Sinapsien ikuspegi modernoa: zelulaz kanpoko matrizearen funtzioa konexio neuronalean

Abstract

The last theory about synapse, called tetrapartite synapse, adds a fourth partner in the information transport between neurons and synaptic remodeling: the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this way, presynaptic neuron, postsynaptic neuron, glia and ECM should be the neuronal connections elements. ECM is constituted by a lot of molecules with different function and by the interactions between them. Its relevance is also related to its functional alterations, which could derive in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. In conclusion, nowadays ECM is an essential tool for the health science that has to be studied and investigated. In the present article, we first briefly explain the bipartite and tripartite synapse theories, and we then focus on the tetrapartite synapse concept. Finally, the relevance of the latest findings over the ECM in some pathologies are mentioned.