Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA; email:
Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
Annu Rev Physiol. 2018 Feb 10;80:159-188. doi: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-022516-034255. Epub 2017 Dec 1.
Synapses, the fundamental unit in neuronal circuits, are critical for learning and memory, perception, thinking, and reaction. The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a synapse formed between motoneurons and skeletal muscle fibers that is covered by Schwann cells (SCs). It is essential for controlling muscle contraction. NMJ formation requires intimate interactions among motoneurons, muscles, and SCs. Deficits in NMJ formation and maintenance cause neuromuscular disorders, including congenital myasthenic syndrome and myasthenia gravis. NMJ decline occurs in aged animals and may appear before clinical presentation of motoneuron disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We review recent findings in NMJ formation, maintenance, neuromuscular disorders, and aging of the NMJ, focusing on communications among motoneurons, muscles and SCs, and underlying mechanisms.
突触是神经元回路的基本单位，对于学习和记忆、感知、思考和反应至关重要。神经肌肉接头（NMJ）是运动神经元和骨骼肌纤维之间形成的一种突触，被施万细胞（SCs）覆盖。它对于控制肌肉收缩至关重要。NMJ 的形成需要运动神经元、肌肉和 SC 之间的密切相互作用。NMJ 形成和维持的缺陷会导致神经肌肉疾病，包括先天性肌无力综合征和重症肌无力。NMJ 的衰退发生在老年动物中，并且可能在运动神经元疾病（如肌萎缩侧索硬化症）的临床症状出现之前出现。我们综述了 NMJ 形成、维持、神经肌肉疾病和 NMJ 衰老方面的最新发现，重点关注运动神经元、肌肉和 SC 之间的通讯以及潜在的机制。
