Biochemical Physiology of Central Synapses

The complexity and relative inaccessibility of the central nervous system have greatly impeded the study of synaptic physiology. However, in recent years a fruitful approach to the problem has been to apply methods of chemi­ cal and pharmacological analysis. The present review is almost exclusively limited to biochemical studies of synaptic function in the mammalian eNS. It is not a comprehensive review of this vast topic, but rather an attempt to highlight important current approaches and trends. Previous reviewers have dealt with many aspects of synaptic biochemistry and pharmacology (9, 64, 66, 68,73, 80,92,95, 103, 121 , 142,1 58, 163,173). The topics reviewed in the present paper include general metabolism of synapses and the more spe­ cialized presynaptic metabolism of neurotransmitters as well as their post­ synaptic actions.