Abstract

It has been known for over 70 years that synaptic strength is dynamically regulated in a use-dependent manner1. At synapses with a low initial release probability, closely spaced presynaptic action potentials can result in facilitation, a short-term form of enhancement where each subsequent action potential evokes greater neurotransmitter release2. Facilitation can enhance neurotransmitter release manyfold and profoundly influence information transfer across synapses3, but the underlying mechanism remains a mystery. Among the proposed mechanisms is that a specialized calcium sensor for facilitation transiently increases the probability of release2,4 and is distinct from the fast sensors that mediate rapid neurotransmitter release. Yet such a sensor has never been identified, and its very existence has been disputed5,6. Here we show that synaptotagmin 7 (syt7) is a calcium sensor that is required for facilitation at multiple central synapses. In syt7 knockout mice, facilitation is eliminated even though the initial probability of release and presynaptic residual calcium signals are unaltered. Expression of wild-type syt7 in presynaptic neurons restored facilitation, whereas expression of a mutated syt7 with a calcium-insensitive C2A domain did not. By revealing the role of syt7 in synaptic facilitation, these results resolve a longstanding debate about a widespread form of short-term plasticity, and will enable future studies that may lead to a deeper understanding of the functional importance of facilitation.

Highlights

  • It has been known for over 70 years that synaptic strength is dynamically regulated in a usedependent manner[1]

  • In the “buffer saturation” model, high concentrations of presynaptic Ca2+ buffer capture incoming Ca2+ before it binds to the rapid synaptotagmin isoforms (1, 2 and 9) that trigger vesicle fusion at most synapses[7]

  • In slices from wild-type (WT) mice, paired-pulse facilitation resulted in ~2fold enhancement of neurotransmitter release lasting several hundred milliseconds (Fig. 1a– d, black traces)

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Summary

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“The calcium sensor synaptotagmin 7 is required for synaptic facilitation.”.

Animals and viruses
Acute slice preparation
Probability of release
Findings
Extended Data
Full Text
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