A role for myosin VI in postsynaptic structure and glutamate receptor endocytosis

• DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200410091
• Publication Date: 2005-01-18T22:58:16Z
• Authors: Emily Osterweil; David G. Wells; Mark S. Mooseker
• Keywords: Postsynaptic density

Myosin VI (Myo6) is an actin-based motor protein implicated in clathrin-mediated endocytosis nonneuronal cells, though little known about its function the nervous system. Here, we find that Myo6 highly expressed throughout brain, localized to synapses, and enriched at postsynaptic density. Myo6-deficient (Snell's waltzer; sv/sv) hippocampus exhibits a decrease synapse number, abnormally short dendritic spines, profound astrogliosis. Similarly, cultured sv/sv hippocampal neurons display decreased numbers of synapses dominant-negative disruption wild-type induces loss. Importantly, significant deficit stimulation-induced internalization alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs), exists complex with AMPAR, AP-2, SAP97 brain. These results suggest plays role AMPARs, loss leads alterations synaptic structure