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Related Concept Videos

The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

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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.
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Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Chemical Synapses01:26

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Overview of Synapses01:25

Overview of Synapses

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A synapse is a specialized structure where two neurons connect, allowing them to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron. It is the point of communication between neurons. The term "synapse" is derived from the Greek word "synapsis," which means "conjunction." The entire process of neural communication revolves around the synapse. When activated, a neuron releases chemicals known as neurotransmitters into the synapse. These neurotransmitters cross the synapse and bind to...
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Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

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Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
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The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
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Synaptic Signaling01:12

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Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
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Related Experiment Video

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Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
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Synapse-Specific Regulation Revealed at Single Synapses Is Concealed When Recording Multiple Synapses.

Justin Lines1, Ana Covelo1, Ricardo Gómez2

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
|December 9, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Synapse-specific short-term plasticity, mediated by astrocytes and endocannabinoids, is detectable at single synapses but masked in bulk recordings. Electrophysiological methods are critical for assessing these localized synaptic changes.

Keywords:
astrocytesendocannabinoidsminimal stimulationsynapsesynapse specificsynaptic efficacysynaptic plasticity

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular Biology
  • Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Synaptic plasticity, the activity-dependent modulation of synaptic transmission, is crucial for nervous system function.
  • Neurons possess numerous synapses, yet regulation may target specific subsets, impacting information processing.
  • Current electrophysiological methods have limitations in detecting synapse-specific modulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the detectability of synapse-specific short-term plasticity using different electrophysiological recording levels.
  • To assess how astrocyte-mediated potentiation and endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling-induced plasticity are affected by recording scale.
  • To determine the experimental requirements for detecting localized synaptic plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized hippocampal slices with combined local field potential (LFP) and whole-cell recordings.
  • Stimulated Schaffer collaterals using bulk (multiple synapses) or minimal (single synapse) stimulation.
  • Developed a mathematical model simulating synapse regulation and predicting recording method efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Endocannabinoid-induced depolarization-induced suppression of excitation (DSE) and astrocyte-mediated potentiation were observed at single/few synapses.
  • These synapse-specific changes were statistically concealed when recording from a large number of synapses.
  • Mathematical modeling supported the experimental findings and highlighted detection limitations.

Conclusions:

  • Electrophysiological methodology is critical for accurately assessing synaptic changes occurring in subsets of synapses.
  • Relevant synapse-specific regulatory phenomena may be experimentally undetected using bulk recording methods.
  • Localized synaptic plasticity may have significant implications for the spatial extent of neural information processing.