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Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

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...

Synaptic Signaling

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...

Synaptic Signaling

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.

The Synapse

The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.

Chemical Synapses

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 Synapses

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 15, 2025

Presynapse Formation Assay Using Presynapse Organizer Beads and “Neuron Ball” Culture

Presynapse Formation Assay Using Presynapse Organizer Beads and “Neuron Ball” Culture

Published on: August 2, 2019

Trans-synaptic assemblies link synaptic vesicles and neuroreceptors.

Antonio Martinez-Sanchez^1,2,3,4,5, Ulrike Laugks¹, Zdravko Kochovski¹

¹Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.

Science Advances

|March 6, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Synaptic function relies on precisely organized molecular assemblies. Cryo-electron tomography revealed how these trans-synaptic units link pre- and postsynaptic proteins, detailing synaptic complex organization.

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Last Updated: Nov 15, 2025

Presynapse Formation Assay Using Presynapse Organizer Beads and “Neuron Ball” Culture

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Published on: August 2, 2019

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins

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Vibrodissociation of Neurons from Rodent Brain Slices to Study Synaptic Transmission and Image Presynaptic Terminals

Vibrodissociation of Neurons from Rodent Brain Slices to Study Synaptic Transmission and Image Presynaptic Terminals

Published on: May 25, 2011

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Structural Biology

Background:

Synaptic transmission requires precise protein organization for efficient signaling.
Previous studies suggested nanodomain colocalization of pre- and postsynaptic proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

To visualize synaptic complexes and their native environment at high resolution.
To elucidate the structural basis of trans-synaptic communication.

Main Methods:

Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) was employed to achieve 2- to 4-nm scale resolution.
Template-free detection and classification algorithms were used for analyzing complex structures.

Main Results:

Tripartite trans-synaptic assemblies (subcolumns) were identified, linking synaptic vesicles to postsynaptic receptors.
A specific displacement between interacting complexes was characterized within subcolumns.
De novo average structures of ionotropic glutamate receptors in their native plasma membrane environment were obtained.

Conclusions:

Synaptic function is mediated by precisely organized trans-synaptic units.
This provides a structural framework for understanding molecular assemblies involved in cell-cell communication.