Unlike the fast neurotransmitters glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), neuromodulators do not primarily interact with ligand-gated ion channels but with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Via these receptors, neuromodulators control neural circuits, regulate high-level cognitive functions, and ...
Specifically, the plasmonic nanocanal device, once brought into contact with postsynaptic neurons, will be filled with intelligent polymers that will release neurotransmitters in response to light stimuli, emulating the physiological release process. The device will also be coated with appropriate presynapti...
Glial cells, in particular astrocytes, have long been suggested to play an important role in synaptic behavior by acting as physical barriers to diffusion and by the specific uptake and removal of neurotransmitters by various types of transporters (for a review, see Danbolt 2001). Tight en...
(B) A synaptosome is a “pinched-off nerve ending” consisting of a presynaptic terminal with its active zone, synaptic cleft, and postsynaptic membrane with its postsynaptic density (PSD). (C) Synaptic vesicles, the carriers of neurotransmitters, contain numerous proteins, such as V-ATPase, ...