The neocortex is a hierarchal organ in which information processing takes on place on many levels, from subcellular signalling all the way to neural networks. Neocortical local neuronal networks (microcircuits), composed of interconnected neurons, form elementary information processing units within the cortex. Pyramidal cells, the primary glutamatergic cells in the cortex, receive synaptic inpu...

Astrocyte cells form the largest cell population in brain and can influence neuron behavior. These provide appropriate feedback control regulating neuronal activities Central Nervous System (CNS). This paper presents a set of equations as model to describe interactions between neurons astrocyte. A VHDL–AMS-based tripartite synapse that includes pre-synaptic neuron, synaptic terminal, post-synap...

Introduction: Zinc is an essential trace element that plays an important role in synaptic plasticity and modulating the activity of CNS and involve in learning and memory. Synaptic vesicle zinc in the hippocampus area exerting modulatory effects on NMDA glutamate receptor. Method: In this experiment the effects of NMDA agonist and antagonist administration intra hippocampus on passive avoidan...

A cluster of serotonergic cells in the rostral part of pedal ganglia of the terrestrial snail Helix lucorum was shown previously to participate in modulation of withdrawal behavior, and to be necessary for elaboration of aversive withdrawal conditioning in intact snails. In the present experiments local extracellular stimulation of the serotonergic cells elicited a pairing-specific increase (di...

Peak-dose dyskinesias are abnormal movements that usually occur 1 h after oral administration of levodopa, and often complicate chronic treatment of Parkinson's disease. We investigated by PET with [11C]raclopride whether Parkinson's disease progression modifies the striatal changes in synaptic dopamine levels induced by levodopa administration, and whether this modification, if present, could ...

Formation of new synapses or maintenance of existing synapses requires the delivery of synaptic components from the soma to the nerve termini via axonal transport. One pathway that is important in synapse formation, maintenance and function of the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-signaling pathway. Here we show that perturbations in axonal transpor...

A simple method has been developed for fusing synaptic vesicles into spherical structures 20-50 micron in diameter. The method has been applied to purified cholinergic synaptic vesicles from Torpedo electric organ, and the membrane properties of these fused structures have been studied by the "cell"-attached version of the patch clamp technique. A large conductance potassium-preferring channel,...

Background Synaptic dysfunction plays a key role in cognitive decline during progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Higher levels several synaptic proteins including the presynaptic protein ß-synuclein have been measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) individuals with AD. Recently quantitative assay using mass spectrometry allowed detection plasma. The aim this study was to investigate relationshi...

Trans-synaptic interactions organize the multiple steps of synaptic development and are critical to generate fully functional neuronal circuits. While trans-synaptic primarily mediated by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), some directly involve ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). Here, we review expanding extracellular proteome iGluRs. We discuss role these molecular networks in specifying fo...