Symmetrical arrangement of proteins under release-ready vesicles in presynaptic terminals.

ABSTRACT: Controlled release of neurotransmitters stored in synaptic vesicles (SVs) is a fundamental process that is central to all information processing in the brain. This relies on tight coupling of the SV fusion to action potential-evoked presynaptic Ca²⁺ influx. This Ca²⁺-evoked release occurs from a readily releasable pool (RRP) of SVs docked to the plasma membrane (PM). The protein components involved in initial SV docking/tethering and the subsequent priming reactions which make the SV release ready are known. Yet, the supramolecular architecture and sequence of molecular events underlying SV release are unclear. Here, we use cryoelectron tomography analysis in cultured hippocampal neurons to delineate the arrangement of the exocytosis machinery under docked SVs. Under

SUBMITTER: Radhakrishnan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7865176 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature