Progress in perisynaptic Schwann cell and neuromuscular junction research

The neuromuscular junction(NMJ)is widely studied for its utility in investigating synaptic properties and processes and neuromuscular changes in response to injury,aging,and disease.The NMJ consists of three essential anatomic components,the pre-synaptic motor axon terminal,the post-synaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors(AchRs)on the muscle,and the perisynaptic Schwann cell(PSC),also known as the terminal Schwann cell,that caps the synapse(Figure 1A).