Mechanisms That Regulate Neuronal Protein Clustering at the Synapse

There is considerable evidence that synaptic contact formation and remodeling is regulated by assembly of several important classes of proteins, including neurotransmitter receptors, adhesion molecules, and scaffolding proteins. This process is regulated by intricate mechanisms that regulate protein trafficking and clustering at the synapse. In this chapter we discuss some of the newly discovered mechanisms that govern protein targeting to the synapse and how this process contributes to clustering of ion channels and adhesion molecules at contact sites, with emphasis on the role of scaffolding proteins in this process.