Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

<i>In vivo</i> RNA targeting in the nematode <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> using exogenous catalytic DNA.

BioTechniques·2026

Same author

An entropic measure of diverse specialization highlights multifunctional neurons in annotated connectomes.

Network neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026

Same author

A gene expression atlas of a juvenile nervous system.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Neurons, Muscles, and Venom: Identifying Drivers of Cephalopod Predation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Divergence in neuronal signaling pathways despite conserved neuronal identity among Caenorhabditis species.

Current biology : CB·2025

Same author

<i>C. elegans</i> wired and wireless connectome: insights into principles of nervous system structure and function.

Journal of biosciences·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Automated Quantification of Synaptic Fluorescence in C. elegans

Automated Quantification of Synaptic Fluorescence in C. elegans

Published on: August 10, 2012

Engineering new synaptic connections in the C. elegans connectome.

Ithai Rabinowitch¹, William R Schafer²

¹Basic Sciences Division; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ; Seattle, WA USA ;

|October 3, 2015

Summary

Researchers have developed a new genetic engineering method to create an editable connectome in C. elegans. This groundbreaking technique allows for the artificial insertion of new synapses, advancing neural circuit investigation.

Keywords:

connectome connexin electrical synapse gap junction innexin synapse synaptic engineering

More Related Videos

Dissecting and Recording from The C. Elegans Neuromuscular Junction

Dissecting and Recording from The C. Elegans Neuromuscular Junction

Published on: February 25, 2009

Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants

Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants

Published on: August 18, 2008

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Automated Quantification of Synaptic Fluorescence in C. elegans

Automated Quantification of Synaptic Fluorescence in C. elegans

Published on: August 10, 2012

Dissecting and Recording from The C. Elegans Neuromuscular Junction

Dissecting and Recording from The C. Elegans Neuromuscular Junction

Published on: February 25, 2009

Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants

Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants

Published on: August 18, 2008

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Genetics
Systems Biology

Background:

Current understanding of neural circuits relies heavily on electrical or optical recordings.
Optogenetics allows precise manipulation of specific neuron activity.
Super-resolution imaging enables detailed synaptic connectivity mapping and connectome discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel strategy for investigating and manipulating neural circuits.
To demonstrate the artificial insertion of new synapses into existing neural circuits.
To establish C. elegans as the first animal with an editable connectome.

Main Methods:

Utilized genetic engineering tools for targeted synaptic insertion.
Applied the technique in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).

Main Results:

Successfully achieved the artificial insertion of new synapses in C. elegans.
Established C. elegans as the first animal with a genetically engineered, editable connectome.
Demonstrated a complementary approach to existing neural circuit research methods.

Conclusions:

The development of an editable connectome in C. elegans offers a new paradigm for neural circuit research.
This genetic engineering approach provides a powerful tool for investigating neural circuit function.
The methodology holds potential for application in more complex nervous systems.