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Related Concept Videos

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.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
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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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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.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
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Synaptic Signaling01:12

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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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Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

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When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...
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Synaptic activity and strength are reflected by changes in the post-synaptic secretory pathway.

Clara-Marie Gürth1,2, Tal M Dankovich3, Silvio O Rizzoli3

  • 1Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.

Scientific Reports
|November 26, 2020
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Synaptic activity influences the distribution of secretory pathway components in neurons. These components cluster in small synapses for rapid responses and spread out in larger synapses.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

  • Neurons exhibit asymmetry, requiring localized protein synthesis and delivery via the secretory pathway.
  • Secretory pathway elements are found in post-synaptic compartments, but their dynamic regulation by synaptic activity is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between local synaptic activity and the distribution of post-synaptic secretory pathway components.
  • To determine if synaptic strength influences the localization and abundance of these organelles.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized STED nanoscopy for high-resolution imaging of post-synaptic markers.
  • Employed automated quantitative image analysis to assess protein distribution and abundance.
  • Measured pre-synaptic activity through the quantification of recycling vesicles.

Main Results:

  • Post-synaptic secretory pathway component distribution (ER, ER-Golgi intermediate compartment, trans-Golgi network, spine apparatus) is dependent on pre-synaptic activity.
  • The abundance of these components correlates with both pre- and post-synaptic markers of synaptic strength.
  • Synaptic size influences secretory machinery organization: clustered in small synapses, diffuse in large ones.

Conclusions:

  • Neuronal secretory pathway components dynamically adjust their distribution based on synaptic activity levels.
  • Synaptic strength and size dictate the spatial organization of the secretory machinery for efficient local protein delivery.
  • Findings suggest activity-dependent regulation of neuronal secretory pathways is crucial for synaptic function and plasticity.