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Ultrastructural analysis of wild-type and RIM1α knockout active zones in a large cortical synapse
Katharina Lichter1, Mila Marie Paul2, Martin Pauli3
1Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Rab3A-interacting molecule (RIM) is crucial for fast Ca2+-triggered synaptic vesicle (SV) release in presynaptic active zones (AZs). We investigated hippocampal giant mossy fiber bouton (MFB) AZ architecture in 3D using electron tomography of rapid cryo-immobilized acute brain slices in RIM1α-/- and wild-type mice. In RIM1α-/-, AZs are larger with increased synaptic cleft widths and a 3-fold reduced number of tightly docked SVs (0-2 nm). The distance of tightly docked SVs to the AZ center is increased from 110 to 195 nm, and the width of their electron-dense material between outer SV membrane and AZ membrane is reduced. Furthermore, the SV pool in RIM1α-/- is more heterogeneous. Thus, RIM1α, besides its role in tight SV docking, is crucial for synaptic architecture and vesicle pool organization in MFBs.
