University Medical Centre Göttingen

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins

Donatus Riemann¹, Andoniya Petkova¹, Thomas Dresbach¹, Rebecca Wallrafen¹

¹Institute for Anatomy and Embryology, University Medical Centre Göttingen

We describe an optical assay for synaptic vesicle (SV) recycling in cultured neurons. Combining this protocol with double transfection to express a presynaptic marker and protein of interest allows us to locate presynaptic sites, their synaptic vesicle recycling capacity, and determine the role of the protein of interest.

Neuroscience

Quantifying the Heterogeneous Distribution of a Synaptic Protein in the Mouse Brain Using Immunofluorescence

Rebecca Wallrafen¹, Thomas Dresbach¹, Julio S. Viotti¹

¹Institute of Anatomy and Embryology, University Medical Center Göttingen

Here, we describe a quantitative approach to determining the distribution of a synaptic protein relative to a marker protein using immunofluorescence staining, confocal microscopy, and computer-based analysis.