title: Induction of formation of presynaptic terminals in neuroblastoma cells by synapsin IIb.
abstract: The synapsins are a family of closely related phosphoproteins (termed synapsins Ia, Ib, IIa and IIb) associated with synaptic vesicles and implicated in the short-term regulation of neurotransmitter release from nerve endings. During development, expression of the synapsins correlates temporally with synapse formation, but there has been no direct evidence that they are involved in synaptogenesis. Here we report that overexpression of synapsin IIb in the neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid clonal cell line NG108-15 leads, during cell differentiation, to marked increases in the number of neuritic varicosities and in the numbers of small clear vesicles and large dense core vesicles per varicosity, as well as to the appearance of synapse-like cell-cell contacts. Thus, synapsin IIb may be involved in the regulation of synapse formation and, as a result, in long-term neuronal signalling.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.
authors.forename: H Q
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bähler
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Greengard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002999:Clone Cells; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D016704:Synapsins; D016708:Synaptophysin; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016704:Synapsins; D016708:Synaptophysin