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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
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Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons
Published on: September 4, 2017
Eps15 and Dap160 control synaptic vesicle membrane retrieval and synapse development.
Tong-Wey Koh1, Viktor I Korolchuk, Yogesh P Wairkar
1Graduate Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
The Journal of Cell Biology
|July 11, 2007
Summary
Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate clone 15 (Eps15) is crucial for synaptic vesicle endocytosis and development. This study reveals Eps15 functions with Dap160 to enhance endocytosis efficiency at synapses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate clone 15 (Eps15) is involved in endocytosis and protein sorting.
- Its precise function in endocytosis remains unclear due to experimental limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Eps15 in synaptic vesicle (SV) endocytosis using Drosophila models.
- To elucidate the relationship between Eps15 and Dap160/intersectin in synaptic function.
Main Methods:
- Generation and analysis of Drosophila eps15-null mutants.
- Phenotypic characterization of synaptic bouton development and SV endocytosis.
- Biochemical analysis of Eps15-Dap160 interaction and double mutant studies.
Main Results:
- Eps15 is essential for synaptic bouton development and maintaining normal levels of SV endocytosis.
- Eps15 translocates to the synaptic bouton periphery upon stimulation, consistent with its role in endocytosis.
- Eps15 functions in conjunction with Dap160, as indicated by phenotypic similarities and double mutant analyses.
Conclusions:
- Eps15 plays a critical role in SV endocytosis at the Drosophila synapse.
- Eps15 and Dap160 likely collaborate to ensure efficient endocytosis by concentrating key proteins like dynamin at the synapse.
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