What is meant by the stabilization of a receptor?

Question

I am reading a journal paper, and have a question about the below statement:

PSD-95 is involved in the recruitment, trafficking and stabilization of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors (NMDARs) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isox-azoleproprionic acid receptors (AMPARs) to the postsynaptic membrane during cortical development

What is meant by the stabilization of a receptor? Does stabilization refer to a receptor being protected from being degraded (e.g. lysosomal degradation)? Any advice is appreciated.

Answer 1

The key phrase is "to the postsynaptic membrane" which in that sentence modifies all of recruitment, trafficking, and stabilization.

Recruitment to the postsynaptic membrane means greater concentration of the receptor.

Trafficking to the postsynaptic membrane means externalization from vesicles to the actual external membrane.

Stabilization to the postsynaptic membrane means the receptors stay there and don't get re-internalized.

Though these may seem like they're all the same thing, the responsible machinery is different and the different processes can be measured separately. In the "leaky bucket" model it's the water level, water dripping in from a faucet, and water leaking out from a hole. To be clear, it's unlikely that PSD95 is actually doing all these entirely by itself, rather it's involved in signalling that has all these effects one way or another.