Electrical activity and gene expression in the development of vertebrate neural circuits

Over the past several decades, anatomical and electrophysiological analyses have demonstrated that the electrical activity of neurons is required for development of the precise patterns of synaptic connectivity found in the a dult central nervous system. However, knowledge of the molecular cascades t hat underlie activity-dependent synaptic development remains rudimentary, A s a result, many fundamental issues remain unresolved. Recent advances in d ifferential cloning have begun to provide the tools and insight necessary t o bring a molecular level of understanding to principles of activity-depend ent synaptic development established via classic systems approaches. (C) 19 99 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.