1. A Cell Culture System to Investigate the Presynaptic Control of Subsynaptic Membrane Differentiation at the Neuromuscular Junction
Nadine Schmidt, Sreya Basu, Stephan Köger, and Hans Rudolf Brenner
2. Co-Culture Synaptogenic Assay: A New Look at Fluorescence Reporters and Technological Devices
Karen Perez de Arce and Massimiliano Stagi
3. Synaptogenic Assays Using Neurons Cultured on Micropatterned Substrates
Katalin Czöndör and Olivier Thoumine
4. Monitoring Synapses Via Trans-Synaptic GFP Complementation
Theodoros Tsetsenis
5. Generation of Spinal Motor Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
David P. Santos and Evangelos Kiskinis
Part II: Analyzing Synaptic Constituents
6. Biochemical Purification of Binding Partners of Synaptic Scaffold Proteins
Bekir Altas, Olaf Jahn, and Hiroshi Kawabe
7. In SituProtein Binding Assay Using Fc-Fusion Proteins
Nirmala Padmanabhan and Tabrez J. Siddiqui
8. Reconstitution of Synaptic SNAREs into Large Liposomes with Reduced Curvature Stress
Javier M. Hernandez
9. Isolation of Synaptosomes, Synaptic Plasma Membranes, and Synaptic Junctional Complexes
Mary L. Michaelis, Lei Jiang, and Elias K. Michaelis<
10. Purification of Synaptosome Populations Using Fluorescence-Activated Synaptosome Sorting
Elisa Luquet, Christoph Biesemann, Annie Munier, and Etienne Herzog
Part III: Observing Synaptic Structure and Ultrastructure
11. Optimized Protocol for Imaging Cleared Neural Tissues Using Light Microscopy
Yoh Isogai, Douglas Richardson, Catherine Dulac, and Joseph Bergan
12. Structured Illumination Microscopy for the Investigation of Synaptic Structure and Function
Soyon Hong, Daniel K. Wilton, Beth Stevens, and Douglas S. Richardson
13. 3D dSTORM Imaging of Fixed Brain Tissue
Frank Herrmannsdörfer, Benjamin Flottmann, Siddarth Nanguneri, Varun Venkataramani, Heinz Horstmann, Thomas Kuner, and Mike Heilemann
14. Photomarking Relocalization Technique for Correlated Two-Photon and Electron Microcopy Imaging of Single Stimulated Synapses
Miquel Bosch, Jorge Castro, Mriganka Sur, and Yasunori Hayashi
15. 3D Analysis of Synaptic Ultrastructure in Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Culture by High-Pressure Freezing and Electron Tomography
Cordelia Imig and Benjamin H. Cooper
16. Analyzing Endosomal Docking, Fusion, Sorting, and Budding Mechanisms in Isolated Organelles
Sina V. Barysch and Ioanna Bethani
17. Concurrent Imaging of Receptor Trafficking and Calcium Dynamics by Spinning Disk Confocal Microscopy
DeLaine D. Larsen, Regina Wai-Yan Choy, and Minjong Park
18. Imaging Activity-Dependent Signaling Dynamics at the Neuronal Synapse Using FRET-Based Biosensors
Zohreh Farsi and Andrew Woehler
19. Analyzing Structural Plasticity of Dendritic Spines in Organotypic Slice Culture
Mathias De Roo and Adema Ribic
Part V: Revealing Patterns of Synaptic Connectivity
20. Using Fluorescent Markers to Estimate Synaptic Connectivity In Situ
Mrinalini Hoon, Raunak Sinha, and Haruhisa Okawa
21. Dual Anterograde and Retrograde Viral Tracing of Reciprocal Connectivity
Matthias G. Haberl, Melanie Ginger, and Andreas Frick
22. Mapping Synaptic Inputs of Developing Neurons Using Calcium Imaging
Johan Winnubst and Christian Lohmann
23. Monosynaptic Tracing in Developing Circuits Using Modified Rabies Virus
Laura Cocas and Gloria Fernandez
This detailed volume collects protocols for experimentation into how neurons connect to produce the extraordinary functionalities of the nervous system. Contributed by experts and pioneers in their respective techniques, the book covers synapses in the brain and in culture, their constituents, their structures, their dynamics, and the assemblies they form, all in the structure of a laboratory guide. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Authoritative and practical, Synapse Development: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to minimizing the barrier to entry for the integration of new approaches with existing expertise, producing syntheses that will foster novel perspectives on the many ways in which synapses form, transform, and transmit.