synaptic transmission: communication between neurons
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Synaptic transmission: communication between neurons
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Two principal kinds of synapses: electrical and chemical
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Gap junctions are formed where hexameric pores called connexons connect with one between cells
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Electrical synapses are built for speed
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Contrast with chemical synapse
Delay of about 1 ms
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Electrical coupling is a way to synchronize neurons with one another
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Electrical synapses are not presently considered to be the primary means of communication between neurons in the mammalian nervous system, but they may prove to be more important than presently recognized
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Rectification and uni-directionality of electrical synapses
…not just simple bidirectional bridges between cells
Conductance through gap junctions may be sensitive to the junctional potential (i.e the voltage drop between the two coupled cells), or sensitive to the membrane potential of either of the coupled cells
Glial cells can also be connected by gap junctions, which allows synchronous oscillations of intracellular calcium
http://users.umassmed.edu/michael.sanderson/mjslab/MOVIE.HTM
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Chemical synapses: the predominant means of communication between neurons
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An early experiment to support the neurotransmitter hypothesis
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Criteria that define a neurotransmitter:1. Must be present at presynaptic terminal2. Must be released by depolarization, Ca++-dependent3. Specific receptors must be present
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Neurotransmitters may be either small molecules or peptides
Mechanisms and sites of synthesis are different
Small molecule transmitters are synthesized at terminals, packaged into small clear-core vesicles (often referred to as ‘synaptic vesicles’
Peptides, or neuropeptides are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum and transported to the synapse, sometimes they are processed along the way. Neuropeptides are packaged in large dense-core vesicles
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Neurotransmitter is released in discrete packages, or quanta
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Failure analysis reveals that neurons release many quanta of neurotransmitter when stimulated, that all contribute to the response
Quantal content:The number of quanta released by stimulation of the neuron
Quantal size:How size of the individual quanta
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Quanta correspond to release of individual synaptic vesicles
EM images and biochemistry suggest that a MEPP could be caused by a single vesicle
EM studies revealed correlation between fusion of vesicles with plasma membrane and size of postsynaptic response
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4-AP was used to vary the efficiency of release
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Calcium influx is necessary for neurotransmitter release
Voltage-gated calcium channels
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Calcium influx is sufficient for neurotransmitter release
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Synaptic release II
The synaptic vesicle release cycle
1. Tools and Pools
2. Molecular biology and biochemistry of vesicle release:1. Docking2. Priming3. Fusion
3. Recovery and recycling of synaptic vesicles
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The synaptic vesicle cycle
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How do we study vesicle dynamics?
Morphological techniquesElectron microscopy to obtain static pictures of vesicle distribution; TIRFM (total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy) to visualize movement of vesicles close to the membranePhysiological studies Chromaffin cellsNeuroendocrine cells derived from adrenal medulla with large dense-core vesicles. Can measure membrane fusion (capacitance measurements), or direct release of catecholamine transmitters using carbon fiber electrodes (amperometry)
NeuronsMeasure release of neurotransmitter from a presynaptic cell by quantifying the response of a postsynaptic cell
GeneticsDelete or overexpress proteins in mice, worms, or flies, and analyze phenotype using the above techniques
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Synaptic vesicle release consists of three principal steps:
1. DockingDocked vesicles lie close to plasma membrane (within 30 nm)
1. PrimingPrimed vesicles can be induced to fuse with the plasma membrane by sustained depolarization, high K+, elevated Ca++, hypertonic sucrose treatment
2. FusionVesicles fuse with the plasma membrane to release transmitter. Physiologically this occurs near calcium channels, but can be induced experimentally over larger area (see ‘priming’). The ‘active zone’ is the site of physiological release, and can sometimes be recognized as an electron-dense structure.
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Becherer, U, Rettig, J. Cell Tissue Res (2006) 326:393
Morphologically, vesicles are classified as docked or undocked. Docked vesicles are further subdivided into primed and unprimed pools depending on whether they are competent to fuse when cells are treated with high K+, elevated Ca++, sustained depolarization, or hypertonic sucrose treatment.
Synaptic vesicles exist in multiple pools within the nerve terminal
(reserve pool)
(Release stimulated by flash-photolysis of caged calcium)
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In CNS neurons, vesicles are divided into
Reserve pool (80-95%)
Recycling pool (5-20%)
Readily-releasable pool (0.1-2%; 5-10 synapses per active zone)
Rizzoli, Betz (2005). Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6:57-69)
A small fraction of vesicles (the recycling pool) replenishes the RRP upon mild stimulation. Strong stimulation causes the reserve pool to mobilize and be released
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Vesicle release requires many proteins on vesicle and plasma membrane
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Docking:
UNC-18 (or munc-18) is necessary for vesicle docking(Weimer et al. 2003, Nature Neuroscience 6:1023)
1. unc-18 mutant C. elegans have neurotransmitter release defect
2. unc-18 mutant C. elegans have reduction of docked vesicles
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Unc-18 mutants are defective for evoked and spontaneous release
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Unc-18 mutants are defective for calcium-independent release
primed vesicles occasionally fuse in the absence of calcium; a calcium-independent fusion defect suggests a lack of primed vesicles
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UNC-18 (munc18) is required for docking: unc-18 mutants have fewer docked vesicles
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Summary:
Unc-18 mutants are unable to dock vesicles efficiently. Impaired docking leads to fewer primed vesicles; fewer primed vesicles leads to reduced overall neurotransmitter release.
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Priming
Vesicles in the reserve pool undergo priming to enter the readily-releasable pool
At a molecular level, priming corresponds to the assembly of the SNARE complex
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The SNARE complex
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UNC-13 is a critical priming factorRichmond and Jorgensen (1999) Nature Neuroscience 2:959
normal unc-13 mutantsunc-13 mutants have higher levels of synaptic vesicles than normal
No docking defect was observed
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unc-13 mutants have evoked release defect
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Calcium-indepenent release is also defective, indicating that the defect is in priming
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Munc-13 function in priming
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Inhibitory domain, folds back on itself“open” syntaxin doesn’t fold properly
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unc-13 defect can be bypassed by providing an “open” form of syntaxin
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Model for unc-13, unc-18, syntaxin interaction in priming
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Synaptotagmin functions as a calcium sensor, promoting vesicle fusion
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Synaptic vesicles recycle post-fusion
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Modern methods to track recycling membrane
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The ATP-ase NSF disassembles the SNARE complex
Endocytosis retrieves synaptic vesicle membrane and protein from the plasma membrane following fusion
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