The Postsynaptic Architecture of Excitatory Synapses: A More Quantitative View

Excitatory (glutamatergic) synapses in the mammalian brain are usually situated on dendritic spines, a postsynaptic microcompartment that also harbors organelles involved in protein synthesis, membrane trafficking, and calcium metabolism. The postsynaptic membrane contains a high concentration of glutamate receptors, associated signaling proteins, and cytoskeletal elements, all assembled by a variety of scaffold proteins into an organized structure called the postsynaptic density (PSD). A complex machine made of hundreds of distinct proteins, the PSD dynamically changes its structure and composition during development and in response to synaptic activity. The molecular size of the PSD and the stoichiometry of…