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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Published on: February 25, 2022

Optogenetic Control of Synaptic Composition and Function.

Brooke L Sinnen¹, Aaron B Bowen¹, Jeffrey S Forte¹

¹Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.

|January 31, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Adding AMPA receptors to synapses surprisingly did not increase synaptic strength. Instead, new functional sites appeared, suggesting remodeling is key for strengthening established connections.

Keywords:

AMPA receptor CRY2 CaMKII GluA1 LTP PSD cryptochrome optogenetics plasticity synapse

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Optical Control of a Neuronal Protein Using a Genetically Encoded Unnatural Amino Acid in Neurons

Published on: March 28, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

Synaptic activity shapes postsynaptic membrane composition.
The postsynaptic density (PSD) concentrates molecules to regulate synaptic strength during plasticity.
Understanding the role of AMPA receptors in synaptic strength is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between AMPA receptor abundance in the PSD and synaptic strength.
To develop a method for light-controlled tuning of PSD molecule abundance.

Main Methods:

Developed a novel optogenetic approach for precise spatiotemporal control of molecular abundance in the PSD.
Used this method to manipulate AMPA receptor levels at excitatory synapses.

Main Results:

Increasing AMPA receptors in the PSD had minimal impact on synaptic strength.
Observed increased excitatory input, suggesting the addition of new functional sites.
Data indicate AMPA receptor addition activates naive synapses but requires further remodeling for established ones.

Conclusions:

Synaptic strength is not solely determined by AMPA receptor number.
Remodeling of synaptic structure is essential for strengthening established excitatory synapses.
Optogenetics offers a powerful tool for dissecting molecular mechanisms of synaptic function.