Western Blotting of Synaptic Proteins

Western blotting was performed as previously described [49 (link)]. In brief, protein concentrations of samples were determined using the BCA protein assay. Twenty micrograms of each sample were subjected to Western blotting analysis using the following primary antibodies: rabbit polyclonal anti-postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) at 1:1000 dilution, rabbit polyclonal anti-synapsin 1 at 1:1000 dilution and rabbit anti-α-tubulin antibody at 1:1000 dilution. Images were scanned by an Image Master II scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) and analyzed using ImageQuant TL software v2003.03 (GE Healthcare). The band signals of interested proteins were normalized to those of the corresponding α- tubulin and expressed as fractions of control sample from the same gels.