Real-time imaging of single synaptic vesicles in live neurons

Single vesicle tracking for studying synaptic vesicle dynamics in small central synapses

Sustained neurotransmission is driven by a continuous supply of synaptic vesicles to the release sites and modulated by synaptic vesicle dynamics. However, synaptic vesicle dynamics in synapses remain elusive because of technical limitations. Recent advances in fluorescence imaging techniques have enabled the tracking of single synaptic vesicles in small central synapses in living neurons. Single vesicle tracking has uncovered a wealth of new information about synaptic vesicle dynamics both within and outside presynaptic terminals, showing that single vesicle tracking is an effective tool for studying synaptic vesicle dynamics. Particularly, single vesicle tracking with high spatiotemporal resolution has revealed the dependence of synaptic vesicle dynamics on the location, stages of recycling, and neuronal activity. This review summarizes the recent findings from single synaptic vesicle tracking in small central synapses and their implications in synaptic transmission and pathogenic mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.

Real-time three-dimensional tracking of single vesicles reveals abnormal motion and pools of synaptic vesicles in neurons of Huntington's disease mice

Although defective synaptic transmission was suggested to play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, the dynamics and vesicle pools of synaptic vesicles during neurodegeneration remain elusive. Here, we performed real-time three-dimensional tracking of single synaptic vesicles in cortical neurons from a mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD). Vesicles in HD neurons had a larger net displacement and radius of gyration compared with wild-type neurons. Vesicles with high release probability (P_r) were interspersed with low-P_r vesicles in HD neurons, whereas high-P_r vesicles were closer to fusion sites than low-P_r in wild-type neurons. Non-releasing vesicles in HD neurons had an abnormally high prevalence of irregular oscillatory motion. These abnormal dynamics and vesicle pools were rescued by overexpressing Rab11, and the abnormal irregular oscillatory motion was rescued by jasplakinolide. Our studies reveal the abnormal dynamics and pools of synaptic vesicles in the early stages of HD, suggesting a possible pathogenic mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases.

Simultaneous Real-Time Three-Dimensional Localization and FRET Measurement of Two Distinct Particles

Many biological processes employ mechanisms involving the locations and interactions of multiple components. Given that most biological processes occur in three dimensions, the simultaneous measurement of three-dimensional locations and interactions is necessary. However, the simultaneous three-dimensional precise localization and measurement of interactions in real time remains challenging. Here, we report a new microscopy technique to localize two spectrally distinct particles in three dimensions with an accuracy (2.35σ) of tens of nanometers with an exposure time of 100 ms and to measure their real-time interactions using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) simultaneously. Using this microscope, we tracked two distinct vesicles containing t-SNAREs or v-SNARE in three dimensions and observed FRET simultaneously during single-vesicle fusion in real time, revealing the nanoscale motion and interactions of single vesicles in vesicle fusion. Thus, this study demonstrates that our microscope can provide detailed information about real-time three-dimensional nanoscale locations, motion, and interactions in biological processes.

Unique dynamics and exocytosis properties of GABAergic synaptic vesicles revealed by three-dimensional single vesicle tracking

Maintaining the balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition is essential for proper function of the central nervous system. Inhibitory synaptic transmission plays an important role in maintaining this balance. Although inhibitory transmission has higher kinetic demands compared to excitatory transmission, its properties are poorly understood. In particular, the dynamics and exocytosis of single inhibitory vesicles have not been investigated, due largely to both technical and practical limitations. Using a combination of quantum dots (QDs) conjugated to antibodies against the luminal domain of the vesicular GABA transporter to selectively label GABAergic (i.e., predominantly inhibitory) vesicles together with dual-focus imaging optics, we tracked the real-time three-dimensional position of single GABAergic vesicles up to the moment of exocytosis (i.e., fusion). Using three-dimensional trajectories, we found that GABAergic synaptic vesicles traveled a shorter distance prior to fusion and had a shorter time to fusion compared to synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1)-labeled vesicles, which were mostly from excitatory neurons. Moreover, our analysis revealed that GABAergic synaptic vesicles move more straightly to their release sites than Syt1-labeled vesicles. Finally, we found that GABAergic vesicles have a higher prevalence of kiss-and-run fusion than Syt1-labeled vesicles. These results indicate that inhibitory synaptic vesicles have a unique set of dynamics and exocytosis properties to support rapid synaptic inhibition, thereby maintaining a tightly regulated coordination between excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system.

