title: Masters or slaves? Vesicle release machinery and the regulation of presynaptic calcium channels.
abstract: Calcium entry through presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels is essential for neurotransmitter release. The two major types of presynaptic calcium channels contain a synaptic protein interaction site that physically interacts with synaptic vesicle release proteins. This is thought to tighten the coupling between the sources of calcium entry and the neurotransmitter release machinery. Conversely, the binding of synaptic proteins to presynaptic calcium channels regulates calcium channel activity. Hence, presynaptic calcium channels act not only as the masters of the synaptic release process, but also as key targets for feedback inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Canada T2N 4N1.
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: Gerald W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Zamponi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000502:physiology*; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000502:physiology*; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D002118:Calcium