Receptor trafficking and synaptic plasticity

Abstract

Long-term potentiation and long-term depression are processes that have been widely studied to understand the molecular basis of information storage in the brain. Glutamate receptors are required for the induction and expression of these forms of plasticity, and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors are involved in their modulation. Recent insights into how these receptors are rapidly moved into and out of synaptic membranes has profound implications for our understanding of the mechanisms of long-term potentiation and long-term depression.