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

12.4K
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...
12.4K
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

3.3K
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...
3.3K
Vesicular Tubular Clusters01:45

Vesicular Tubular Clusters

2.6K
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...
2.6K
SNAREs and Membrane Fusion01:43

SNAREs and Membrane Fusion

11.1K
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...
11.1K
Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

76.4K
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.
76.4K
Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles01:32

Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles

3.3K
Vesicle budding is orchestrated by distinct cytosolic proteins such as adaptor proteins, coat proteins, and GTPases. To initiate vesicle budding, membrane-bending proteins containing crescent-shaped BAR domains bind to the lipid heads in the bilayer and distort the membrane to form a protein-coated vesicle bud. Adaptors proteins such as AP2 for clathrin-coated vesicles can nucleate on the deformed membrane. Finally, coat proteins such as clathrin or COPI and COPII assemble into a coat forming...
3.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Enhancing the Norepinephrine Transporter Expression and [<sup>211</sup>At]MABG Uptake with Vorinostat Preloading in the Pheochromocytoma Model.

Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin·2026
Same author

Transcytosis-mediated anterograde transport of the receptor TrkA mediates the formation of presynaptic sites in sympathetic neurons.

Science signaling·2026
Same author

An ancient monoaminergic signaling system coordinates contractility in a nerveless sponge.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Ultrastructural membrane dynamics of mouse and human cortical synapses.

Neuron·2025
Same author

Molecular Phylogeographic Variation in the Siberian Weasel (<i>Mustela sibirica</i>) in Asia, Including Japan, Examined by ddRAD-Seq Analysis.

Zoological science·2025
Same author

Synaptic Vesicle Recycling Through the Lens of Ultrafast Endocytosis.

Annual review of neuroscience·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons
07:30

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Published on: September 4, 2017

10.0K

Transient docking of synaptic vesicles: Implications and mechanisms.

Grant F Kusick1, Tyler H Ogunmowo1, Shigeki Watanabe2

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 725 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|April 10, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Synaptic vesicles dynamically dock and undock during neurotransmission, challenging the idea of stable docking. This transient docking model explains synaptic physiology and activity-dependent vesicle recruitment.

More Related Videos

An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
09:33

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

Published on: June 26, 2018

7.6K
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

21.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons
07:30

Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Published on: September 4, 2017

10.0K
An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
09:33

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

Published on: June 26, 2018

7.6K
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

21.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Synaptic Physiology

Background:

  • Sustained neurotransmission requires continuous replacement of fused synaptic vesicles.
  • Vesicles were traditionally considered stably docked at active zones before calcium influx.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent evidence supporting the concept of transient vesicle docking.
  • To explore the physiological roles and underlying mechanisms of transient docking.
  • To address open questions regarding vesicle docking duration and reversibility.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiology
  • Electron microscopy
  • Biochemistry
  • Computer simulations

Main Results:

  • Emerging data suggest vesicles undergo rapid, reversible transitions between docked and undocked states during activity.
  • This transient docking model offers explanations for various synaptic physiological phenomena.

Conclusions:

  • Synaptic vesicle docking is a dynamic, activity-dependent process, not a static state.
  • Transient docking is crucial for efficient neurotransmission and synaptic function.
  • Further research is needed to understand the regulation of vesicle docking duration.