The process by which excess axons are pruned during development has remained unclear. In this issue of Neuron, Bishop et al. use time-lapse imaging and serial electron microscopy of developing neuromuscular junctions to describe a novel cellular mechanism in which retracting axon branches shed fragments rich in normal synaptic organelles. These "axosomes" are engulfed by adjacent Schwann cells ...

Synaptic connections undergo activity-dependent plasticity during development and learning, as well as homeostatic re-adjustment to ensure stability. Little is known about the relationship between these processes, particularly in vivo. We addressed this with novel quantal resolution imaging of transmission during locomotive behavior at glutamatergic synapses of the Drosophila larval neuromuscul...

Neuromuscular scoliosis in a child presents as a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma to the pediatric neurologist, the pediatric neurological surgeon, and the pediatric orthopaedist. Because of its progressive nature, it tends to be refractory to conservative management and requires active intervention. Neuromuscular scoliosis is a symptom, and the diseases leading to the deformity must be addre...

The cover image is based on the Original Article Neuromuscular junction denervation and terminal Schwann cell loss in hTDP-43 overexpression mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by Abrar Alhindi et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/nan.12925. Image Credit: Helena Chaytow.

Background: During the aging process, muscle atrophy and neuromuscular junction remodeling are inevitable. The present study aimed to clarify whether low-intensity aerobic exercise along with limb blood-flow restriction (BFR) could improve aging-induced muscle atrophy and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) at the neuromuscular junction.Methods: Forty-eight male Wistar rats, aged 23–24 m...

Asynchrony of quantal events in evoked multiquantal responses indicates presynaptic quantal interaction. We have analyzed the possibility of quantal interactions by inspecting action potential-evoked postsynaptic multiquantal responses recorded extracellularly from the lobster neuromuscular junction. These recorded responses were compared with simulated multiquantal responses constructed from s...

Tight junctions form a morphological and functional border between the apical and basolateral cell surface domains that serves as a paracellular diffusion barrier, enabling epithelial cells to separate compartments of different composition. Tight junctions also contribute to the generation and maintenance of cell polarity and regulate signaling mechanisms that guide cell behavior, shape, and ge...

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For many years insects were believed to be insensitive to curare (Harlow, 1958; Hopf, 1952; Krupp, Lendle & Stapenhorst, 1952; Roeder, 1948, 1953; Roeder & Weiant, 1950; Usherwood, 1963). However, Larsen, Miller & Yamamoto (1966) have demonstrated that intra-abdominal injection of d-tubocurarine chloride (dTC) into insects causes paralysis. The nature of this paralysis is of interest because th...