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The Journal of Neuroscience, 1999, 0:RC13:1-7

RAPID COMMUNICATION
Ultrastructural Correlates of Quantal Synaptic Function at Single CNS Synapses

Paul J. Mackenzie¹, Gail S. Kenner¹, Oliver Prange¹, Hossein Shayan¹, Masashi Umemiya³, and Timothy H. Murphy^{1, 2}

Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Departments of ¹ Psychiatry and ² Physiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada, and ³ Department of Neurophysiology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

We have tested the hypothesis that functional differences between synapses are associated with ultrastructure in cultured cortical neurons. Using Ca²⁺ imaging, we measured NMDA receptor-mediated miniature synaptic calcium transients attributed to the spontaneous release of single transmitter quanta. After imaging, the identified neurons were processed for serial transmission electron microscopy. At sites of quantal NMDA receptor-dependent Ca²⁺ transients, we confirmed the presence of excitatory synapses and measured spine size and synaptic contact area. Our results demonstrate that synapse size correlates positively with the amplitude of the NMDA receptor-mediated postsynaptic response, suggesting that larger synapses express a greater number of NMDA receptors. Therefore, regulation of quantal amplitude may involve processes that alter synapse size.

Key words: NMDA; quantal; spine; dendrite; postsynaptic density; PSD; LTP

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Copyright © 1999 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/99/$05.00/0

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