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

Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

9.2K
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...
9.2K
Long-term Potentiation01:25

Long-term Potentiation

2.9K
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.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when...
2.9K
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

127.5K
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.
127.5K
Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

76.2K
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.
76.2K
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

10.8K
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...
10.8K
Long-term Depression01:03

Long-term Depression

2.6K
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.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
2.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Tuft dendrite spikes are accompanied by selective input from distinct functional networks.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

MEDUSA: Maintaining Entire DNA Duplexes for Utmost Sequencing Accuracy.

Clinical chemistry·2026
Same author

Concerns Regarding Data Modelling and Interpretation in Ruuska et al.

Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)·2026
Same author

Distinct sensorimotor encoding in tuft dendrites and somata associated with action, correction, and learning.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Two classes of amine/glutamate multi-transmitter neurons innervate Drosophila internal male reproductive organs.

eLife·2026
Same author

A bifunctional optical reporter for tracking estrogen response dynamics in neurons.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

11.5K

Balanced synapse-to-synapse short-term plasticity ensures constant transmitter release.

Krisha Aghi1, Ryan Schultz1, R Steven Stowers2

  • 1Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|June 4, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Synaptic strength and short-term plasticity vary greatly across individual Drosophila motor neuron synapses. Despite this heterogeneity, overall synaptic strength distribution remains constant, ensuring robust neurotransmitter release.

Keywords:
Drosophilabiological stochasticityglutamatergicmotor neuronneuromuscularplasticityquantal analysissynapsesynaptic transmission

More Related Videos

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

6.2K
Investigation of Synaptic Tagging/Capture and Cross-capture using Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rodents
11:29

Investigation of Synaptic Tagging/Capture and Cross-capture using Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rodents

Published on: September 4, 2015

14.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

11.5K
Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

6.2K
Investigation of Synaptic Tagging/Capture and Cross-capture using Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rodents
11:29

Investigation of Synaptic Tagging/Capture and Cross-capture using Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rodents

Published on: September 4, 2015

14.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Plasticity
  • Motor Neuron Function

Background:

  • Synaptic strength exhibits variability between individual synapses.
  • Short-term plasticity (STP) describes rapid changes in synaptic transmission.
  • Understanding synaptic variability is crucial for neural circuit function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the heterogeneity of basal synaptic strength and short-term plasticity at Drosophila glutamatergic motor neuron synapses.
  • To determine how synaptic strength and plasticity vary across individual synapses within a single motor neuron terminal.
  • To explore the mechanisms maintaining overall synaptic strength distribution despite individual synapse variability.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized optical quantal analysis for high-resolution measurement of synaptic transmission.
  • Examined Drosophila glutamatergic motor neuron synapses.
  • Analyzed basal synaptic strength and short-term plasticity (facilitation and depression) at the single-synapse level.

Main Results:

  • Observed significant heterogeneity in basal synaptic strength and short-term plasticity among individual synapses, even those from the same motor neuron.
  • Found that facilitating and depressing synapses, as well as strong and weak synapses, were randomly distributed within the nerve terminal.
  • Demonstrated that despite heterogeneous synaptic properties, the overall distribution of synaptic strength remained constant across the nerve terminal.
  • Identified a balance between facilitating and depressing synapses, their degree of plasticity, and basal synaptic weight as key factors for maintaining this constancy.

Conclusions:

  • Synaptic strength and short-term plasticity are highly variable at the individual synapse level in Drosophila motor neurons.
  • A dynamic balance between synaptic facilitation and depression, alongside their respective strengths, ensures a stable overall synaptic strength distribution.
  • This constancy in transmitter release contributes to the robustness of neural circuits under varying behavioral demands.