Axon pruning during development is essential for proper wiring of the mature nervous system, but its regulation remains poorly understood. We have identified an immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) transmembrane protein, Plum, that is cell autonomously required for axon pruning of mushroom body (MB) γ neurons and for ectopic synapse refinement at the developing neuromuscular junction in Drosophila...

The Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder characterised by defective neurotransmitter release at autonomic neurones and presynaptic terminals of the neuromuscular junction. It is caused by an IgG autoantibody formed against especially the P/Q type of voltagegated calcium channels (VGCC) which is an essential component of the mechanism of neurotransmitter release. Many pa...

A novel heterodimeric three-finger neurotoxin, irditoxin, was isolated from venom of the brown treesnake Boiga irregularis (Colubridae). Irditoxin subunit amino acid sequences were determined by Edman degradation and cDNA sequencing. The crystal structure revealed two subunits with a three-finger protein fold, typical for "nonconventional" toxins such as denmotoxin, bucandin, and candoxin. This...

The molt-related steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE), was applied to muscles 6 and 7 of third instar larval of Drosophila melanogaster neuromuscular junction preparations to examine if rapid, nongenomic responses could be observed as was shown recently to occur in crustacean neuromuscular junctions. At a dose of 10 microM, the excitatory junction potentials were reduced in amplitude wit...

Autosomal recessive spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is linked to mutations in the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene. The SMN protein has been implicated at several levels of mRNA biogenesis and is expressed ubiquitously. Studies in various model organisms have shown that the loss of function of the SMN gene leads to embryonic lethality. The human contains two genes encoding for SMN protein and in ...

In this issue of Neuron, Wong et al. (2014) report a remarkable evolutionarily conserved role for the Drosophila TRPV1 homolog Inactive controlling synaptic growth at larval neuromuscular junctions by facilitating Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum.

A. J. da Silva,1, ∗ M. A. S. Trindade,2 D. O. C. Santos,3 and R. F. Lima4 1Departamento de Fı́sica, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil 2Departamento de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, CEP 48040-210, Alagoinhas, Bahia, Brazil 3Departamento de Bioquı́mica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciên...

Myasthenia gravis is of particular interest to anaesthetists because of the muscle groups affected, the pharmacology of the neuromuscular junction, and interaction of both the disease and treatment with many anaesthetic drugs. Anaesthetists may encounter children with myasthenia either to facilitate treatment options or to institute mechanical ventilation in the face of a crisis. This paper rev...

THE classification of myoneural blocking agents at present accepted at least in Great Britain, divides these drugs into two groups, viz. those which compete with acetylcholine and prevent its access to the muscle end plate, i.e. the competitive blockers, and those which themselves depolarize the end plate with the result that the normal depolarizer, acetylcholine, is no longer able to exert its...

Regeneration of neuromuscular junctions after trauma occurs in an orderly way and relies on communication between nerve and muscle. This paper summarizes evidence that factors which direct the growth and differentiation of both pre- and postsynaptic components of regenerating neuromuscular junctions are associated with the extracellular matrix of muscles.