Automated Detection and Localization of Synaptic Vesicles in Electron Microscopy Images.

Information transfer and integration in the brain occurs at chemical synapses and is mediated by the fusion of synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitter. Synaptic vesicle dynamic spatial organization regulates synaptic transmission as well as synaptic plasticity. Because of their small size, synaptic vesicles require electron microscopy (EM) for their imaging, and their analysis is conducted manually.

Local Microcircuitry of PaS Shows Distinct and Common Features of Excitatory and Inhibitory Connectivity.

The parasubiculum (PaS) is located within the parahippocampal region, where it is thought to be involved in the processing of spatial navigational information. It contains a number of functionally specialized neuron types including grid cells, head direction cells, and border cells; and provides input into layer 2 of the medial entorhinal cortex where grid cells are abundantly located. The local circuitry within the PaS remains so far undefined but may provide clues as to the emergence of spatially tuned firing properties of neurons in this region.

Subiculum as a generator of sharp wave-ripples in the rodent hippocampus.

Sharp wave-ripples (SWRs) represent synchronous discharges of hippocampal neurons and are believed to play a major role in memory consolidation. A large body of evidence suggests that SWRs are exclusively generated in the CA3-CA2 network. In contrast, here, we provide several lines of evidence showing that the subiculum can function as a secondary SWRs generator.

BDNF Expression in Cortical GABAergic Interneurons.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a major neuronal growth factor that is widely expressed in the central nervous system. It is synthesized as a glycosylated precursor protein, (pro)BDNF and post-translationally converted to the mature form, (m)BDNF. BDNF is known to be produced and secreted by cortical glutamatergic principal cells (PCs); however, it remains a question whether it can also be synthesized by other neuron types, in particular, GABAergic interneurons (INs).

Calcium-Independent Exo-endocytosis Coupling at Small Central Synapses.

At presynaptic terminals, neurotransmitters are released by synaptic vesicle exocytosis at the active zone. In order to maintain efficient neurotransmission and proper synaptic structure, sites of vesicle fusion must be cleared rapidly by endocytosis. Therefore, the coupling of exo- and endocytosis is crucial.

A Probabilistic Model for Estimating the Depth and Threshold Temperature of C-fiber Nociceptors.

The subjective experience of thermal pain follows the detection and encoding of noxious stimuli by primary afferent neurons called nociceptors. However, nociceptor morphology has been hard to access and the mechanisms of signal transduction remain unresolved. In order to understand how heat transducers in nociceptors are activated in vivo, it is important to estimate the temperatures that directly activate the skin-embedded nociceptor membrane.

Context odor presentation during sleep enhances memory in honeybees.

Sleep plays an important role in stabilizing new memory traces after learning [1-3]. Here we investigate whether sleep's role in memory processing is similar in evolutionarily distant species and demonstrate that a context trigger during deep-sleep phases improves memory in invertebrates, as it does in humans. We show that in honeybees (Apis mellifera), exposure to an odor during deep sleep that has been present during learning improves memory performance the following day.