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Related Concept Videos

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Overview of Secretory Vesicles01:33

Overview of Secretory Vesicles

Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Examination of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling Using FM Dyes During Evoked, Spontaneous, and Miniature Synaptic Activities
08:10

Examination of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling Using FM Dyes During Evoked, Spontaneous, and Miniature Synaptic Activities

Published on: March 31, 2014

The same synaptic vesicles drive active and spontaneous release.

Benjamin G Wilhelm1, Teja W Groemer, Silvio O Rizzoli

  • 1STED Microscopy Group, European Neuroscience Institute, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Center for Molecular Physiology of the Brain/Excellence Cluster 171, Göttingen, Germany.

Nature Neuroscience
|November 25, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters actively and spontaneously. This study found that the same synaptic vesicles are responsible for both active and spontaneous neurotransmitter release, challenging previous assumptions.

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Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Examination of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling Using FM Dyes During Evoked, Spontaneous, and Miniature Synaptic Activities
08:10

Examination of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling Using FM Dyes During Evoked, Spontaneous, and Miniature Synaptic Activities

Published on: March 31, 2014

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
09:33

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins

Published on: June 26, 2018

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons
07:30

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Published on: September 4, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Synaptic vesicles are crucial for neurotransmission, releasing neurotransmitters via active and spontaneous mechanisms.
  • Previous assumptions suggested distinct vesicle populations for each release mode, but recent evidence prompted re-evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether identical synaptic vesicles participate in both active and spontaneous neurotransmitter release.
  • To challenge the existing paradigm regarding vesicle pools in neurotransmission.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized FM dye imaging, pHluorin imaging, and antibody-labeling of synaptotagmin.
  • Employed diverse model systems including Drosophila, frog, and mouse neuromuscular preparations, alongside rat cultured neurons.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that the same synaptic vesicles are involved in both active (stimulated) and spontaneous (rest) neurotransmitter release.
  • Provided consistent evidence across multiple experimental systems.

Conclusions:

  • The findings indicate a unified pool of synaptic vesicles for both release modes.
  • This challenges the long-held view of separate vesicle populations and offers new insights into synaptic vesicle dynamics and neurotransmitter release regulation.