title: Prime movers of synaptic vesicle exocytosis.
abstract: Chemical synapses contain specialized pre- and postsynaptic structures that underlie rapid synaptic transmission and its modulation. Studies of postsynaptic organization have revealed a network of interacting proteins that enable rapid synaptic responses and their modulation. Recent genetic and electrophysiological studies on two active zone proteins-RIM and Munc13-reveal important roles in priming vesicles for Ca(2+)-triggered fusion and in mediating the regulation of this process. This work sheds new light on how presynaptic structure provides speed and plasticity to synaptic transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, 433 Babcock Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA. tfmartin@facstaff.wisc.edu
authors.forename: T F J
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000502:physiology*