Research progress of exocytosis detection technology in nervous system

Abstract

Vesicular exocytosis and neurotransmitter release play a key role in regulating various fundamental signal transmission and higher-order capacities in nervous system. A slight variation in exocytosis process may change neuronal communication, plasticity and even whole nervous activity, moreover the disorder in neurotransmitter release may arouse severe nerve diseases. Therefore, monitoring exocytosis process and quantifying relevant parameters have been essential for ulteriorly investigating mechanism of neurotransmission and pathogenesis of corresponding diseases. Recently, various exocytosis detection technologies based on optical, electrochemical and electrical signal with high performance have been developed and applied in different neuronal experiments. In this review, we systematically summarized technical principle and research progress of these frequently-used methods, including brain microdialysis, novel imaging technology, fluorescent probes, electroanalytical and electrophysiological methods.