Synaptotagmin IV acts as a multi-functional regulator of Ca2+-dependent exocytosis

In response to stimuli, secretary cells secrete a variety of signaling molecules packed in vesicles (e.g., neurotransmitters and peptide hormones) into the extracellular space by exocytosis. The vesicle secretion is often triggered by calcium ion (Ca(2+)) entered into secretary cells and achieved by the fusion of secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane. Recent accumulating evidence has indicated that members of the synaptotagmin (Syt) family play a major role in Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis, and Syt I, in particular, is now widely accepted as the major Ca(2+)-sensor for synchronous neurotransmitter release. Involvement of other Syt isoforms in Ca(2+)-dependent exocytotic events other than neurotransmitter release has also been reported, and the Syt IV isoform is of particular interest, because Syt IV has several unique features not found in Syt I (e.g., immediate early gene product induced by deporalization and postsynaptic localization). In this article, we summarize the literature on the multi-functional role of Syt IV in Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis.