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

Neural Circuits01:25

Neural Circuits

1.2K
Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
1.2K
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

1.5K
Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...
1.5K
Postsynaptic Potential (PSP)01:32

Postsynaptic Potential (PSP)

2.6K
Postsynaptic potential (PSP) refers to a change in the electrical potential of a neuron when neurotransmitters released by presynaptic neurons bind to postsynaptic receptors. This potential can either be excitatory, leading to depolarization and ultimately action potential generation, or inhibitory, leading to hyperpolarization and suppression of the postsynaptic neuron.
There are two types of receptors: ionotropic and metabotropic.
The ionotropic receptor is the membrane protein that has an...
2.6K
Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

949
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...
949
Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

8.3K
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
8.3K
Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

5.6K
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...
5.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

SynaptoTagMe, a toolkit for in vivo mapping and modulating neurotransmission at single-cell resolution.

eLife·2026
Same author

Advancing mechanobiology from single molecules to complex cellular systems.

Nature nanotechnology·2026
Same author

Experience-Dependent Gain Modulation Drives Thermosensory Responses in Behavior.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

<i>In vivo</i> RNA targeting in the nematode <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> using exogenous catalytic DNA.

BioTechniques·2026
Same author

Physical contact reveals a hidden layer of cortical architecture.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Long-term editing of brain circuits using an engineered electrical synapse.

Nature·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Modular Neuronal Networks for Analyzing Brain Functions
07:38

Author Spotlight: Modular Neuronal Networks for Analyzing Brain Functions

Published on: June 7, 2024

1.6K

Understanding neural circuit function through synaptic engineering.

Ithai Rabinowitch1, Daniel A Colón-Ramos2, Michael Krieg3

  • 1Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. ithai.rabinowitch@mail.huji.ac.il.

Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|January 3, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Synaptic engineering synthetically inserts new neural connections for circuit interrogation. This powerful technique establishes causality and explores novel connectivity without external activation.

More Related Videos

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

11.5K
Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits
10:32

Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits

Published on: April 15, 2015

8.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Modular Neuronal Networks for Analyzing Brain Functions
07:38

Author Spotlight: Modular Neuronal Networks for Analyzing Brain Functions

Published on: June 7, 2024

1.6K
Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

11.5K
Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits
10:32

Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits

Published on: April 15, 2015

8.5K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Circuit Engineering

Background:

  • Synapses are crucial for neural circuit signaling.
  • Understanding neural circuits requires precise manipulation.
  • Existing methods have limitations in specificity and autonomy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce synaptic engineering as a novel approach for neural circuit interrogation.
  • To highlight its power in establishing causality and exploring circuit function.
  • To review current methods and future directions in the field.

Main Methods:

  • Describing electrical synapses using connexin proteins.
  • Detailing synthetic optical synapses with luciferase and light-gated channels.
  • Exploring artificial neuropeptide signaling pathways.

Main Results:

  • Synaptic engineering allows targeted insertion of new synaptic connections in vivo.
  • This method enables autonomous function without external user control.
  • Successful implementations include electrical, optical, and neuropeptide-based synapses.

Conclusions:

  • Synaptic engineering offers a powerful, specific, and autonomous method for neural circuit analysis.
  • It facilitates the study of structure-function relationships and synaptic plasticity.
  • The field holds promise for advancing our understanding of neural computation and developing new therapeutic strategies.