Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

75.1K
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.
75.1K
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

125.3K
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.
125.3K
Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

971
Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
971
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

3.2K
A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....
3.2K
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

11.1K
Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
11.1K
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

8.9K
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...
8.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The 3-Body Problem: How Astrocytes May Govern Plasticity.

The Neuroscientist : a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry·2026
Same author

Developmental roots of cerebellar degeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia.

Current topics in developmental biology·2026
Same author

Circular RNA <i>circHomer1</i> mediates hippocampal functions via ribonucleoprotein granule transport and dendritic targeting of synaptic RNAs.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Brain concentrations of flame retardants and trace elements related to habitat use and brain measures in an urban-adapted gull.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2026
Same author

Cerebellar Purkinje cell firing reduction contributes to aging-related declining motor coordination in mice.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Branch logic: Dendritic computations diversify inhibition.

Neuron·2025
Same journal

Fast-conducting mechanonociceptors uniquely engage reflexive and affective pain circuitry to drive protective responses.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Sparse component analysis: A method that uncovers separable computations within neural population activity.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Spatiomolecular mapping reveals anatomical organization of heterogeneous cell types in the human nucleus accumbens.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

TGF-β1-induced endothelial transcytosis drives blood-brain barrier leakage during aging.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Image space opens up for visual neuroscience.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Septal GLP-1 receptors control alcohol taking and seeking.

Neuron·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Detection of Axonally Localized mRNAs in Brain Sections Using High-Resolution In Situ Hybridization
11:24

Detection of Axonally Localized mRNAs in Brain Sections Using High-Resolution In Situ Hybridization

Published on: June 17, 2015

11.8K

Synapse-specific burst coding sustained by local axonal translation.

Hovy Ho-Wai Wong1, Alanna J Watt2, P Jesper Sjöström1

  • 1Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada.

Neuron
|November 9, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Brain communication relies on burst signaling, not single spikes. This study reveals that protein synthesis in axons is crucial for sustaining these bursts at specific synapses, impacting learning and memory.

Keywords:
RNA localizationaxonexcitatory inhibitory balancelearning and memorylocal protein synthesismTORneurotransmissionplasticitypresynaptic NMDA receptorsvesicle recycling

More Related Videos

In vivo Interrogation of Central Nervous System Translatome by Polyribosome Fractionation
09:13

In vivo Interrogation of Central Nervous System Translatome by Polyribosome Fractionation

Published on: April 30, 2014

12.4K
Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient
08:30

Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient

Published on: September 17, 2011

31.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Detection of Axonally Localized mRNAs in Brain Sections Using High-Resolution In Situ Hybridization
11:24

Detection of Axonally Localized mRNAs in Brain Sections Using High-Resolution In Situ Hybridization

Published on: June 17, 2015

11.8K
In vivo Interrogation of Central Nervous System Translatome by Polyribosome Fractionation
09:13

In vivo Interrogation of Central Nervous System Translatome by Polyribosome Fractionation

Published on: April 30, 2014

12.4K
Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient
08:30

Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient

Published on: September 17, 2011

31.7K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

  • Neural communication often utilizes high-frequency spike bursts, not individual spikes, for coding information.
  • Protein synthesis is vital for long-term synaptic plasticity and learning but is not typically associated with synaptic transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of axonal protein synthesis in burst neurotransmission.
  • To determine the molecular mechanisms underlying protein synthesis-dependent burst transmission in specific neuronal populations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized laser axotomy and puromycylation live imaging to localize protein synthesis to axons.
  • Employed whole-cell recordings in connected neurons to assess the impact of translation on vesicle pools.
  • Performed live imaging of axons to identify RNA granules.

Main Results:

  • Burst neurotransmission between neocortical layer 5 pyramidal cells depends on axonal protein synthesis.
  • This process is linked to presynaptic NMDA receptors and mTOR signaling.
  • Local protein synthesis sustained the readily releasable vesicle pool and replenishment rate, boosting neurotransmission onto excitatory but not inhibitory cells.

Conclusions:

  • Local axonal mRNA translation is a previously unrecognized mechanism for sustaining burst coding.
  • This mechanism specifically regulates neurotransmission at certain synapse types, highlighting synapse-specific regulation.
  • Findings suggest a novel role for protein synthesis in rapid synaptic transmission and neural coding.