrome (DS) brains remain unclear. The changes [...] Read more.
Development is a complex process involving precise regulation. Developmental regulation may vary in tissues and individuals, and is often altered in disorders. Currently, the regulation of developmental timing across neocortical areas and developmental changes in Down syndrome (DS) brains remain unclear. The changes in regulation are often accompanied by changes in the gene expression trajectories, which can be divided into two scenarios: (1) changes of gene expression trajectory shape that reflect changes in cell type composition or altered molecular machinery; (2) temporal shift of gene expression trajectories that indicate different regulation of developmental timing. Therefore, we developed an R package TempShift to separates these two scenarios and demonstrated that TempShift can distinguish temporal shift from different shape (DiffShape) of expression trajectories, and can accurately estimate the time difference between multiple trajectories. We applied TempShift to identify sequential gene expression across 11 neocortical areas, which suggested sequential occurrence of synapse formation and axon guidance, as well as reconstructed interneuron migration pathways within neocortex. Comparison between healthy and DS brains revealed increased microglia, shortened neuronal migration process, and delayed synaptogenesis and myelination in DS. These applications also demonstrate the potential of TempShift in understanding gene expression temporal dynamics during different biological processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Development and Function of the Synapse)
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Review

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13 pages, 1438 KiB  
Review
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Synaptic Subcellular Specificity
by Mengqing Wang, Jiale Fan and Zhiyong Shao
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(2), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14020155 - 2 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1921
Abstract
Chemical synapses are essential for neuronal information storage and relay. The synaptic signal received or sent from spatially distinct subcellular compartments often generates different outcomes due to the distance or physical property difference. Therefore, the final output of postsynaptic neurons is determined not [...] Read more.
Chemical synapses are essential for neuronal information storage and relay. The synaptic signal received or sent from spatially distinct subcellular compartments often generates different outcomes due to the distance or physical property difference. Therefore, the final output of postsynaptic neurons is determined not only by the type and intensity of synaptic inputs but also by the synaptic subcellular location. How synaptic subcellular specificity is determined has long been the focus of study in the neurodevelopment field. Genetic studies from invertebrates such as Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have uncovered important molecular and cellular mechanisms required for subcellular specificity. Interestingly, similar molecular mechanisms were found in the mammalian cerebellum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex. This review summarizes the comprehensive advances in the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic subcellular specificity, focusing on studies from C. elegans and rodents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Development and Function of the Synapse)
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