title: Active zone assembly and synaptic release.
abstract: Neurotransmitter release at chemical synapses occurs when synaptic vesicles fuse to the presynaptic membrane at a specialized site termed the active zone. The depolarization-induced fusion is highly dependent on calcium ions, and, correspondingly, the transmission characteristics of synapses are thought to be influenced by the spatial arrangement of voltage-gated calcium channels with respect to vesicle release sites. Here, we review the involvement of the Drosophila Bruchpilot (BRP) protein in active zone assembly, a process that is required for the clustering of presynaptic calcium channels to ensure efficient vesicle release.
authors.affiliation: European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kittel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hallermann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sigrist
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heckmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D007700:Kinetics; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D011336:Probability; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D002118:Calcium