Deconstructing complexity: serial block-face electron microscopic analysis of the hippocampal mossy fiber synapse.

The hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) terminal is among the largest and most complex synaptic structures in the brain. Our understanding of the development of this morphologically elaborate structure has been limited because of the inability of standard electron microscopy techniques to quickly and accurately reconstruct large volumes of neuropil. Here we use serial block-face electron microscopy (SBEM) to surmount these limitations and investigate the establishment of MF connectivity during mouse postnatal development.