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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO&#8226;) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO&#8226; Signals in Single Cells
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Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO•) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO• Signals in Single Cells

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Nitric oxide mediates local activity-dependent excitatory synapse development.

Irina Nikonenko1, Alexander Nikonenko, Pablo Mendez

  • 1Department of Basic Neuroscience, Geneva Medical Center, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|October 16, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nitric oxide (NO) signaling is crucial for excitatory synapse development, promoting activity-dependent spine growth. Its absence impairs synaptic plasticity and network formation, impacting learning and memory.

Keywords:
VASPdendritic spinesspinogenesissynaptic plasticity

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

  • Synaptic network development is vital for learning and memory.
  • Molecular mechanisms of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity are not fully understood.
  • Excitatory synapse development involves spine growth and pruning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) signaling in activity-dependent excitatory synapse development.
  • To elucidate the molecular pathways mediating NO's effects on synaptic plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro and in vivo NO production blockade.
  • Analysis of hippocampal and cortical excitatory spine synapses.
  • Investigating cGMP cascade and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) mutants.
  • Assessing effects of environmental enrichment on synapse density.

Main Results:

  • Chronic NO blockade disrupts excitatory spine synapse development in vitro and in vivo.
  • NO deficiency leads to loss of activity-mediated spine growth and altered synapse morphology/function.
  • NO's effects are mediated by a cGMP cascade and VASP.
  • Absence of NO impairs synapse density increase from environmental enrichment and cluster formation.

Conclusions:

  • Nitric oxide (NO) is a key regulator of excitatory synapse development.
  • NO promotes local activity-dependent spine-growth mechanisms.
  • NO signaling is essential for synaptic plasticity and network formation relevant to learning.