An optogenetic method for investigating presynaptic molecular regulation

While efficient methods are well established for studying postsynaptic protein regulation of glutamatergic synapses in the mammalian central nervous system, similarly efficient methods are lacking for studying proteins regulating presynaptic function. In the present study, we introduce an optical/electrophysiological method for investigating presynaptic molecular regulation. Here, using an optogenetic approach, we selectively stimulate genetically modified presynaptic CA3 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus and measure optically-induced excitatory postsynaptic currents produced in unmodified postsynaptic CA1 pyramidal neurons. While such use of optogenetics is not novel, previous implementation methods do not allow basic quantification of the changes in synaptic strength produced by genetic manipulations. We find that incorporating simultaneous recordings of fiber volley amplitude provides a control for optical stimulation intensity and, as a result, creates a metric of synaptic efficacy that can be compared across experimental conditions. In the present study, we utilize our new method to demonstrate that inhibition of synaptotagmin 1 expression in CA3 pyramidal neurons leads to a significant reduction in Schaffer collateral synapse function, an effect that is masked with conventional electrical stimulation. Our hope is that this method will expedite our understanding of molecular regulatory pathways that govern presynaptic function.