Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Unraveling the ribbon synapse

A new study identifies pikachurin, a previously-unknown dystroglycan-binding protein that is critical for the apposition of photoreceptor and bipolar cell dendrites at the ribbon synapse. This work could explain some of the visual defects seen in several muscular dystrophies.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Pikachurin is necessary for the apposition of photoreceptor and bipolar cell termini.

Kim Caesar

References

  1. Sato, S. et al. Nat. Neurosci. 11, 923–931 (2008).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Levi, S. et al. J. Neurosci. 22, 4274–4285 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Moore, S.A. et al. Nature 418, 422–425 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Blank, M., Blake, D.J. & Kroger, S. Neuroscience 111, 259–273 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Nishida, A. et al. Nat. Neurosci. 6, 1255–1263 (2003).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Pillers, D.A. et al. Hum. Genet. 105, 2–9 (1999).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cibis, G.W. & Fitzgerald, K.M. Trans. Am. Ophthalmol. Soc. 99, 171–176 (2001).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Ibraghimov-Beskrovnaya, O. et al. Nature 355, 696–702 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Barresi, R. & Campbell, K.P. J. Cell Sci. 119, 199–207 (2006).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Michele, D.E. et al. Nature 418, 417–422 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Santavuori, P. et al. Brain Dev. 11, 147–153 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Liu, J. et al. Mech. Dev. 123, 228–240 (2006).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lee, Y. et al. Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 30, 160–172 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Takeda, S. et al. Hum. Mol. Genet. 12, 1449–1459 (2003).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Libby, R.T., Lavallee, C.R., Balkema, G.W., Brunken, W.J. & Hunter, D.D. J. Neurosci. 19, 9399–9411 (1999).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Satz, J., Campbell, K. Unraveling the ribbon synapse. Nat Neurosci 11, 857–859 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0808-857

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0808-857

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing