Visualizing hippocampal synaptic function by optical detection of Ca2+ entry through the N-methyl-D-aspartate channel.

Fura-2 and imaging technology were used to detect intracellular Ca2+ changes in CA1 pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices. During focal synaptic stimulation, one or more highly localized regions of Ca2+ elevation (hot spots) were detected in the dendrites. Ca2+ spread from the center of hot spots with properties consistent with diffusion. Several lines of evidence indicate that these hot spots were due to Ca2+ entry through N-methyl-D-aspartate synaptic channels. The spatial and temporal resolution of the method was sufficient to detect the response of single hot spots to single stimuli, thus providing a real-time method for monitoring local synaptic activity. Using this method, we show that synapses on the same dendrite differ in their probability of response and in their facilitation properties.