Search engine for discovering works of Art, research articles, and books related to Art and Culture
ShareThis
Javascript must be enabled to continue!

Open syntaxin overcomes synaptic transmission defects in diverseC. elegansexocytosis mutants

View through CrossRef
SummaryAssembly of SNARE complexes that mediate neurotransmitter release requires opening of a ‘closed’ conformation of UNC-64/syntaxin. Rescue ofunc-13/Munc13phenotypes by overexpressed open UNC-64/syntaxin suggested a specific function of UNC-13/Munc13 in opening UNC-64/ syntaxin. Here, we revisit the effects of openunc-64/syntaxin by generating knockin (KI) worms. The KI animals exhibited enhanced spontaneous and evoked exocytosis compared to wild-type animals. Unexpectedly, the open syntaxin KI partially suppressed exocytosis defects of various mutants, includingsnt-1/synaptotagmin,unc-2/P/Q/N-type Ca2+channel alpha-subunit, andunc-31/CAPS in addition tounc-13/Munc13 andunc-10/RIM, and enhanced exocytosis intom-1/Tomosyn mutants. However, open syntaxin aggravated the defects ofunc-18/Munc18 mutants. Correspondingly, open syntaxin partially bypasses the requirement of Munc13 but not Munc18 for liposome fusion. Our results show that facilitating opening of syntaxin enhances exocytosis in a wide range of genetic backgrounds, and may provide a general means to enhance synaptic transmission in normal and disease states.
Title: Open syntaxin overcomes synaptic transmission defects in diverseC. elegansexocytosis mutants
Description:
SummaryAssembly of SNARE complexes that mediate neurotransmitter release requires opening of a ‘closed’ conformation of UNC-64/syntaxin.
Rescue ofunc-13/Munc13phenotypes by overexpressed open UNC-64/syntaxin suggested a specific function of UNC-13/Munc13 in opening UNC-64/ syntaxin.
Here, we revisit the effects of openunc-64/syntaxin by generating knockin (KI) worms.
The KI animals exhibited enhanced spontaneous and evoked exocytosis compared to wild-type animals.
Unexpectedly, the open syntaxin KI partially suppressed exocytosis defects of various mutants, includingsnt-1/synaptotagmin,unc-2/P/Q/N-type Ca2+channel alpha-subunit, andunc-31/CAPS in addition tounc-13/Munc13 andunc-10/RIM, and enhanced exocytosis intom-1/Tomosyn mutants.
However, open syntaxin aggravated the defects ofunc-18/Munc18 mutants.
Correspondingly, open syntaxin partially bypasses the requirement of Munc13 but not Munc18 for liposome fusion.
Our results show that facilitating opening of syntaxin enhances exocytosis in a wide range of genetic backgrounds, and may provide a general means to enhance synaptic transmission in normal and disease states.

Related Results

Synaptic Integration
Synaptic Integration
Abstract Neurons in the brain receive thousands of synaptic inputs from other neurons. Synaptic integration is the term used to describe how neu...
A screen for genes that regulate synaptic growth reveals mechanisms that stabilize synaptic strength
A screen for genes that regulate synaptic growth reveals mechanisms that stabilize synaptic strength
ABSTRACTSynapses grow, prune, and remodel throughout development, experience, and disease. This structural plasticity can destabilize information transfer in the nervous system. Ho...
Characterization of nonattaching mutants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Characterization of nonattaching mutants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens
The first step in tumor formation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the site-specific binding of the bacteria to plant host cells. Transposon mutants of the bacteria which fail to at...
Non-synaptic plasticity enables memory-dependent local learning
Non-synaptic plasticity enables memory-dependent local learning
AbstractSynaptic plasticity is essential for memory formation and learning in the brain. In addition, recent results indicate that non-synaptic plasticity processes such as the reg...
Chromosome Segregation and Cell Division Defects in Escherichia coli Recombination Mutants Exposed to Different DNA-Damaging Treatments
Chromosome Segregation and Cell Division Defects in Escherichia coli Recombination Mutants Exposed to Different DNA-Damaging Treatments
Homologous recombination repairs potentially lethal DNA lesions such as double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) and single-strand DNA gaps (SSGs). In Escherichia coli, DSB repair is initia...
Quantitative nanoscale imaging of synaptic protein organization
Quantitative nanoscale imaging of synaptic protein organization
The arrival of super-resolution techniques has driven researchers to explore biological areas that were unreachable before. Such techniques not only allowed the improvement of spat...

Back to Top