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

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...
SNAREs and Membrane Fusion01:43

SNAREs and Membrane Fusion

Once a transport vesicle has recognized its target organelle, the vesicular membrane needs to fuse with the target membrane to unload the cargo. Transmembrane proteins called SNAREs present on organelle membranes and their vesicles, mediate vesicle fusion.
SNAREs exist in pairs that symmetrically interact and catalyze the fusion of the lipid bilayers in vesicle and target organelle. v-SNARE in the vesicle membrane are single polypeptide chains that bind to a complementary t-SNARE, composed of 2...
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...
Neuromuscular Junction And Blockade01:29

Neuromuscular Junction And Blockade

The site of chemical communication between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber is called the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). The end of the motor neuron at the NMJ divides into a cluster of synaptic end bulbs. The cytoplasm of these bulbs consists of synaptic vesicles enclosing acetylcholine molecules, the principal neurotransmitter released at the NMJ. The region opposite the synaptic bulb that ends in the muscle fiber is called the motor end plate, which has acetylcholine receptors. Within the...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

N-Terminal Amine Chemistry Influences α-Synuclein Interactions with Lipid Bilayers.

Biochemistry·2026
Same author

A single-vesicle fluorescence microscopy platform to quantify phospholipid scrambling.

Nature structural & molecular biology·2026
Same author

Spontaneous Haemothorax as Initial Presentation of Pleural Ewing Sarcoma: A Case Report.

Case reports in pulmonology·2026
Same author

In vivo characterization of a patient CACNA1A variant reveals paradoxical synaptic effects.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

AFD thermosensory neurons mediate tactile-dependent locomotion modulation in <i>C. elegans</i>.

eLife·2026
Same author

Endocytic protein AP180 assembly domain regulates synaptic vesicle size and release in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PLoS biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

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

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

Published on: September 3, 2014

Synaptic vesicles position complexin to block spontaneous fusion.

Rachel T Wragg1, David Snead, Yongming Dong

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.

Neuron
|January 29, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Complexin

More Related Videos

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy
10:58

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy

Published on: August 24, 2016

Acute Dissociation of Lamprey Reticulospinal Axons to Enable Recording from the Release Face Membrane of Individual Functional Presynaptic Terminals
12:01

Acute Dissociation of Lamprey Reticulospinal Axons to Enable Recording from the Release Face Membrane of Individual Functional Presynaptic Terminals

Published on: October 1, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 14, 2026

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

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

Published on: September 3, 2014

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy
10:58

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy

Published on: August 24, 2016

Acute Dissociation of Lamprey Reticulospinal Axons to Enable Recording from the Release Face Membrane of Individual Functional Presynaptic Terminals
12:01

Acute Dissociation of Lamprey Reticulospinal Axons to Enable Recording from the Release Face Membrane of Individual Functional Presynaptic Terminals

Published on: October 1, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Synapses maintain function by regulating synaptic vesicle (SV) pools and suppressing spontaneous fusion.
  • The presynaptic protein complexin influences fusion via SNARE complex interactions, but its role in inhibiting spontaneous fusion is unclear.
  • Complexin's C-terminal domain is crucial for inhibiting spontaneous fusion across species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which complexin's C-terminal domain inhibits spontaneous exocytosis.
  • To investigate the role of lipid binding by complexin in regulating synaptic vesicle dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • In vivo studies using model organisms (worm, fly, mouse).
  • Analysis of protein-lipid interactions.
  • Investigating the targeting of complexin to synaptic vesicles.

Main Results:

  • Complexin's C-terminal domain directly binds lipids via a novel protein motif.
  • This lipid binding targets complexin to synaptic vesicles (SVs).
  • Targeting to SVs enables complexin to inhibit spontaneous exocytosis in vivo.

Conclusions:

  • Complexin utilizes a novel lipid-binding motif in its C-terminus to target SVs.
  • The SV pool acts as a platform for complexin to regulate SNARE complex assembly and control spontaneous fusion.
  • This mechanism ensures synaptic function and a high dynamic range.