Article
Ophthalmology
Adam Davison, Kaspar Gierke, Johann Helmut Brandstaetter, Norbert Babai
Summary: This study investigated the functional and structural maturation of mouse cone photoreceptor ribbon synapses during postnatal development, as well as the role of synaptic ribbons in synaptic vesicle release. The presence of synaptic ribbons attenuated tonic synaptic vesicle release and amplified multiquantal release, but spontaneous release may not depend on synaptic ribbons or voltage-sensitive calcium channels.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Norbert Babai, Julia von Wittgenstein, Kaspar Gierke, Johann Helmut Brandstaetter, Andreas Feigenspan
Summary: The study showed that impaired ribbon synapses significantly reduce signal transmission, including vesicle replenishment rates and the size of the readily releasable pool. The mutant Off cone bipolar cells exhibited a change in their response to light offset.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shweta Suiwal, Mayur Dembla, Karin Schwarz, Rashmi Katiyar, Martin Jung, Yvonne Carius, Stephan Maxeiner, Marcel A. Lauterbach, C. Roy D. Lancaster, Frank Schmitz
Summary: Unc119 protein mediates transport of myristoylated proteins to the photoreceptor outer segment and is also enriched in photoreceptor synapses. The synaptic ribbon could be involved in the discharge of Unc119-bound lipid-modified proteins. Proteins associated with Unc119 may play important roles in photoreceptor synapses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Adam Davison, Kaspar Gierke, Johann Helmut Brandstaetter, Norbert Babai
Summary: By studying the maturation process of synaptic ribbons in cone photoreceptors, it was found that ribbon attachment increases the density of synaptic vesicles, increases the pool size of readily releasable vesicles, and enhances the calcium sensitivity of glutamate release.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Ben James, Pawel Piekarz, Jose Moya-Diaz, Leon Lagnado
Summary: This study demonstrates how presynaptic integration of vesicles by MVR can increase the efficiency with which sensory information is transmitted compared with a rate-code described by Poisson statistics.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Akari Hagiwara, Ayako Mizutani, Saki Kawamura, Manabu Abe, Yamato Hida, Kenji Sakimura, Toshihisa Ohtsuka
Summary: This study investigates the roles of CAST and ELKS in ectopic synapse localization. The depletion of CAST and ELKS in the retina leads to degeneration of photoreceptors, indicating their critical roles in maintaining neural signal transduction in the retina. However, the distribution of the photoreceptor triad synapse is not solely dependent on their actions within photoreceptors and horizontal cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Chaorong Yu, Hui-Ming Gao, Guoqiang Wan
Summary: The study found that ribbon synapses of cochlear hair cells are regulated by macrophages for pruning and maturation before hearing onset, and unlike microglia in the CNS, macrophages in the cochlea do not mediate the pruning of cochlear ribbon synapses.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Physiology
Wallace B. Thoreson
Summary: The review explores the conversion of light-evoked voltage responses of rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the vertebrate retina to synaptic vesicle release events for transmission to downstream neurons. It discusses processes, proteins, and structures involved in this early step in vision, focusing on studies from salamander retina with comparisons to other experimental animals. Many mechanisms are conserved across species, highlighting the importance of understanding the intricate details of synaptic transmission in the visual system.
PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Tina Ghelani, Carolina Montenegro-Venegas, Anna Fejtova, Thomas Dresbach
Summary: Bassoon acts as a core scaffold protein in the presynaptic active zone, with its N-terminus oriented towards the trans-Golgi network membrane and its C-terminus facing away from the trans-Golgi network. This topographic arrangement at the Golgi-apparatus is essential for the assembly of active zone precursor structures and provides insights into the biogenesis of active zones.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miriam Ryl, Alexander Urbasik, Kaspar Gierke, Norbert Babai, Anneka Joachimsthaler, Andreas Feigenspan, Renato Frischknecht, Nina Stallwitz, Anna Fejtova, Jan Kremers, Julia von Wittgenstein, Johann Helmut Brandstaetter
Summary: The study investigated the impact of mutations in the Bassoon protein on the synaptic function and structure of photoreceptor cells in mice. Results showed that the synaptic defects were more severe in Bsn(gt/gt) mice, while expression of the Bsn(gt) allele led to cone photoreceptor death and neurite sprouting in the outer retina.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolina Montenegro-Venegas, Debarpan Guhathakurta, Eneko Pina-Fernandez, Maria Andres-Alonso, Florian Plattner, Eckart D. Gundelfinger, Anna Fejtova
Summary: This study reveals that the protein bassoon organizes the release of neurotransmitters by regulating synaptic phosphorylation and cAMP homeostasis. Synapses lacking bassoon exhibit decreased release competence of synaptic vesicles and increased resting pool of vesicles. Furthermore, the CDK5/PDE4/cAMP signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the regulation of neurotransmitter release.
