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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...
Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
The Neuromuscular Junction01:19

The Neuromuscular Junction

The nervous system consists of complex motor neuron circuits, including upper motor neurons originating from the cerebral cortex and lower motor neurons starting in the spinal cord, coordinating both voluntary and involuntary movements. Among these, somatic motor neurons activate skeletal muscles and are classified into alpha, beta, and gamma types. Alpha neurons are vital for voluntary movement coordination, while gamma neurons adjust muscle spindle sensitivity, and the function of beta...
Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types –  adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as  epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as  heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...

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Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient
08:06

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Published on: September 3, 2014

DJ-1 associates with synaptic membranes.

Yukiko Usami1, Taku Hatano, Satoshi Imai

  • 1Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Japan.

Neurobiology of Disease
|June 8, 2011
PubMed
Summary

DJ-1 protein, linked to Parkinson's disease (PD), associates with cellular membranes, including synaptic vesicles. Mutations impairing this interaction may contribute to neurodegeneration.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Parkinson's disease (PD) involves dopaminergic neuron loss, with genetic factors implicated but mechanisms unclear.
  • DJ-1 is a Parkinson's disease gene; its endogenous localization and function, particularly concerning mutations, are poorly understood.
  • Previous studies show exogenous DJ-1 in mitochondria/cytosol, acting as a chaperone and protective factor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the precise subcellular localization and function of endogenous DJ-1.
  • To understand how DJ-1 mutations contribute to neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease.

Main Methods:

  • Immunocytochemistry in cultured cells and primary mouse neurons.
  • Colocalization studies with Golgi and synaptic vesicle markers.
  • Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis to detect protein interactions.

Main Results:

  • Endogenous DJ-1 localizes to the cytosol and punctate membranous structures.
  • DJ-1 colocalizes with Golgi apparatus (GM130) and synaptic vesicle proteins (synaptophysin, Rab3A).
  • Wild-type DJ-1 directly binds membranes, while the L166P mutation shows reduced synaptic vesicle binding.

Conclusions:

  • DJ-1 associates with membranous organelles, including synaptic membranes.
  • This membrane association is crucial for DJ-1's normal function.
  • Impaired DJ-1-membrane interaction due to mutations may underlie its role in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.