Synaptic transmission: Diffusion to speed up recovery

摘要

Fast, repetitive synaptic stimulation wears a neuron out. The decrease in response to neurotransmitter that ensues, known as postsynaptic depression, is typically attributed to receptor desensitization. Heine and colleagues now show that the recovery of AMPARs (-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptors) from postsynaptic depression does not depend solely on receptor kinetics and neurotransmitter-clearance mechanisms, but also on lateral membrane diffusion.