Article
Cell Biology
Alina Dittrich, Girish Ramesh, Martin Jung, Frank Schmitz
Summary: This study demonstrates the localization of rabconnectin-3a (RC3a), also known as Dmx-like 2 (DMXL2), to the synaptic ribbons of rod photoreceptor synapses in the mouse retina, suggesting its role in ensuring reliable synaptic communication.
Article
Neurosciences
Luis Colon-Cruz, Roberto Rodriguez-Morales, Alexis Santana-Cruz, Juan Cantres-Velez, Aranza Torrado-Tapias, Sheng-Jia Lin, Guillermo Yudowski, Robert Kensler, Bruno Marie, Shawn M. Burgess, Olivier Renaud, Gaurav K. Varshney, Martine Behra
Summary: The cannabinoid receptor 2 (CNR2) plays a critical role in sensory synapse formation and maintenance in hair cells (HCs), with its absence leading to severe perturbations in presynaptic ribbons and calcium channels, as well as abnormal clustering of membrane-associated guanylate kinase in post-synaptic densities. Additionally, vesicular trafficking in HCs is strongly affected by CNR2, indicating a retrograde action of the endocannabinoid system in modulating HC mechanotransduction. Larval swimming behaviors after sound and light stimulations are significantly different in mutant animals lacking CNR2, highlighting its importance in processing sensory information during development.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Lisa Klotz-Weigand, Ralf Enz
Summary: Our senses are crucial for our perception of the world, with vision and hearing being central for daily life. The ribbon synapses in the retina and cochlea play a crucial role in converting sensory inputs into electrical signals. Understanding the metabotropic glutamate receptors in these structures is essential for studying vision and hearing disorders.
Article
Cell Biology
Susann Michanski, Timo Henneck, Mohona Mukhopadhyay, Anna M. Steyer, Paola Aguei Gonzalez, Katharina Grewe, Peter Ilgen, Mehmet Gueltas, Eugenio F. Fornasiero, Stefan Jakobs, Wiebke Moebius, Christian Vogl, Tina Pangrsic, Silvio O. Rizzoli, Carolin Wichmann
Summary: In mammals, the sensory hair cells of the vestibular labyrinth encode spatial orientation through synaptic activity. However, the mechanism and morphological changes underlying vestibular deficits associated with aging are not well understood. We used electron microscopy, confocal and super-resolution light microscopy, and metabolic imaging to study the ultrastructure of ribbon-type active zones in murine utricles. Our findings suggest that aging leads to dramatic structural alterations in vestibular hair cells' ribbon-type active zones.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Yang He, Jun Tang, Meng Zhang, Junjie Ying, Dezhi Mu
Summary: This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of human placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) transplantation in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The results showed that hPMSCs transplantation reduced apoptosis and improved long-term neurological prognosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of Sema 3A/NRP-1 expression and activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway played a key role in the protective effects of hPMSCs.
Article
Neurosciences
Emily L. Isenstein, Edward G. Freedman, Jiayi Xu, Ian A. DeAndrea-Lazarus, John J. Foxe
Summary: This study evaluated electrophysiological discrimination of parametric somatosensory stimuli in healthy young adults to understand how the brain processes the duration of tactile information. The results showed that participants did not electrophysiologically discriminate between 100 and 115 ms, but they exhibited distinct electrophysiological responses when the deviant stimuli were 130, 145, and 160 ms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of tactile sensitivity in different clinical conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Juliana R. Souza, Ludmila Lima-Silveira, Daniela Accorsi-Mendonca, Benedito H. Machado
Summary: This study demonstrates that A2A receptors play a crucial role in modulating synaptic transmission in the NTS neurons and are required for the enhancement of glutamatergic transmission observed under short-term sustained hypoxia conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Miki Hashizume, Rina Ito, Rie Suge, Yasushi Hojo, Gen Murakami, Takayuki Murakoshi
Summary: The basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA) is closely involved in the formation of emotional memories, including both aversive memory and contextual fear memory. Acute sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts the acquisition of tone-associated fear memory in juvenile rats, but has no significant effect on contextual fear memory. Slow network oscillation in the amygdala contributes to the formation of amygdala-dependent fear memory in relation to sleep.
Article
Neurosciences
Qunxian Wang, Shipeng Guo, Dongjie Hu, Xiangjun Dong, Zijun Meng, Yanshuang Jiang, Zijuan Feng, Weihui Zhou, Weihong Song
Summary: GSDME plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by regulating the switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis and participating in neuroinflammatory response. Knockdown of GSDME has been shown to improve cognitive impairments, indicating that GSDME could be a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.