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Electrical Synapses

Electrical Synapses

Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...

Gap Junctions

Gap Junctions

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...

Gap Junctions

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...

The Synapse

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.

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

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...

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology

Published on: April 23, 2019

Synapsable quadruplex-mediated fibers.

Miguel Angel Mendez¹, Veronika A Szalai

¹Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA. vszalai@nist.gov.

Nanoscale Research Letters

|May 7, 2013

Summary

Researchers created novel DNA nanofibers using self-assembly of guanine quadruplex and double-stranded DNA structures. These DNA nanofibers, with lengths up to 2,000 nm, show promise for nanotechnology applications.

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Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology

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Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers

Published on: September 19, 2017

Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Nanotechnology
Molecular Biology

Background:

DNA self-assembly offers a versatile platform for creating novel nanomaterials.
Guanine quadruplexes and double-stranded DNA represent distinct structural motifs with unique properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To fabricate and characterize novel DNA-based nanofibers.
To explore the self-assembly of guanine quadruplex and double-stranded DNA structures.
To assess the potential of these DNA nanofibers in nanotechnology.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of DNA duplexes with contiguous guanines and single-stranded overhangs.
Incubation in potassium-containing buffer to induce self-assembly.
Analysis using gel electrophoresis to identify high molecular weight species.
Characterization of nanofiber dimensions via atomic force microscopy.

Main Results:

Successful self-assembly of DNA nanofibers through Hoogsteen and Watson-Crick base pairing.
Formation of high molecular weight species containing quadruplexes and duplexes.
Atomic force microscopy revealed nanofibers with lengths from 250 to 2,000 nm and heights from 0.45 to 4.0 nm.

Conclusions:

Demonstrated the creation of structurally heterogeneous (quadruplex/duplex) DNA-based nanofibers.
Established a controllable method for DNA nanofiber fabrication.
Highlighted the potential of these novel DNA materials for diverse nanotechnology applications.