UCLA

Ribbon synapses are one of the primary means of synaptic transmission within mammalian sensory systems. Loss of these synapses results in potential sensory dysfunction, as a result, their quantification is of critical importance to understanding the effects synaptic pathology may have on symptomatic sensory deficits. Immunohistochemistry is considered a reliable method to label these synapses, yet challenges arise when quantifying their distributions. In the vestibular periphery, low associations with standard postsynaptic markers and manual segmentation of these synapses have created significant barriers to our understanding of the relationship between changes in synapse density and its potential implications in pathology. The purpose of this study is to provide a novel method emphasizing rigorous analyses of immunolabeled ribbon synapses in the vestibular periphery, advancing our understanding of synapse distributions, and potential impacts various pathologies may have on these specialized structures.