Synapses are extraordinary signaling machines. Thousands of proteins
precisely and uniquely arranged within the pre- and postsynaptic
compartments of each synapse govern neuronal communication and mediate
plasticity in the nervous system. One of the principle goals in
neuroscience has long been to measure synaptic structure and protein
organization, and to monitor mechanisms of change at individual
synapses in living cells. Since synapses are very small, highly
dynamic, and densely packed within light-scattering medium this goal
has been difficult to attain.
Recent advances in microscopic techniques are likely to change that by
improving spatial resolution by an order of magnitude, thus making it
possible to investigate synaptic physiology and biochemistry at
individual synapses even at the level of single molecules.
We will review our progress in using superresolution STED microscopy
to study the dynamics of synaptic structures using lifeact to label
filamentous actin with subsynaptic resolution in live-cell imaging
experiments in brain slices.