Receptor trafficking and its regulation have appeared in the last two decades to be a major controller of basal synaptic transmission and its activity-dependent plasticity. More recently, considerable advances in super-resolution microscopy have begun deciphering the subdiffraction organization of synaptic elements and their functional roles. In particular, the dynamic nanoscale organization of neurotransmitter receptors in the postsynaptic membrane has recently been suggested to play a major role in various aspects of synapstic function. We here review the recent advances in our understanding of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-méthyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid subtype glutamate receptors subsynaptic organization and their role in short- and long-term synaptic plasticity.
Keywords: receptor trafficking; super-resolution microscopy; synaptic plasticity.