Trafficking of vesicle precursors towards newly forming synapses

Shasta Sabo

Abstract

The formation of appropriate synaptic communication between cortical neurons is required for perception and behavior. In addition to the relevance of synaptogenesis to the intital establishment of synaptic connectivity, formation of new synapses appears to be an important mechanism for at least some forms of plasticity. Despite this importance, the mechanisms by which synapses are formed in the CNS remain relatively poorly understood. Importantly, both during development and in more mature neurons, it remains unclear how synaptic proteins are trafficked to the right place a the right time during synapse formation. Synaptic proteins appear to be transported to sites of synaptogenesis on at least two classes of precursor vesicles: one that carries active zone proteins and another that delivers synaptic vesicle proteins and, most likely, some active zone proteins, as well. Our research has been most concerned with the delivery of synaptic vesicle proteins to nascent synapses and has, therefore, focused on the latter. We use detailed, quantitative analysis of the transport of synaptic proteins using live, time-lapse confocal imaging of immature axons in cultured neurons derived from rat postnatal cortex to address these issues. I will address how synaptic vesicles proteins are transported to and accumulated at sites of synapse formation and address when immature CNS axons become competent for depolarization-dependent neurotransmitter release.

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