Nip and tuck at the neuromuscular junction: A role for proteases in developmental synapse elimination

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

During late embryonic and early postnatal development, synaptic connections are extensively modified so that some functional connections are weakened and eliminated from a neural circuit while others are strengthened and maintained. The mechanisms that underlie synapse elimination are beginning to be understood from studies of the neuromuscular junction. A recent paper provides some intriguing insights into the role proteases may play in the developmental disassembly of neuromuscular synapses.