Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Exocytosis00:50

Exocytosis

Exocytosis is a process that releases molecules outside the cell. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.
Exocytosis is the opposite of endocytosis, which brings molecules inside the cell. Sometimes, the released materials are signaling molecules. For example, neurons typically use exocytosis to release neurotransmitters. Cells also use exocytosis to insert proteins such as ion channels into their cell membranes, secrete proteins for use in the extracellular matrix, or...
Exocytosis00:51

Exocytosis

Exocytosis is used to release material from cells. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.
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...
Vesicular Trasport: Endocytosis, Transcytosis and Exocytosis01:18

Vesicular Trasport: Endocytosis, Transcytosis and Exocytosis

Vesicular transport is a cellular process that encompasses the engulfment of particles or dissolved substances by cells. It involves endocytosis, transcytosis, and exocytosis.
Endocytosis is a cellular mechanism that involves the inward folding of the cell membrane to create vesicles that capture and transport large drug molecules. This process comprises two distinct methods: pinocytosis (often referred to as "cell drinking") and phagocytosis (often referred to as "cell eating"). Pinocytosis 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...
Vesicular Tubular Clusters01:45

Vesicular Tubular Clusters

After budding out from the ER membrane, some COPII vesicles lose their coat and fuse with one another to form larger vesicles and interconnected tubules called vesicular tubular clusters or VTCs. These clusters constitute a compartment at the ER-Golgi interface known as ERGIC (Endoplasmic Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Compartment). The ERGIC is a mobile membrane-bound cargo transport system that sorts proteins secreted from ER and delivers them to the Golgi.
With the help of motor proteins such...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Guiding AlphaFold to predict how Munc13-1 opens Syntaxin-1.

FEBS open bio·2026
Same author

The local detergent model of SNARE-mediated membrane fusion.

Journal of cell science·2026
Same author

The lever model of synaptotagmin-1 function.

Journal of cell science·2026
Same author

Amyloid-motif-dependent tau self-assembly is modulated by isoform sequence context.

Structure (London, England : 1993)·2025
Same author

Editorial Expression of Concern: Munc13 C<sub>2</sub>B domain is an activity-dependent Ca<sup>2+</sup> regulator of synaptic exocytosis.

Nature structural & molecular biology·2025
Same author

Evaluation of synaptotagmin-1 action models by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations.

FEBS open bio·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons
07:30

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Published on: September 4, 2017

Synaptic vesicle exocytosis.

Thomas C Südhof1, Josep Rizo

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California 94305, USA. tcs1@stanford.edu

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|October 27, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Synaptic vesicle exocytosis relies on SNARE and SM proteins for membrane fusion. Chaperones maintain SNAREs, and their dysfunction causes neurodegeneration, highlighting key players in neurotransmitter release.

More Related Videos

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

Live Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in the Neuromuscular Junction of Dissected Larval Zebrafish
07:22

Live Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in the Neuromuscular Junction of Dissected Larval Zebrafish

Published on: February 7, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons
07:30

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Published on: September 4, 2017

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

Live Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in the Neuromuscular Junction of Dissected Larval Zebrafish
07:22

Live Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in the Neuromuscular Junction of Dissected Larval Zebrafish

Published on: February 7, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Presynaptic nerve terminals release neurotransmitters via synaptic vesicle exocytosis.
  • Membrane fusion is a fundamental process in cellular transport, including synaptic exocytosis.
  • This process is mediated by a conserved machinery involving SNARE and SM proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular machinery governing synaptic vesicle exocytosis.
  • To understand the roles of SNARE, SM, and chaperone proteins in membrane fusion.
  • To explore the implications of chaperone dysfunction in neurodegeneration.

Main Methods:

  • The study focuses on the molecular mechanisms of membrane fusion.
  • It examines the assembly and function of SNARE complexes and SM proteins.
  • It investigates the role of chaperone proteins (CSPα, Hsc70, SGT, synucleins) and regulatory proteins (synaptotagmin, Munc13, RIM).

Main Results:

  • SNARE and SM proteins form α-helical trans-SNARE complexes to drive membrane fusion.
  • SM proteins likely catalyze fusion by wrapping around assembling trans-SNARE complexes.
  • Chaperone complexes maintain fusion-competent SNARE conformations, and their dysfunction leads to neurodegeneration.
  • Synaptotagmin, Munc13, and RIM proteins regulate the synaptic membrane-fusion machinery within the active zone.

Conclusions:

  • The SNARE-SM machinery is central to synaptic exocytosis and membrane fusion.
  • Chaperones are critical for maintaining the function of SNARE proteins, and their failure results in neurodegenerative conditions.
  • The active zone protein matrix provides regulatory control over synaptic membrane fusion.