Ca2+-dependent formation of a dynamin-synaptophysin complex: potential role in synaptic vesicle endocytosis

Synaptophysin is a synaptic vesicle (SV) protein of unknown function. Here we show that a repeated sequence in the cytoplasmic tail of synaptophysin mediates the formation of a protein complex containing the GTPase dynamin. The formation of this complex requires a high Ca(2+) concentration, suggesting that it occurs preferentially at the sites of SV exocytosis. Coimmunoprecipitation of a dynamin-synaptophysin complex from brain extracts is promoted by dissociation of vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 from synaptophysin. This finding suggests that dynamin only associates with synaptophysin in vivo after vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2) enters the SNARE complex. GTP binding releases dynamin from synaptophysin, possibly serving to regulate dynamin selfassembly during endocytosis. Our results suggest that synaptophysin plays a role in SV recycling by recruiting dynamin to the vesicle membrane.