Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Neurotransmitter release at rapid synapses.

Y Dunant1, M Israël

  • 1Département de Pharmacologie, Université de Genève, Centre Médical Universitaire, Genève, Switzerland. yves.dunant@medecine.unige.ch

Biochimie
|June 24, 2000
PubMed
Summary

The classical vesicular hypothesis for acetylcholine (ACh) release is challenged by new findings. A protein, mediatophore, may form ACh quanta independently of vesicles, offering a new perspective on neurotransmission.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

ADDENDUM to EFOMP Policy statement No.14 "The role of the Medical Physicist in the management of safety within the magnetic resonance imaging environment: EFOMP recommendations".

Physica medica : PM : an international journal devoted to the applications of physics to medicine and biology : official journal of the Italian Association of Biomedical Physics (AIFB)·2021
Same author

Seeking Approval: International Higher Education Students' Experiences of Applying for Human Research Ethics Clearance in Australia.

Journal of academic ethics·2021
Same author

Hereditary aspects of arteriosclerosis.

The Medical world·2014
Same author

Electromagnetic field occupational exposure: non-thermal vs. thermal effects.

Electromagnetic biology and medicine·2013
Same author

Medical history: aschoff.

British medical journal·2010
Same author

Viruses.

British medical journal·2010

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The classical vesicular hypothesis posits that acetylcholine (ACh) release occurs via exocytosis of single synaptic vesicles.
  • Emerging evidence suggests complexities in ACh storage, release kinetics, and the role of SNARE proteins.
  • Discrepancies in quantum size and vesicle volume across different synapses challenge the simple vesicular model.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-evaluate the classical vesicular hypothesis for acetylcholine (ACh) release.
  • To investigate the role of a novel protein, mediatophore, in ACh quantal formation and release.
  • To reconcile apparent contradictions in synaptic transmission mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cytoplasmic and vesicular ACh pools.
  • Investigation of Ca(2+) microdomains and their role in release.
  • Characterization of exocytosis pits and intramembrane particle dynamics.
  • Studies on SNARE protein function and quantal release.
  • Isolation and characterization of mediatophore.
  • Functional assays using mediatophore-transfected cells and reconstituted systems.

Main Results:

  • Synaptic vesicles store ACh, ATP, and Ca(2+), with cytoplasmic ACh being preferentially utilized.
  • Exocytosis timing often follows, rather than precedes, neurotransmitter release.
  • Quantal release persists even when SNARE proteins are dysfunctional.
  • Mediatophore, an integral plasmalemmal protein, supports ACh quanta formation and release.
  • Mediatophore exhibits Ca(2+)-dependency and quantal release characteristics in reconstituted systems.

Conclusions:

  • The classical vesicular hypothesis requires revision to accommodate new data.
  • Mediatophore emerges as a key player in ACh quantal formation, potentially acting as a pore protein.
  • Mediatophore's function is likely regulated by the SNARE-vesicle docking apparatus, integrating vesicular and non-vesicular release mechanisms.

Related Experiment Videos