Release probability of hippocampal glutamatergic terminals scales with the size of the active zone

Cortical synapses have structural, molecular and functional heterogeneity; our knowledge regarding the relationship between their ultrastructural and functional parameters is still fragmented. Here we asked how the neurotransmitter release probability and presynaptic [Ca2+] transients relate to the ultrastructure of rat hippocampal glutamatergic axon terminals. Two-photon Ca2+ imaging derived optical quantal analysis and correlated electron microscopic reconstructions revealed a tight correlation between the release probability and the active-zone area. Peak amplitude of [Ca2+] transients in single boutons also positively correlated with the active-zone area. Freeze-fracture immunogold labeling revealed that the voltage-gated calcium channel subunit Cav2.1 and the presynaptic protein Rim 1/2 are confined to the active zone and their numbers scale linearly with the active-zone area. Gold particles labeling Cav2.1 were nonrandomly distributed in the active zones. Our results demonstrate that the numbers of several active-zone proteins, including presynaptic calcium channels, as well as the number of docked vesicles and the release probability, scale linearly with the active-zone area.