Synapse is a neuroscience journal examining new research pertaining to all aspects of synaptic structure and function. Articles investigate neurology, neuroscience, psychology and psychiatry, reaching a wide audience of neuroscientists, neurobiologists, biochemists and more.

Articles are available online within 5 days of acceptance to facilitate rapid knowledge transfer in this ever-developing field.

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Corticotropin‐releasing factor‐dopamine interactions in male and female macaque: Beyond the classic VTA

  •  23 November 2023

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Using light and electron microscopy, we investigated CRF/Dopamine interactions in two subregions of the ventral midbrain associated with “salience” coding. CRF-positive synaptic terminals in the parabrachial pigmented nucleus (A10) and retrorubral field (A8) predominantly make symmetric synapses onto TH-negative profiles. We hypothesize that under stress, CRF may enhance inhibitory effects on TH-negative profiles (presumptive GABA interneurons), resulting in a disinhibition of DA neurons.

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Open access

Gating small conductance calcium‐activated potassium channels in the thalamic reticular nucleus

  •  14 October 2023

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SK channel modulators affect firing pattern and frequency in TRN neurons. SK NAM NS8593 reduces the AHP and increases TRN firing. Positive modulation of SK channels increases the AHP. NS309, which acts more potently on SK channels than CyPPA, reduces TRN firing.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Learning induces EPO/EPOr expression in memory relevant brain areas, whereas exogenously applied EPO promotes remote memory consolidation

  •  4 October 2023

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(A) Exploring the experimental arena for 3 min induces an increase in the expression of endogenous EPO and its receptor in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. The increase is higher if training is prolonged to 5 min. (B) Animals identify object displacement and explore more the moved object, but only up to 4 h after training. (C) Exogenously applied EPO 10 min after training prolongs memory up to, at least 21 days, and correlates with an increased expression of plasticity-related genes.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Quantal size increase induced by the endocannabinoid 2‐arachidonoylglycerol requires activation of CGRP receptors in mouse motor synapses

  •  11 September 2023

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In mouse motor synapses, exogenous 2-AG triggers the following hypothetical chain of events: the activation of CB1 receptors, the subsequent activation of PLC, and the release of stored Ca2+ via RyR (possibly involving IP3R). This may lead to the exocytosis of dense-core vesicles containing CGRP, the activation of presynaptic CGRP receptors, and thus to the PKA-dependent upregulation of acetylcholine vesicular transport. Similar chain of events may also take place during the tetanic activity of neuromuscular preparations due to the release of some endogenous endocannabinoid (presumably 2-AG).

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Open access

Autoradiographic characterization of [18F]PSMA-1007 binding in rat brain

  •  3 July 2023

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Graphical Abstract: We used the clinical PET tracer [18F]-PSMA-1007 for an autoradiographic characterization of carboxypeptidase II (CBPII) in rat brain and show that it has excellent binding properties for autoradiography in brain cryostat sections. This enables its use for autoradiographic investigations of CBPII expression in animal models of human neuropsychiatric conditions.

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