Combining nanobody labeling with STED microscopy reveals input-specific and layer-specific organization of neocortical synapses.

ABSTRACT: The discovery of synaptic nanostructures revealed key insights into the molecular logic of synaptic function and plasticity. Yet, our understanding of how diverse synapses in the brain organize their nano-architecture remains elusive, largely due to the limitations of super-resolution imaging in complex brain tissue. Here, we characterized single-domain camelid nanobodies for the 3D quantitative multiplex imaging of synaptic nano-organization using tau-STED nanoscopy in cryosections from the mouse primary somatosensory cortex. We focused on thalamocortical (TC) and corticocortical (CC) synapses along the apical-basal axis of layer five pyramidal neurons as models of functionally diverse glutamatergic synapses in the brain. Spines receiving TC input were larger than those receiving CC input

SUBMITTER: Akter Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12002638 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature