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Related Concept Videos

Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...

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Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

Neuronal pentraxins mediate silent synapse conversion in the developing visual system.

Selina M Koch1, Erik M Ullian

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|April 16, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neuronal pentraxins (NPs) are crucial for developing synapses. Loss of NP1 and NP2 impairs AMPA receptor transmission and silent synapse conversion in the visual system.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Plasticity
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Neuronal pentraxins (NPs) are implicated in AMPA receptor (AMPAR) recruitment to synapses.
  • A physiological role for NPs at nascent synapses in vivo remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the in vivo role of NP1 and NP2 in the development of AMPAR-mediated transmission at nascent synapses.
  • To elucidate the function of NP1/2 in silent synapse conversion during visual circuit refinement.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized NP1/2 knock-out (KO) mouse models.
  • Electrophysiological recordings from thalamic slices (
  • Analyzed AMPAR-mediated currents, quantal amplitude, and presynaptic release.

Main Results:

  • NP1/2 KO mice exhibited significantly reduced AMPAR-mediated retinogeniculate transmission in early postnatal development.
  • This reduction was due to an increased number of silent synapses, not altered quantal amplitude or release.
  • Post-developmental stages showed recovered, then excessive, retinogeniculate transmission in KO mice, linked to impaired elimination of functional inputs.

Conclusions:

  • NP1/2 are essential in vivo for the normal development of AMPAR-mediated transmission at visual system synapses.
  • NP1/2 play a critical role in the conversion of silent synapses during a specific developmental window.
  • Loss of NP1/2 disrupts both the initial establishment and subsequent refinement of retinogeniculate connections.