SYNPLA, a method to identify synapses displaying plasticity after learning.
Kim DoreYvonne PaoJose Soria LopezSage AronsonHuiqing ZhanSanchari GhoshSabina MerrillAnthony M ZadorRoberto MalinowJustus M KebschullPublished in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2020)
Which neural circuits undergo synaptic changes when an animal learns? Although it is widely accepted that changes in synaptic strength underlie many forms of learning and memory, it remains challenging to connect changes in synaptic strength at specific neural pathways to specific behaviors and memories. Here we introduce SYNPLA (synaptic proximity ligation assay), a synapse-specific, high-throughput, and potentially brain-wide method capable of detecting circuit-specific learning-induced synaptic plasticity.