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

Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Degradation of ECM01:23

Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Degradation of ECM

3.2K
Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of proteins and glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix. MMPs are essential for the migration and proliferation of cells through the dense matrix network, throughout embryonic development, and throughout morphogenesis. The first MMP activity discovered was a collagenase in a tadpole's tail undergoing metamorphosis. The active collagen deposition and modifications lead to the morphogenesis of tadpoles into the adult...
3.2K
Extracellular Matrix01:26

Extracellular Matrix

5.1K
Unlike epithelial tissue, which is composed of cells closely packed with little or no extracellular space in between, connective tissue cells are dispersed in a matrix. This extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of fibrous proteins like collagen, elastin, and fibronectin in a ground substance consisting of interstitial fluid, cell adhesion proteins, and proteoglycans. The proteoglycans form a gel-like material in the spaces between cells and provide hydration, buffering, binding, and force...
5.1K
The Extracellular Matrix01:42

The Extracellular Matrix

88.0K
Overview
88.0K
The Extracellular Matrix01:29

The Extracellular Matrix

11.7K
Overview
In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.
Composition of the Extracellular Matrix
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is commonly composed of ground substance, a gel-like fluid, fibrous components, and many structurally and functionally diverse...
11.7K
Neuroplasticity01:01

Neuroplasticity

1.5K
Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
1.5K
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

3.4K
In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
3.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Development and preliminary validation of a WeChat-based auditory-speech rehabilitation system for Mandarin-speaking cochlear implant users.

Digital health·2026
Same author

The role of macrophage-myofibroblast transition in the pathogenesis of multi-organ fibrosis.

Tissue & cell·2026
Same author

A proteogenomic RNA processing mechanism drives sex differences in meningioma.

Research square·2026
Same author

Block sparse Bayesian learning with environmental perturbation for robust matched field processing.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same author

DS-MTNet: A dual-stream multi-task network for histopathology localization and histologic risk stratification from small biopsy specimens of bladder cancer.

Computer methods and programs in biomedicine·2026
Same author

CDK1 and CEP97 cooperatively control centriole length to orchestrate ciliogenesis and developmental patterning.

Genes & development·2026
Same journal

Connectomic evidence that ordered activity drives neuromuscular network formation.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Noninvasive decoding of typed sentences from human brain activity.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Striatal control of amygdalar acetylcholine release during salience-associated processing.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Mitochondrial stress response drives microglial senescence.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Conditioned accumbal dopamine transients forecast individual preference for drug versus natural rewards and compulsive behavior.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same journal

The mitochondrial unfolded protein response in human microglia disrupts neuronal-glial communication and promotes senescence.

Nature neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

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

32.6K

Extracellular matrix proteolysis maintains synapse plasticity during brain development.

Haruna Nakajo1, Ran Cao1, Supriya A Mula1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences/Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nature Neuroscience
|December 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) maintains dynamic synapses crucial for brain development and motor learning. Microglial MMP14 and brevican are key regulators of synapse stability and plasticity.

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

17.9K
Implantation of a Cranial Window for Repeated In Vivo Imaging in Awake Mice
06:33

Implantation of a Cranial Window for Repeated In Vivo Imaging in Awake Mice

Published on: June 22, 2021

8.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 8, 2026

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

32.6K
Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

17.9K
Implantation of a Cranial Window for Repeated In Vivo Imaging in Awake Mice
06:33

Implantation of a Cranial Window for Repeated In Vivo Imaging in Awake Mice

Published on: June 22, 2021

8.6K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The extracellular matrix (ECM) influences synaptic plasticity, but its developmental roles are not fully understood.
  • Previous studies primarily focused on ECM functions in adult brains.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of ECM remodeling in regulating synapse dynamics and plasticity during brain development.
  • To define the specific contributions of brevican and matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) to synapse stability.

Main Methods:

  • Live imaging of excitatory synapses in zebrafish hindbrain.
  • Genetic manipulation (brevican deletion, MMP14 loss) and ECM digestion.
  • Analysis of synapse density, lifetime, and experience-dependent plasticity.
  • Utilized human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cultures and mathematical modeling.

Main Results:

  • Synapses exhibit a bimodal distribution of dynamic and stable populations.
  • ECM disruption destabilized dynamic synapses, reducing overall synapse density.
  • Loss of microglial MMP14 increased brevican levels, prolonging dynamic synapse lifespan and increasing density.
  • MMP14 and brevican were essential for experience-dependent motor learning.

Conclusions:

  • ECM remodeling is critical for maintaining a dynamic subset of synapses during development.
  • Microglial MMP14 and brevican play essential, coordinated roles in regulating synapse stability and plasticity.
  • These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms governing brain development and synaptic function.