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Related Concept Videos

Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

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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...
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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.
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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Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

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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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Long-term Depression01:05

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Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
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Postsynaptic Potential (PSP)01:32

Postsynaptic Potential (PSP)

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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...
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Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

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Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology
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Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology

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Presynaptic quantal size enhancement counteracts post-tetanic release depression.

Anu G Nair1,2, Nasrin Bollmohr1,3,4, Levin Schökle1

  • 1Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

The Journal of Physiology
|August 26, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Synaptic transmission remains robust after high-frequency stimulation due to a presynaptic increase in quantal size, likely from larger vesicles, which balances vesicle depletion. This mechanism stabilizes synaptic efficacy for minutes post-stimulation.

Keywords:
Drosophilaexcitatory synaptic transmissionhomeostasisneuromuscular junctionsynaptic plasticity

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Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number
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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Plasticity
  • Cellular Physiology

Background:

  • Repetitive synaptic stimulation can impair transmission by depleting resources.
  • Mechanisms stabilizing synaptic transmission after high-frequency stimulation are poorly understood.
  • Robust synaptic transmission is crucial for nervous system function despite resource limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how synaptic transmission is stabilized after high-frequency stimulation.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic stability at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ).
  • To identify factors contributing to the robustness of synaptic transmission on the minute time scale.

Main Methods:

  • Tetanic stimulation of the Drosophila NMJ.
  • Quantal content, quantal size, and vesicle pool size measurements.
  • Analysis of synaptic vesicle density, diameter, and postsynaptic responses.
  • Genetic and pharmacological perturbations of key proteins (dynamin, H+-ATPase, glutamate receptors).

Main Results:

  • Tetanic stimulation decreased quantal content and vesicle pool size but increased quantal size.
  • Action potential-evoked transmission remained largely unchanged, indicating stabilization.
  • The quantal size increase was presynaptically driven, involving larger synaptic vesicles, and counterbalanced release depression.

Conclusions:

  • A presynaptically-driven increase in quantal size, mediated by larger synaptic vesicles, stabilizes synaptic transmission after high-frequency stimulation.
  • This mechanism enhances synaptic robustness on the minute time scale by counteracting release depression.
  • The findings provide novel insights into synaptic stability mechanisms following sustained neural activity.