The Art of Neuroscience: Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity in Isolated Neurons

KREMS, Austria - Aug. 29, 2023 - PRLog -- Krems (Austria) – Studying the complex interactions between synaptic nerve endings as well as their development has now become much easier. Thanks to a method developed by scientists of the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems) in Austria, it is now possible to study isolated pairs of neurons under controlled conditions. Also, for the first time, it now is possible to analyze pre- and postsynaptic effects of wild-type and/or genetically modified synapses in a simple neuronal network. This methodological advance will significantly ease the investigation of synaptic mechanisms and, at the same time, reduce the number of experimental animals in such studies. It now has been published in Bio-protocol Journal and the article is featured on the cover of the latest issue.

Nerve signals are sent quickly and over long distances. This requires complex physiological activities between the ends of different nerve cells (neurons), the synapses. Here, neurotransmitters are released and bound by receptors, as well as recycled again by later uptake mechanisms. Studying this intricate interaction is difficult, as in most established experimental models neurons are interconnected with many other neurons, and activities at one synapse cannot be regarded as independent of influence by others. Furthermore, most experimental set-ups only allow the analysis of mono-directional transmission, i.e., studying only pre- or postsynaptic effects, and only between certain types of cells. Now a method developed by a team at the Division of Physiology at the KL Krems has changed all that.

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