Abstract
A large body of work has revealed that the vertebrate neuromuscular junction is a dynamic synapse, capable of dramatic structural remodeling. This was first discovered in the context of synapse elimination, the reduction in synapse number that occurs in skeletal muscles and throughout the nervous system during development. This plasticity is not restricted to embryonic or postnatal times, however. Synapse elimination is recapitulated following reinnervation of adult muscles. In addition, remodeling occurs spontaneously as part of the normal growth and maintenance of neuromuscular junctions and is known to be regulated by hormones. This chapter summarizes recent work on synapse elimination and synaptic remodeling at neuromuscular junctions, focusing on recent cellular and molecular studies, especially those involving repeated in vivo observation of identified synapses.
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