SYNAPSES Dividing communication, at the nanoscale

Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Nanoscale rules governing the organization of glutamate receptors in spine synapses are subunit specific

Martin Hruska et al.

Summary: This study reveals the impact of nanoscale organization of glutamate receptors on synaptic features, with receptors containing specific subunits forming specific subsynaptic regions, which is crucial for events such as cell death and synaptic plasticity.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2022)

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Article Biology

Probing the segregation of evoked and spontaneous neurotransmission via photobleaching and recovery of a fluorescent glutamate sensor

Camille S. Wang et al.

Summary: This study used a fluorescent probe called iGluSnFR to investigate the organization of action potential-evoked and spontaneous neurotransmitter release within individual synapses. The results showed that action potential-evoked release is more susceptible to photobleaching, while spontaneous release is less affected.

ELIFE (2022)

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Article Biology

Visualizing synaptic plasticity in vivo by large-scale imaging of endogenous AMPA receptors

Austin R. Graves et al.

Summary: The study has developed a set of innovative methods to overcome technological barriers and explore synaptic molecular dynamics on a large scale in vivo, revealing the dynamic expression and strength changes of synapses during behavior. These tools not only generate detailed spatiotemporal maps of synapses, but can also act as optical probes to measure functional synapse strength across entire brain regions.

ELIFE (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Subsynaptic positioning of AMPARs by LRRTM2 controls synaptic strength

Austin M. Ramsey et al.

Summary: Recent evidence suggests that nano-organization of proteins within synapses may control the strength of communication between neurons in the brain. Targeting LRRTM2, a key transsynaptic adhesion molecule, and disrupting its extracellular domain quickly led to nanoscale declustering of AMPARs, resulting in significant deficits in evoked postsynaptic receptor activation but not spontaneous activation. This indicates that adhesion molecules may acutely position receptors to dynamically control synaptic strength.

SCIENCE ADVANCES (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences