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Synaptic transmission is the biological process by which a neuron communicates with a target cell across a synapse. Chemical synaptic transmission involves the release of a neurotransmitter from the pre-synaptic neuron, and neurotransmitter binding to specific post-synaptic receptors. Electrical synapse transmission involves the transfer of electrical signals through gap junctions.
The set of proteins present at synapses determines their heterogeneous functions and properties. In this Review, van Oostrum and Schuman describe the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the diversity of the synaptic proteome and consider how this molecular complexity can be captured by approaches for synapse classification.
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder and the pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, the authors show a potential role for synaptotagmin-11 in schizophrenia-related behavior through dopamine over-transmission.
In this study, Guzikowski and Kavalali find properties of in vitro micron sized liquid condensates translate to the nano-structure of the synapse in a functionally specific manner, creating a distinct nano-organization that facilitates subsequent synaptic signaling.
Voltage clamp recording at an intermediate voltage shows that the two opposing neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA, are co-released by a fraction of synapses in many regions throughout the brain.
Release of hunger-promoting and satiety-promoting neuropeptides drives opposing changes in the second messenger cAMP in awake mouse paraventricular hypothalamic MC4R neurons, thereby regulating synaptic plasticity and the transition to satiety with each bite of food.
A population of macrophages has been found in muscle spindles that release glutamate, activate primary sensory afferents that are part of the stretch reflex, and have a role in regulating locomotion.
RoboEM, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based flight agent, automatically steers through three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D-EM) images of brain tissue to follow neurites. RoboEM substantially improves state-of-the-art automated reconstructions, eliminating manual proofreading needs in complex connectomic analysis problems and paving the way for high-throughput, cost-effective, large-scale mapping of neuronal networks â connectomes.
Following synaptic vesicle exocytosis, synaptotagmin 1 recruits a lipid signalling pathway within the presynaptic plasma membrane that drives local dynamin recruitment and membrane retrieval by endocytosis, thus maintaining membrane homeostasis.
A co-released inhibitory neurotransmitter and stimulatory neuropeptide are shown to act on different timescales to enhance circuit output and optimize behaviour.
