Journal article
Measuring Presynaptic Calcium Influx at the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction
Cold Spring Harbor protocols, Vol.2025(5), pp.1-6
05/05/2025
DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot108426
PMCID: PMC11522019
PMID: 38688542
Abstract
Synaptic transmission plays a critical role in information processing and storage within the nervous system. The triggering of action potentials activates voltage-gated calcium channels at presynaptic active zones, facilitating the calcium-dependent release of synaptic vesicles. Homeostatic mechanisms are crucial in stabilizing synaptic function. At the
neuromuscular junction, a compensatory increase in presynaptic neurotransmitter release occurs when postsynaptic glutamate receptor function is pharmacologically or genetically impaired, thereby stabilizing synaptic output. This adaptation is known as presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP). Recent advancements, including confocal and super-resolution imaging techniques, have demonstrated an increase in presynaptic calcium influx during both the rapid induction and long-term maintenance of PHP. These observations indicate that the abundance and structural organization of presynaptic calcium channels, along with various active zone components, undergo modifications following the suppression of postsynaptic glutamate receptors. Such findings underscore the critical roles of trafficking and stabilization of presynaptic calcium channels and active zone proteins in homeostatic plasticity. This protocol describes using calcium indicators and confocal imaging methods to measure single-action potential-evoked presynaptic calcium influx during PHP.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Measuring Presynaptic Calcium Influx at the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction
- Creators
- Tingting Wang - Georgetown University Medical CenterC Andrew Frank - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Cold Spring Harbor protocols, Vol.2025(5), pp.1-6
- DOI
- 10.1101/pdb.prot108426
- PMID
- 38688542
- PMCID
- PMC11522019
- NLM abbreviation
- Cold Spring Harb Protoc
- eISSN
- 1559-6095
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 04/30/2024
- Date published
- 05/05/2025
- Academic Unit
- Anatomy and Cell Biology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biology
- Record Identifier
- 9984622886702771
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