© 2012 • 397 pp., illus. (78 4C and 6 B&W images), index
Hardcover • $135 • ISBN  978-1-936113-02-6

Discounts apply to direct purchases by individual U.S. and Canada customers only.

Synapses are bulbous structures where two neurons communicate. Neurotransmitter molecules released from the pre-synaptic terminal of one neuron diffuse to the post-synaptic terminal on the other, binding to receptors that lead to propagation or modulation of the signal.

Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology examines the highly complex structures of the pre- and post-synaptic regions, as well as the trafficking mechanisms that transport vesicles containing neurotransmitters. The contributors discuss how long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) in signal transmission form the basis of learning and memory. The roles of calcium signaling in regulating synaptic and cell function, and techniques to study such signaling events, are also covered.

This collection from Cold Srping Harbor Perspectives in Biology also includes discussions of synaptic dysfunction in disorders such as autism and Alzheimer disease. It is an indispensable reference for neurobiologists, cell and developmental biologists, and anyone wishing to understand how the basic building blocks of the brain are put together and communicate.

Preface

Ultrastructure of Synapses in the Mammalian Brain

Kristen M. Harris and Richard J. Weinberg

Synaptic Cell Adhesion

Markus Missler, Thomas C. Südhof, and Thomas Biederer

Synaptic Vesicle Exocytosis

Thomas C. Südhof and Josep Rizo

Calcium Control of Neurotransmitter Release

Thomas C. Südhof

Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis

Yasunori Saheki and Pietro De Camilli

Synaptic Vesicle Pools and Dynamics

AbdulRasheed A. Alabi and Richard W. Tsien

Short-Term Presynaptic Plasticity

Wade G. Regehr

Vesicular and Plasma Membrane Transporters for Neurotransmitters

Randy D. Blakely and Robert H. Edwards

The Postsynaptic Organization of Synapses

Morgan Sheng and Eunjoon Kim

Synaptic Neurotransmitter-Gated Receptors

Trevor G. Smart and Pierre Paoletti

Studying Signal Transduction in Single Dendritic Spines

Ryohei Yasuda

Calcium Signaling in Dendritic Spines

Michael J. Higley and Bernardo L. Sabatini

NMDA Receptor-Dependent Long-Term Potentiation and Long-Term Depresssion (LTP/LTD)

Christian Lüscher and Robert C. Malenka

Presynaptic LTP and LTD of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses

Pablo E. Castillo

Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity: Local And Global Mechanisms For Stabilizing Neuronal Function

Gina Turrigiano

Neuronal Activity–Regulated Gene Transcription in Synapse Development and Cognitive Function

Anne E. West and Michael E. Greenberg

Synapses and Memory Storage

Mark Mayford, Steven A. Siegelbaum, and Eric R. Kandel

Synaptic Dysfunction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Associated with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities

Huda Y. Zoghbi and Mark F. Bear

Synapses and Alzheimer’s Disease

Morgan Sheng, Bernardo Sabatini, and Thomas C. Südhof

Index