Vesicle dynamics in native central synapses: from ultrastructure to operation Seminar
For more information regarding this seminar, please telephone Beatrice Murphy on 023 8059 5374 or email B.J.Murphy@southampton.ac.uk .
Event details
At small central synapses, recycling of synaptic vesicles is a key step in stimulus-driven transmission. Exactly how the structure of a recycling vesicle population at a terminal relates to its functional role remains unclear, however.
This talk will outline recent and current work in my lab exploring the organizational properties of functional vesicles in native hippocampal synapses at nanoscale resolution. I will discuss how this approach is used to test fundamental structure-function properties of defined vesicle pools and explore pathways and mechanisms influencing their regulation. The talk will illustrate how, both in synapses from acute hippocampal slice and visual cortex in vivo, the specific spatial arrangement of recycling vesicles is an important factor in efficient synaptic signalling.
Reference
Marra V, Burden JJ, Thorpe JR, Smith IT, Smith SL, Häusser M, Branco T, Staras K. (2012) A preferentially segregated recycling vesicle pool of limited size supports neurotransmission in native central synapses. Neuron. 76:579-589
Speaker information
Dr Kevin Staras , Reader in Neuroscience. University of Sussex