Dynamics of synapse and exocytosis studied with two-photon excitation

利用双光子显微镜和笼状谷氨酸化合物的释放，我们揭示了树突棘的快速运动是大脑皮层兴奋性突触传递可塑性的基础。我们已经看到了肌动蛋白重组是如何成为运动的基础的，以及即使突触是活的小结构，也无法避免自然波动，棘的大小如何在几天内保持不变。我们开发了一种新的笼状GABA化合物，它可以与笼状谷氨酸化合物同时使用。建立了双光子显微镜观察胞吐过程的新原理，并应用于分析胞吐过程中相关分子的构象变化。

Using two-photon microscope and uncaging of caged-glutamate compounds, we have revealed that rapid motilities of dendritic spines underlie plasticity of excitatory synaptic transmission in the cerebral cortex. We have visualized how actin reorganization underlies the motilities, and how spine sizes can be maintained over days even though the synapses are living small structures, and cannot avoid the natural fluctuations. We have developed a new caged-GABA compound, which can be used simultaneously with caged-glutamate compound. A new principle for visualization of exocytosis with two-photon microscope has been established, and applied to analyze conformational changes of responsible molecules.