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Cited by 204Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchOlfactory and Sensory Function StudiesMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Quantitative fine-structural analysis of olfactory cortical synapses

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Schikorski, T., Stevens, C. F.·1999·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.96.7.4107PMC PMC22428
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Abstract

To determine the extent to which hippocampal synapses are typical of those found in other cortical regions, we have carried out a quantitative analysis of olfactory cortical excitatory synapses, reconstructed from serial electron micrograph sections of mouse brain, and have compared these new observations with previously obtained data from hippocampus. Both superficial and deep layer I olfactory cortical synapses were studied. Although individual synapses in each of the areas—CA1 hippocampus, olfactory cortical layer Ia, olfactory cortical area Ib—might plausibly have been found in any of the other areas, the average characteristics of the three synapse populations are distinct. Olfactory cortical synapses in both layers are, on average, about 2.5 times larger than their hippocampal counterparts. The layer Ia olfactory cortical synapses have fewer synaptic vesicles than do the layer Ib synapses, but the absolute number of vesicles docked to the active zone in the layer Ia olfactory cortical synapses is about equal to the docked vesicle number in the smaller hippocampal synapses. As would be predicted from studies on hippocampus that relate paired-pulse facilitation to the number of docked vesicles, the synapses in layer 1a exhibit facilitation, whereas the ones in layer 1b do not. Although hippocampal synapses provide as a good model system for central synapses in general, we conclude that significant differences in the average structure of synapses from one cortical region to another exist, and this means that generalizations based on a single synapse type must be made with caution.

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  • Changes in spine size are thought to be generally correlated with changes in the strength of the excitatory synapse.

    “Changes in spine size are thought to be generally correlated with changes in the strength of the excitatory synapse (Schikorski and Stevens, 1999; Arellano et al., 2007).”

    From Barriers in the brain: resolving dendritic spine morphology and compartmentalization (2014) · cites this paper as Schikorski and Stevens, 1999

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Authors
Schikorski, T., & Stevens, C. F.
Affiliations
Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
1999-03-30
Volume
96
Issue
7
Pages
4107-4112
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.96.7.4107
PMC
PMC22428
OpenAlex
W2099969014
Cited by
204
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 8
FWCI
3.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ns012961-22, 12961)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS-12961)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
olfactory cortex, hippocampus, excitatory synapses, synaptic ultrastructure, synaptic vesicles, docked vesicles, active zone, paired-pulse facilitation, CA1
MeSH terms
Animals, Cerebral Cortex, Hippocampus, Neurons, Organ Specificity, Synapses, Mice

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