Protocol to study synapse density or volume-SynDOVE-in brain using confocal microscopy and Imaris three-dimensional surface rendering software.

Nolwazi Z Gcwensa, Khaliah Y Long, Arielle F Manabat, Laura A Volpicelli-Daley

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In one paragraph

Article in STAR protocols, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Nolwazi Z GcwensaKillion Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.

Khaliah Y LongKillion Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.

Arielle F ManabatKillion Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.

Laura A Volpicelli-DaleyKillion Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA. Electronic address: lvolpicellidaley@uabmc.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We present a protocol for analyzing pre- and postsynaptic loci in fixed brain sections using confocal microscopy images and Imaris software. We describe steps for capturing z stack images of immunofluorescent-labeled synaptic proteins using a confocal microscope. We then detail procedures for deconvolving images, rendering three-dimensional (3D) surface reconstructions of synaptic markers, and isolating closely juxtaposed pre- and post-synaptic 3D surfaces, herein termed "synaptic loci." This protocol allows for quantitation of synaptic loci density, as well as pre- and postsynaptic volumes. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Gcwensa et al.

Indexed as

BrainSynapsesAnimalsImaging, Three-DimensionalMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMicroscopy, ConfocalSoftwareCognitive NeuroscienceHealth SciencesMicroscopy

Identifiers

PMID41931391

DOI10.1016/j.xpro.2026.104465

PMCPMC13084399

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LicenceCC BY

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.