1Department of Pharmacology, Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, China
2Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
Corresponding authors: Yi Yang and Li-Hui Zhang. E-mail: yyang@hznu.edu.cn; lhzhang@hznu.edu.cn

Abstract 

In the nervous system, neurons contact each other to form neuronal circuits and drive behavior, relying heavily on synaptic connections. The proper development and growth of synapses allows functional transmission of electrical information between neurons or between neurons and muscle fi bers. Defects in synapse-formation or development lead to many diseases. Autophagy, a major determinant of protein turnover, is an essential process that takes place in developing synapses. During the induction of autophagy, proteins and cytoplasmic components are encapsulated in autophagosomes, which fuse with lysosomes to form autolysosomes. The cargoes are subsequently degraded and recycled. However, aberrant autophagic activity may lead to synaptic dysfunction, which is a common pathological characteristic in several disorders. Here, we review the current understanding of autophagy in regulating synaptic development and function. In addition, autophagy-related
synaptic dysfunction in human diseases is also summarized.

Keywords

autophagy; synaptogenesis; synaptic elimination; synaptic function; synaptic pathology

[SpringerLink]