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Updated: May 9, 2026
09:33
An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
Published on: June 26, 2018
Matching dynamics of presynaptic and postsynaptic scaffolds.
Arava Fisher-Lavie1, Noam E Ziv
1Technion Faculty of Medicine and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Lorry Lokey Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.
Summary
Synapse remodeling involves presynaptic and postsynaptic changes. While generally correlated, molecular ratios like Munc13-1/PSD-95 are maintained, indicating stable synapse stoichiometry despite dynamic remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Synapses remodel dynamically, requiring matched presynaptic and postsynaptic changes.
- Observed molecular mismatches between pre- and postsynaptic components raise questions about remodeling synchrony and synapse stoichiometry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the matching dynamics of presynaptic (Munc13-1) and postsynaptic (PSD-95) molecules during synapse remodeling.
- To determine if synapse molecular stoichiometries are preserved over time despite remodeling.
Main Methods:
- Cultured cortical mouse neurons were used to track Munc13-1 and PSD-95 dynamics at individual synapses.
- Quantitative analysis of molecular content and ratios over 15-22 hours.
Main Results:
- Presynaptic and postsynaptic remodeling showed variable correlation, with some synapses exhibiting little or negative correlation.
- No consistent lead-lag relationship was found between presynaptic and postsynaptic remodeling.
- Despite significant changes in Munc13-1 and PSD-95 levels, their ratios remained conserved over time.
Conclusions:
- Synapses exhibit genuine variations in their pre- and postsynaptic molecular stoichiometries.
- Individual synapses maintain their specific molecular ratios even during substantial remodeling, suggesting robust homeostatic mechanisms.
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