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Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

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Updated: Sep 12, 2025

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

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Distinct Roles of CaMKII in Synaptic Vesicle Dynamics at Zebrafish Retinal Rod Bipolar Ribbon Synapses.

Johane M Boff, Nirujan Rameshkumar, Moumita Khamrai

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|August 6, 2025

Summary

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) optimally regulates neurotransmitter release at presynaptic terminals. Both CaMKII inhibition and activation impair vesicle fusion, while CaMKII activity is crucial for synaptic vesicle replenishment.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cell Biology
Synaptic Transmission

Background:

Calcium (Ca²⁺) is a key regulator of neurotransmitter release (NTR).
Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is present at presynaptic terminals and may modulate NTR.
Conflicting data exist on CaMKII's role in NTR at rod bipolar cell (RBC) ribbon synapses.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the precise role of CaMKII in regulating NTR at zebrafish RBC ribbon synapses.
To determine how manipulating CaMKII activity affects Ca²⁺ signaling, exocytosis, and synaptic vesicle dynamics.

Main Methods:

Acutely manipulated CaMKII activity in zebrafish RBC presynaptic terminals using inhibitory peptides or constitutively active CaMKII.
Employed a combination of imaging and electrophysiological approaches.
Measured Ca²⁺ channel activity, exocytosis via capacitance measurements, and synaptic vesicle replenishment.

Main Results:

CaMKII manipulation did not affect presynaptic Ca²⁺ channel activity.
Inhibition or activation of CaMKII reduced exocytosis.
CaMKII inhibition impaired synaptic vesicle replenishment, while CaMKII activation did not.

Conclusions:

CaMKII activity is optimally tuned for neurotransmitter release at RBC ribbon synapses.
CaMKII plays distinct roles in regulating exocytosis and synaptic vesicle replenishment.
Different synaptic vesicle pools exhibit differential dependence on CaMKII activity levels.