Real-time three-dimensional tracking of single synaptic vesicles reveals that synaptic vesicles undergoing kiss-and-run fusion remain close to their original fusion site before reuse

The release of neurotransmitters via the fusion between synaptic vesicles and the presynaptic membrane is an essential step in synaptic transmission. Synaptic vesicles generally undergo two distinct modes of exocytosis called full-collapse fusion and kiss-and-run fusion. In kiss-and-run fusion, the fusion pore of the synaptic vesicle opens transiently without the vesicle collapsing fully into the plasma membrane; thus, each synaptic vesicle can be used multiple times to release neurotransmitters. Despite considerable research, the detailed mechanisms that underlie kiss-and-run fusion remain elusive, particularly the location of synaptic vesicles after kiss-and-run events. To address this question, we performed real-time three-dimensional tracking of single synaptic vesicles labeled with a single quantum dot in the presynaptic terminal of cultured hippocampal neurons and analyzed the three-dimensional trajectories of these vesicles undergoing kiss-and-run fusion. We found that the majority of these synaptic vesicles underwent another exocytosis event within 120 nm of their original fusion site and underwent a second exocytosis event within 10 s of the first fusion event. These results indicate that after kiss-and-run fusion, synaptic vesicles remain relatively close to their original fusion site and can release repeatedly at brief intervals, allowing neurons to maintain neurotransmitter release during bursting activity.

Altered Synaptic Vesicle Release and Ca2+ Influx at Single Presynaptic Terminals of Cortical Neurons in a Knock-in Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which leads to progressive loss of neurons starting in the striatum and cortex. One possible mechanism for this selective loss of neurons in the early stage of HD is altered neurotransmission at synapses. Despite the recent finding that presynaptic terminals play an important role in HD, neurotransmitter release at synapses in HD remains poorly understood. Here, we measured synaptic vesicle release in real time at single presynaptic terminals during electrical field stimulation. We found the increase in synaptic vesicle release at presynaptic terminals in primary cortical neurons in a knock-in mouse model of HD (zQ175). We also found the increase in Ca²⁺ influx at presynaptic terminals in HD neurons during the electrical stimulation. Consistent with increased Ca²⁺-dependent neurotransmission in HD neurons, the increase in vesicle release and Ca²⁺ influx was rescued with Ca²⁺ chelators or by blocking N-type voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels, suggesting N-type voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels play an important role in HD. Taken together, our results suggest that the increased synaptic vesicles release due to increased Ca²⁺ influx at presynaptic terminals in cortical neurons contributes to the selective neurodegeneration of these neurons in early HD and provide a possible therapeutic target.

Decreased BDNF Release in Cortical Neurons of a Knock-in Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an increase in CAG repeats in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). The striatum is one of the most vulnerable brain regions in HD, and altered delivery of BDNF to the striatum is believed to underlie this high vulnerability. However, the delivery of BDNF to the striatum in HD remains poorly understood. Here, we used real-time imaging to visualize release of BDNF from cortical neurons cultured alone or co-cultured with striatal neurons. BDNF release was significantly decreased in the cortical neurons of zQ175 mice (a knock-in model of HD), and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy revealed several release patterns of single BDNF-containing vesicles, with distinct kinetics and prevalence, in co-cultured cortical HD neurons. Notably, a smaller proportion of single BDNF-containing vesicles underwent full release in HD neurons than in wild-type neurons. This decreased release of BDNF in cortical neurons might lead to decreased BDNF levels in the striatum because the striatum receives BDNF mainly from the cortex. In addition, we observed a decrease in the total travel length and speed of BDNF-containing vesicles in HD neurons, indicating altered transport of these vesicles in HD. Our findings suggest a potential mechanism for the vulnerability of striatal neurons in HD and offer new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the degeneration of neurons in HD.