SNARE Proteins Contribute to Calcium Cooperativity of Synaptic Transmission

A hallmark of calcium-triggered synaptic transmission is the cooperative relationship between calcium and the amount of transmitter released. This relationship is thought to be important for improving the efficiency of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Although it is generally held that cooperativity ari...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2000-12, Vol.97 (25), p.13955-13960
Main Authors: Stewart, B A, Mohtashami, M, Trimble, W S, Boulianne, G L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Animals
Biological Sciences
Brain
Calcium
Calcium - physiology
Cooperation
Drosophila
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Genotypes
Larvae
Membrane Proteins - physiology
Neurology
Proteins
SNAP receptors
SNARE complex
SNARE Proteins
Synapses
Synaptic transmission
Synaptic Transmission - physiology
Synaptotagmins
Vesicular Transport Proteins
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Summary:A hallmark of calcium-triggered synaptic transmission is the cooperative relationship between calcium and the amount of transmitter released. This relationship is thought to be important for improving the efficiency of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Although it is generally held that cooperativity arises from the interaction of multiple calcium ions with a single calcium-sensing molecule, the precise molecular basis of this phenomenon is not known. The SNARE proteins are known to be critical for synaptic vesicle exocytosis. We therefore tested for a contribution of SNARE proteins to cooperativity by genetically reducing the levels of syntaxin IA and neuronal-synaptobrevin in Drosophila. Surprisingly, we found that reducing these SNARE proteins also reduced Ca2+cooperativity. Thus, SNARE proteins are important for determining the cooperative relationship between calcium and synaptic transmission.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.250491397