Cited by 70Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchIon channel regulation and functionNeural dynamics and brain function

Dynamics of dendritic calcium transients evoked by quantal release at excitatory hippocampal synapses

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Murthy, Venkatesh N., Sejnowski, Terrence J., Stevens, Charles F.·2000·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Synaptic N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors detect coincident pre- and postsynaptic activity and play a critical role in triggering changes in synaptic strength at central synapses. Despite intensive study of synaptic plasticity, relatively little is known about the magnitude and duration of calcium accumulation caused by unitary events at individual synapses. We used fluorescence imaging to detect NMDA receptor-mediated miniature synaptic calcium transients (MSCTs) caused by spontaneous release of synaptic vesicles in dendrites of cultured hippocampal neurons. MSCTs originated focally in dendritic regions <1 μm in length and decayed with a time constant of 0.35 ± 0.03 s. Multiple occurrences of MSCTs recorded at single sites had fluctuating amplitudes, with a coefficient of variation of 0.34. From the reduction in the spatial spread of MSCTs with decreasing concentration of indicator dye, we estimated that the dominant endogenous calcium buffer in dendrites is relatively immobile (diffusion coefficient between 10 and 50 μm 2 /s). We conclude that calcium rise caused by spontaneous quantal synaptic NMDA receptor activation ( i ) is variable, ( ii ) lasts for a time period briefer than previous measurements indicate, and ( iii ) is confined by endogenous calcium buffers to local dendritic regions even when synapses are not on spines.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.97.2.901

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  • GCaMP6f was used to detect postsynaptic miniature spontaneous Ca2+ transients (mSCaTs) that arose in dendritic spines following NMDA receptor activation by spontaneous release.

    “GCaMP6f was used to detect postsynaptic miniature spontaneous Ca2+ transients (mSCaTs) that arose in dendritic spines following NMDA receptor activation by spontaneous release46.”

    From A trans-synaptic nanocolumn aligns neurotransmitter release to receptors (2016) · cites this paper as [46]

    The Abstract reports fluorescence detection of NMDA receptor-mediated miniature calcium transients caused by spontaneous vesicle release in dendrites. But Methods > Calcium Imaging specifies fluo-3, not GCaMP6f, and the Discussion says the authors generally could not resolve spines; it does not establish that the observed transients arose in spines. (LLM, conf=0.91)

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Authors
Murthy, V. N., Sejnowski, T. J., & Stevens, C. F.
Affiliations
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molecular Neurobiology Lab, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037; and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Computational Neurobiology Lab, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, and Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2000-01-18
Volume
97
Issue
2
Pages
901-906
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W1968581566
Cited by
70
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2
FWCI
2.33
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 (5r01mh046482-03, 5r01ns012961-22)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH-46482)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS-12961)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Ion channel regulation and function
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
dendritic calcium transients, NMDA receptor, hippocampal neurons, synaptic plasticity, dendritic calcium signaling
MeSH terms
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, Aniline Compounds, Animals, Calcium, Cells, Cultured, Dendrites, Fluorescent Dyes, Hippocampus, Magnesium, Models, Biological, Pyridinium Compounds, Synapses, Synaptic Vesicles, Time Factors, Xanthenes, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Cadmium Chloride, Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials

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