title: Spectrin (betaSpIIsigma1) is an essential component of synaptic transmission.
abstract: The cellular mechanism that underlies the regulated release of synaptic vesicles during neurotransmission is not fully known. Our previous data has shown that brain spectrin (alphaSpIIsigma1/betaSpIIsigma1)2 is localized in axons and nerve terminals and we have shown that the beta subunit (betaSpIIsigma1) contains a synapsin-binding domain capable of interacting with synapsin and small synaptic vesicles in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggested a role for brain beta-spectrin in synaptic neurotransmission. To examine this possibility further, peptide-specific antibodies directed against epitopes within the synapsin-binding domain of brain beta-spectrin, or against flanking regions, were injected into the presynaptic neuron of synaptically paired rat hippocampal neurons in culture. Here, we show that the antibodies directed against the synapsin-binding domain specifically blocked synaptic neurotransmission.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Biochemistry, University of Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sikorski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sangerman
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Critz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013049:Spectrin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016704:Synapsins / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016704:Synapsins; D013049:Spectrin