1. Special Topics in Neuroscience

2. Pre- and postsynaptic membranes at the neuromuscular synapse are highly specialized postjunctional folds Schwann cell nerve terminal muscle cell

3. Pre- and postsynaptic membranes at the neuromuscular synapse are highly specialized

4. Muscle pre-patterning

5. The synaptic basal lamina contains signals for presynaptic and postsynaptic differentiation MBL:myofiber basal lamina

6. Presynaptic and postsynaptic differentiation are defective in mice lacking MuSK

7. Acetylcholine receptor (AChR) genes are expressed selectively by myofiber synaptic nuclei, leading to enrichment of AChR mRNA in the central, synaptic region of the muscle Muscle from transgenic mice harboring a gene fusion between the regulatory region from the AChR d subunit gene and human growth hormone (hGH) gene α -BGT : α -bungarotoxin AChR MCK:muscle creatine kinase diaphragm muscle in situ hybridization

8. Model for the assembly of central synapses APV:active-zone precursor vesicles synaptic vesicles postsynaptic scaffolding molecules

9. Synapse-organizing function of the postsynaptic adhesion molecule neuroligin HEK293 cell fi broblasts neuroligin

10. A simplified model for transsynaptic interactions that may coordinate assembly of presynaptic and postsynaptic elements of glutamatergic synapses and recruitment of NMDA- and AMPA- type glutamate receptors VGCC:voltage-gated calcium channels Heterophilic interactions homophilic interactions

11. Model for lamina-specific synaptic connectivity through homophilic adhesion molecules

12. Synapse Elimination

13. Evidence of synapse elimination at the neuromuscular junction

14. In the developing nervous system synapse number is increasing while axonal convergence is falling

15. Changes in fan-in and fan-out at developing circuits First, axons disconnect from many target cells reducing their fan-out or divergence. Second, this rearrangement leads to less fan-in or convergence. Third, at the same time as axons disconnect from some target cells they are strengthening their connection with other target cells by increasing the number of synapses at their remaining targets

16. Time-lapse imaging shows how axonal branches are lost during synapse elimination at the neuromuscular junction transgenic mouse that expresses YFP(green)motor axon a-bungarotoxin (red)AChR retraction bulb