@article{LichterPaulPaulietal.2022,
  author    = {Lichter, Katharina and Paul, Mila Marie and Pauli, Martin and Schoch, Susanne and Kollmannsberger, Philip and Stigloher, Christian and Heckmann, Manfred and Sir{\´e}n, Anna-Leena},
  title     = {Ultrastructural analysis of wild-type and RIM1α knockout active zones in a large cortical synapse},
  series = {Cell Reports},
  volume    = {40},
  journal   = {Cell Reports},
  number    = {12},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111382},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300913},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Rab3A-interacting molecule (RIM) is crucial for fast Ca\(^{2+}\)-triggered synaptic vesicle (SV) release in presynaptic active zones (AZs). We investigated hippocampal giant mossy fiber bouton (MFB) AZ architecture in 3D using electron tomography of rapid cryo-immobilized acute brain slices in RIM1α\(^{-/-}\) and wild-type mice. In RIM1α\(^{-/-}\), AZs are larger with increased synaptic cleft widths and a 3-fold reduced number of tightly docked SVs (0-2 nm). The distance of tightly docked SVs to the AZ center is increased from 110 to 195 nm, and the width of their electron-dense material between outer SV membrane and AZ membrane is reduced. Furthermore, the SV pool in RIM1α\(^{-/-}\) is more heterogeneous. Thus, RIM1α, besides its role in tight SV docking, is crucial for synaptic architecture and vesicle pool organization in MFBs.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{PauliPaulProppertetal.2021,
  author    = {Pauli, Martin and Paul, Mila M. and Proppert, Sven and Mrestani, Achmed and Sharifi, Marzieh and Repp, Felix and K{\"u}rzinger, Lydia and Kollmannsberger, Philip and Sauer, Markus and Heckmann, Manfred and Sir{\´e}n, Anna-Leena},
  title     = {Targeted volumetric single-molecule localization microscopy of defined presynaptic structures in brain sections},
  series = {Communications Biology},
  volume    = {4},
  journal   = {Communications Biology},
  doi       = {10.1038/s42003-021-01939-z},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259830},
  pages     = {407},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Revealing the molecular organization of anatomically precisely defined brain regions is necessary for refined understanding of synaptic plasticity. Although three-dimensional (3D) single-molecule localization microscopy can provide the required resolution, imaging more than a few micrometers deep into tissue remains challenging. To quantify presynaptic active zones (AZ) of entire, large, conditional detonator hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) boutons with diameters as large as 10 mu m, we developed a method for targeted volumetric direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM). An optimized protocol for fast repeated axial scanning and efficient sequential labeling of the AZ scaffold Bassoon and membrane bound GFP with Alexa Fluor 647 enabled 3D-dSTORM imaging of 25 mu m thick mouse brain sections and assignment of AZs to specific neuronal substructures. Quantitative data analysis revealed large differences in Bassoon cluster size and density for distinct hippocampal regions with largest clusters in MF boutons. Pauli et al. develop targeted volumetric dSTORM in order to image large hippocampal mossy fiber boutons (MFBs) in brain slices. They can identify synaptic targets of individual MFBs and measured size and density of Bassoon clusters within individual untruncated MFBs at nanoscopic resolution.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MrestaniLichterSirenetal.2023,
  author    = {Mrestani, Achmed and Lichter, Katharina and Sir{\´e}n, Anna-Leena and Heckmann, Manfred and Paul, Mila M. and Pauli, Martin},
  title     = {Single-molecule localization microscopy of presynaptic active zones in Drosophila melanogaster after rapid cryofixation},
  series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  volume    = {24},
  journal   = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  number    = {3},
  issn      = {1422-0067},
  doi       = {10.3390/ijms24032128},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304904},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) greatly advances structural studies of diverse biological tissues. For example, presynaptic active zone (AZ) nanotopology is resolved in increasing detail. Immunofluorescence imaging of AZ proteins usually relies on epitope preservation using aldehyde-based immunocompetent fixation. Cryofixation techniques, such as high-pressure freezing (HPF) and freeze substitution (FS), are widely used for ultrastructural studies of presynaptic architecture in electron microscopy (EM). HPF/FS demonstrated nearer-to-native preservation of AZ ultrastructure, e.g., by facilitating single filamentous structures. Here, we present a protocol combining the advantages of HPF/FS and direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) to quantify nanotopology of the AZ scaffold protein Bruchpilot (Brp) at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of Drosophila melanogaster. Using this standardized model, we tested for preservation of Brp clusters in different FS protocols compared to classical aldehyde fixation. In HPF/FS samples, presynaptic boutons were structurally well preserved with ~22\% smaller Brp clusters that allowed quantification of subcluster topology. In summary, we established a standardized near-to-native preparation and immunohistochemistry protocol for SMLM analyses of AZ protein clusters in a defined model synapse. Our protocol could be adapted to study protein arrangements at single-molecule resolution in other intact tissue preparations.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MrestaniPauliKollmannsbergeretal.2021,
  author    = {Mrestani, Achmed and Pauli, Martin and Kollmannsberger, Philip and Repp, Felix and Kittel, Robert J. and Eilers, Jens and Doose, S{\"o}ren and Sauer, Markus and Sir{\´e}n, Anna-Leena and Heckmann, Manfred and Paul, Mila M.},
  title     = {Active zone compaction correlates with presynaptic homeostatic potentiation},
  series = {Cell Reports},
  volume    = {37},
  journal   = {Cell Reports},
  number    = {1},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109770},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265497},
  pages     = {109770},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Neurotransmitter release is stabilized by homeostatic plasticity. Presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP) operates on timescales ranging from minute- to life-long adaptations and likely involves reorganization of presynaptic active zones (AZs). At Drosophila melanogaster neuromuscular junctions, earlier work ascribed AZ enlargement by incorporating more Bruchpilot (Brp) scaffold protein a role in PHP. We use localization microscopy (direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy [dSTORM]) and hierarchical density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (HDBSCAN) to study AZ plasticity during PHP at the synaptic mesoscale. We find compaction of individual AZs in acute philanthotoxin-induced and chronic genetically induced PHP but unchanged copy numbers of AZ proteins. Compaction even occurs at the level of Brp subclusters, which move toward AZ centers, and in Rab3 interacting molecule (RIM)-binding protein (RBP) subclusters. Furthermore, correlative confocal and dSTORM imaging reveals how AZ compaction in PHP translates into apparent increases in AZ area and Brp protein content, as implied earlier.},
  language  = {en}
}