Special Issue on Synapse Assembly, Neural Circuit Development, and Brain Disorders

Synapses are specialized junctions between neurons in the brain that transmit and compute neural information, thereby connecting billions of neurons into neural circuits. Neural circuits are currently considered as neural communication hubs and nodes, by virtue of their connecting neurons via various synapse types 1 . Neurons constantly form and eliminate synapses throughout brain development through various cell biological processes, including synapse establishment through axon-dendrite contact 2 , 3 , 4 , synapse formation through the assembly of various synaptic components in both presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons 5 , 6 , 7 , synapse maturation through the recruitment of various synaptic plasticity mechanisms 8 , and synapse elimination through activity-dependent mechanisms that may involve several glial cell types (astrocytes and microglia) 9 , 10 , 11 . All of these processes are likely mediated by specific molecular pathways that confer characteristic synaptic properties, including neurotransmitter type, neurotransmitter-release probability, plasticity, postsynaptic receptor composition, and synaptic adhesion 1 . Neuroscientists have approached numerous questions related to various synaptic properties using molecular and cellular neuroscience tools and have contributed to the establishment of Systems Neuroscience through the development of new technologies for manipulating and visualizing neural circuits 12 . The goal of this special issue in Experimental and Molecular Medicine (EMM), entitled 'Synapse Assembly, Neural Circuit Development and Brain Disorders', is to highlight the significance of molecular and cellular neuroscience studies to encourage readers to think about ways in which brain structure and function can be understood in a more comprehensive manner.

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