Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026
07:13
3D Modeling of Dendritic Spines with Synaptic Plasticity
Published on: May 18, 2020
Arc-dependent synapse-specific homeostatic plasticity
Jean-Claude Béïque1, Youn Na, Dietmar Kuhl
1The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Summary
Individual synapses can independently adjust their strength to maintain brain network stability. This synapse-specific homeostatic plasticity, like global synaptic scaling, relies on the Arc gene for proper function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Synaptic Plasticity
- Homeostatic Regulation
Background:
- Synaptic strength fine-tuning is crucial for neural network function.
- Synaptic homeostatic plasticity (global synaptic scaling) adjusts all synapses on a neuron to regulate excitability.
- Existing mechanisms primarily focus on global network regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if individual synapses can autonomously sense and compensate for their activity levels.
- To determine if this synapse-specific regulation is a homeostatic mechanism.
- To identify the molecular players involved in synapse-specific homeostatic plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiology
- Two-photon glutamate uncaging
- Imaging techniques
Main Results:
- Mature individual synapses can autonomously sense and adjust their activity levels, independent of neighboring synapses.
- This synapse-specific homeostatic plasticity requires the immediate early gene Arc.
- Demonstrated an additional layer of synaptic regulation beyond global scaling.
Conclusions:
- Synapses exhibit autonomous homeostatic plasticity, adjusting their strength based on individual activity.
- This mechanism, dependent on the Arc gene, adds a new dimension to synaptic regulation.
- Findings have significant implications for understanding information storage in the brain.
Related Concept Videos
01:01Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
01:03Long-term Depression
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
01:05Long-term Depression
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
01:25Long-term Potentiation
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when presynaptic neurons...
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when presynaptic neurons...
01:35Long-term Potentiation
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
01:26Chemical Synapses
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...