Separating neuronal compartments gives clues as to local effect of ubiquitin conjugates in synaptogenesis

Abstract

Presynaptic differentiation is a critical and poorly understood step in synapse formation. Using compartmentalized culture systems that isolate axons and nascent synapses, Pinto et al. (2016. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201509039) show that the axonal ubiquitin-proteasome system locally regulates the accumulation of ubiquitinated substrates, triggering presynaptic differentiation.