Thomas G. Oertner

Physiology and plasticity of individual synapses

Neurons in the brain communicate through synapses, which change in strength depending on the activity of pre- and postsynaptic cells. This is thought to be crucial for processing and storing information in the brain. But it is not known whether all synapses change their transmission characteristics according to the same rules.

We use two-photon laser scanning microscopy to record the amplitude of postsynaptic calcium transients in dendritic spines of intact brain tissue. We monitor the activity of single synapses over several hundred stimulations and measure parameters such as time constants of facilitation and depression. Changes in presynaptic release probability are clearly distinguished from changes in the amplitude of the postsynaptic response. Combining functional imaging with optical stimulation, we can induce plasticity at individual synapses and investigate the underlying electrical and biochemical processes.

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Thomas G. Oertner
Keri Jane Shilling