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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Vibrodissociation of Neurons from Rodent Brain Slices to Study Synaptic Transmission and Image Presynaptic Terminals
Published on: May 25, 2011
Bacteriorhodopsin drives the glutamate transporter of synaptic vesicles after co-reconstitution
P R Maycox1, T Deckwerth, R Jahn
1Department of Neurochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Martinsried, FRG.
Abstract:
Active accumulation of neurotransmitters by synaptic vesicles is an essential component of the synaptic transmission cycle. Isolated vesicles show energy-dependent uptake of several transmitters by processes which are apparently mediated by a proton electrochemical potential across the vesicle membrane. Although this energy gradient is probably generated by a proton ATPase, the functional separation of ATP cleavage and transmitter uptake activity has only been shown clearly for monoamine transport. We report here that the light-driven proton pump, bacteriorhodopsin, can replace the endogenous proton ATPase in proteoliposomes reconstituted from vesicular detergent extracts. The system shows light-dependent uptake of glutamate with properties very similar to those observed in intact vesicles, e.g. chloride dependence or stimulation by NH4+. Our experiments show that the proton pump and the glutamate transporter are separate entities and provide a powerful tool for further characterization of the glutamate carrier.
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