Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
Published on: June 26, 2018
Synaptic vesicle trafficking and Parkinson's disease
Giovanni Esposito1, Fernandes Ana Clara, Patrik Verstreken
1VIB, Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Presynaptic terminals maintain neurotransmitter release during repeated rounds of stimulation using local recycling of synaptic vesicles (SV). During each SV cycle, protein complex assembly and disassembly results in accumulation of inactive (unfolded) protein intermediates that may render synaptic terminals vulnerable to activity-dependent degeneration. SV trafficking is affected in many neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer' and Parkinson's disease (PD) suggesting that alteration of this process might be an important aspect of disease pathogenesis. This article reviews our current understanding for a role of causative PD genes in the SV cycle and speculates on the potential role of aberrant SV trafficking in the neurodegenerative cascade of PD.
Related Concept Videos
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Lysosomal Hydrolases
Neural Regulation

