1. Neuroscience

Synapse-specific and compartmentalized expression of presynaptic homeostatic potentiation

  1. Xiling Li
  2. Pragya Goel
  3. Catherine Chen
  4. Varun Angajala
  5. Xun Chen
  6. Dion K Dickman  Is a corresponding author
  1. University of Southern California, United States
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.34338
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  1. Xiling Li
  2. Pragya Goel
  3. Catherine Chen
  4. Varun Angajala
  5. Xun Chen
  6. Dion K Dickman
(2018)
Synapse-specific and compartmentalized expression of presynaptic homeostatic potentiation
eLife 7:e34338.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.34338
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Abstract

Postsynaptic compartments can be specifically modulated during various forms of synaptic plasticity, but it is unclear whether this precision is shared at presynaptic terminals. Presynaptic Homeostatic Plasticity (PHP) stabilizes neurotransmission at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction, where a retrograde enhancement of presynaptic neurotransmitter release compensates for diminished postsynaptic receptor functionality. To test the specificity of PHP induction and expression, we have developed a genetic manipulation to reduce postsynaptic receptor expression at one of the two muscles innervated by a single motor neuron. We find that PHP can be induced and expressed at a subset of synapses, over both acute and chronic time scales, without influencing transmission at adjacent release sites. Further, homeostatic modulations to CaMKII, vesicle pools, and functional release sites are compartmentalized and do not spread to neighboring pre- or post-synaptic structures. Thus, both PHP induction and expression mechanisms are locally transmitted and restricted to specific synaptic compartments.

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All data generated or analysed during this study are included in the manuscript and supporting files.

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Xiling Li

    Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  2. Pragya Goel

    Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  3. Catherine Chen

    Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  4. Varun Angajala

    Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  5. Xun Chen

    Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  6. Dion K Dickman

    Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
    For correspondence
    dickman@usc.edu
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-1884-284X

Funding

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS091546)

  • Dion K Dickman

Whitehall Foundation

  • Dion K Dickman

Klingenstein-Simons Foundation

  • Dion K Dickman

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

© 2018, Li et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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  1. Xiling Li
  2. Pragya Goel
  3. Catherine Chen
  4. Varun Angajala
  5. Xun Chen
  6. Dion K Dickman
(2018)
Synapse-specific and compartmentalized expression of presynaptic homeostatic potentiation
eLife 7:e34338.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.34338

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.34338

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