A brain-wide atlas of synapses across the mouse lifespan

Cizeron, M�lissa; Qiu, Zhen; Koniaris, Babis; Gokhale, Ragini; Komiyama, Noboru H.; Frans�n, Erik; Grant, Seth G.N.

Abstract

Synapses connect neurons together to form the circuits of the brain and their molecular composition controls innate and learned behavior. We have analyzed the molecular and morphological diversity of five billion excitatory synapses at single-synapse resolution across the mouse brain from birth to old age. A continuum of changes alters synapse composition in all brain regions across the lifespan. Expansion in synapse diversity produces differentiation of brain regions until early adulthood and compositional changes cause dedifferentiation in old age. The spatiotemporal synaptome architecture of the brain potentially accounts for lifespan transitions in intellectual ability, memory, and susceptibility to behavioral disorders.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 19, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Jun 11, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Deposit Date: Mar 2, 2020
• Print ISSN: 0036-8075
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 369
• Issue: 6501
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba3163
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2603808