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Neurobiology

Translating activity into plasticity

Nature volume 405, pages 1011–1012 (2000)Cite this article

Activity in the brain modifies the structure of individual nerves and the circuits that they form. Synapses are the main sites of communication between neurons and are a key substrate for these activity-induced changes. Long-lasting alterations in the structure and function of synapses (long-term synaptic plasticity) are crucial for the developing brain to fine-tune its wiring pattern and for the mature brain to store and process information. So identifying the molecular mechanisms by which neural activity generates long-term synaptic plasticity is central to our understanding of both normal and diseased brains.

Recently, a model for synaptic modification has emerged in which protein synthesis at synapses provides the building blocks for change1,2. On page 1062of this issue3, Sigrist and colleagues provide in vivo support for this model. In doing so, they establish the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism for the study of protein synthesis and synaptic growth, creating a powerful genetic tool for understanding this mechanism of synaptic plasticity.

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Figure 1: Local protein synthesis and the control of synaptic plasticity.

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  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St Louis, 63110, Missouri, USA

    Aaron DiAntonio

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  1. Aaron DiAntonio
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Correspondence to Aaron DiAntonio.

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DiAntonio, A. Translating activity into plasticity. Nature 405, 1011–1012 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35016684

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