Reinnervation of original synaptic sites on muscle fiber basement membrane after disruption of the muscle cells.

abstract

• Regenerating axons form new synapses precisely at sites of original synapses in denervated skeletal muscle. To determine what role the muscle cell plays in this phenomenon, we studied reinnervation of frog muscle at intervals after crushing the nerve and damaging the muscle fibers. Damaged muscle fibers degenerate and are phagocytized, but their basement membrane persists and acts as a scaffold for regenerating muscle cells. Specializations of the basement membrane serve to mark original synaptic sites after nerve and muscle have degenerated. Regenerating axons enter the region of damage and form functional synapses with regenerating myofibers. The new nerve terminals are found almost exclusively at the original synaptic sites, demonstrating that the integrity of the original postsynaptic cell is not necessary for topographically precise reinnervation of denervated muscle.

authors

• Mcmahan, Uel

published proceedings

• Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

author list (cited authors)

• Marshall, L. M., Sanes, J. R., & McMahan, U. J.

citation count

• 146

complete list of authors

• Marshall, LM||Sanes, JR||McMahan, UJ

publication date

• July 1977

publisher

• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  Publisher

published in

• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• Anura
• Basement Membrane
• Cholinesterases
• Male
• Microscopy, Electron
• Muscle Denervation
• Nerve Regeneration
• Neuromuscular Junction
• Rana Pipiens
• Regeneration
• Synapses
• Synaptic Membranes

PubMed Central ID

• 302451

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1073/pnas.74.7.3073

start page

• 3073

end page

• 3077

volume

• 74

issue

• 7

URL

• http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1073%2Fpnas.74.7.3073