Genetic analysis of neurotransmitter release at the synapse.
The recent application of genetics to the study of synaptic mechanisms has examined the in vivo significance of individual synaptic proteins and has tested hypotheses that were derived from biochemical observations on these proteins. In the case of synapsin I and Rab3A, the phenotypes of mice lacking these proteins was startlingly mild; only subtle alterations in transmission were observed. Whereas in synaptotagmin mutants of flies and nematodes, transmission was severely curtailed, though not abolished. A detailed analysis of the phenotype has led to a hypothesis that this protein stabilizes the docking of vesicles at release sites. The analysis of additional synaptic proteins, Unc-18/Rop and the cysteine string protein, has indicated that these are important players in synaptic mechanisms and may soon illuminate their function at the synapse.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Beckman Center, Stanford University, California 94305-5426.
T L
TL
Schwarz
D000818:Animals; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005796:Genes; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D016704:Synapsins / Q000502:physiology; D050857:Synaptotagmins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D020692:rab3 GTP-Binding Proteins
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C069672:Csp protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins; D016704:Synapsins; C082636:Unc-18 protein, C elegans; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D050857:Synaptotagmins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D020692:rab3 GTP-Binding Proteins