Ca 2+ is thought to be essential for the exocytosis and endocytosis of synaptic vesicles.
However, the manner in which Ca 2+ coordinates these processes remains unclear, particularly …

α-Synuclein is a presynaptic protein the function of which has yet to be identified, but its
neuronal content increases in patients of synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease. …

Volatile anesthetics are widely used for surgery, but neuronal mechanisms of anesthesia
remain unidentified. At the calyx of Held in brainstem slices from rats of either sex, isoflurane at …

Acute brain slice preparation is a powerful experimental model for investigating the
characteristics of synaptic function in the brain. Although brain tissue is usually cut at ice-cold …

Elevation of soluble wild-type (WT) tau occurs in synaptic compartments in Alzheimer’s disease.
We addressed whether tau elevation affects synaptic transmission at the calyx of Held in …

At presynaptic terminals vesicular membranes are fused into plasma membrane upon
exocytosis and retrieved by endocytosis. During a sustained high-frequency transmission, …

Cytoskeletal filaments such as microtubules (MTs) and filamentous actin (F-actin) dynamically
support cell structure and functions. In central presynaptic terminals, F-actin is expressed …

Upon the arrival of action potentials at nerve terminals, neurotransmitters are released from
synaptic vesicles (SVs) by exocytosis. Ca V 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 are the major subunits of the …

Rho-kinase plays diverse roles in cell motility. During neuronal development, Rho-kinase is
involved in neuronal migration, and in neurite outgrowth and retraction. Rho-kinase remains …

At central glutamatergic synapses, neurotransmitter often saturates postsynaptic AMPA
receptors (AMPARs), thereby restricting the dynamic range of synaptic efficacy. Here, using …