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Surprising synapses deep in the brain

Nature Neuroscience volume 10, pages 267–269 (2007)Cite this article

Two independent groups in this issue report synaptic communication between callosal axons and the NG2-positive glial precursors in the brain. Activity-dependent vesicular glutamate release from axon collaterals triggers AMPA-type currents in the precursors. This phenomenon might be involved in regulation of oligodendrocyte differentiation or remyelination.

When Sir Charles Sherrington introduced the term 'synapse' in 1897, he was describing a “nexus between neurone and neurone”1. In the ensuing 110 years, our understanding of synaptic structure and function has grown beyond all imagining. Nevertheless, it is surprising to discover synapses in the corpus callosum—a thick band of white matter deep in the brain, composed of axons that transmit information between the two hemispheres. Lacking neuronal cell bodies, dendrites and spines, the corpus callosum is jam-packed with millions of axons and a variety of glial cells. Apparently, callosal axons not only release neurotransmitters from their synaptic terminals in the gray matter, but also discharge significant amounts of transmitter from synaptic collaterals onto glial precursors within the corpus callosum. This finding challenges our understanding of synaptic communication and suggests unexpected interactions between neurotransmission and glial development, with possible consequences for our understanding of demyelinating disorders.

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Figure 1: NG2-expressing progenitor cells can be readily identified in subcortical white matter and in cerebral cortex of the 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase–enhanced green fluorescent protein mouse.

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  1. Vittorio Gallo is at the Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. vgallo@cnmcresearch.org,

    Vittorio Gallo

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Gallo, V. Surprising synapses deep in the brain. Nat Neurosci 10, 267–269 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0307-267

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