scholarly journals Synaptophysin binds to physophilin, a putative synaptic plasma membrane protein.

1990 ◽  
Vol 111 (5) ◽  
pp. 2041-2052 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Thomas ◽  
H Betz
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Synaptic Vesicles ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Specific Interaction ◽  
Integral Membrane Protein ◽  
Synaptic Plasma Membrane ◽  
Plasma Membrane Protein

We have developed procedures for detecting synaptic vesicle-binding proteins by using glutaraldehyde-fixed or native vesicle fractions as absorbent matrices. Both adsorbents identify a prominent synaptic vesicle-binding protein of 36 kD in rat brain synaptosomes and mouse brain primary cultures. The binding of this protein to synaptic vesicles is competed by synaptophysin, a major integral membrane protein of synaptic vesicles, with half-maximal inhibition seen between 10(-8) and 10(-7) M synaptophysin. Because of its affinity for synaptophysin, we named the 36-kD synaptic vesicle-binding protein physophilin (psi nu sigma alpha, greek = bubble, vesicle; psi iota lambda os, greek = friend). Physophilin exhibits an isoelectric point of approximately 7.8, a Stokes radius of 6.6 nm, and an apparent sedimentation coefficient of 5.6 S, pointing to an oligomeric structure of this protein. It is present in synaptic plasma membranes prepared from synaptosomes but not in synaptic vesicles. In solubilization experiments, physophilin behaves as an integral membrane protein. Thus, a putative synaptic plasma membrane protein exhibits a specific interaction with one of the major membrane proteins of synaptic vesicles. This interaction may play a role in docking and/or fusion of synaptic vesicles to the presynaptic plasma membrane.

scholarly journals Thy-1 Is a Component Common to Multiple Populations of Synaptic Vesicles

1998 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chung-Jiuan Jeng ◽  
Steven A. McCarroll ◽  
Thomas F. J. Martin ◽  
Erik Floor ◽  
James Adams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Pc12 Cells ◽  
Synaptic Vesicles ◽  
Integral Membrane Protein ◽  
Immunoglobulin Superfamily ◽  
Secretory Vesicles ◽  
Vesicular Release

Thy-1, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked integral membrane protein of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is a component of both large dense-core and small clear vesicles in PC12 cells. A majority of this protein, formerly recognized only on the plasma membrane of neurons, is localized to regulated secretory vesicles. Thy-1 is also present in synaptic vesicles in rat central nervous system. Experiments on permeabilized PC12 cells demonstrate that antibodies against Thy-1 inhibit the regulated release of neurotransmitter; this inhibition appears to be independent of any effect on the Ca2+ channel. These findings suggest Thy-1 is an integral component of many types of regulated secretory vesicles, and plays an important role in the regulated vesicular release of neurotransmitter at the synapse.

scholarly journals Synaptophysin I Controls the Targeting of VAMP2/Synaptobrevin II to Synaptic Vesicles

2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 4909-4919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pennuto ◽  
Dario Bonanomi ◽  
Fabio Benfenati ◽  
Flavia Valtorta
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Cell Body ◽  
Synaptic Vesicles ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Diffuse Component ◽  
Synaptotagmin I ◽  
Dose Dependent

Synaptic vesicle (SV) proteins are synthesized at the level of the cell body and transported down the axon in membrane precursors of SVs. To investigate the mechanisms underlying sorting of proteins to SVs, fluorescent chimeras of vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) 2, its highly homologous isoform VAMP1 and synaptotagmin I (SytI) were expressed in hippocampal neurons in culture. Interestingly, the proteins displayed a diffuse component of distribution along the axon. In addition, VAMP2 was found to travel in vesicles that constitutively fuse with the plasma membrane. Coexpression of VAMP2 with synaptophysin I (SypI), a major resident of SVs, restored the correct sorting of VAMP2 to SVs. The effect of SypI on VAMP2 sorting was dose dependent, being reversed by increasing VAMP2 expression levels, and highly specific, because the sorting of the SV proteins VAMP1 and SytI was not affected by SypI. The cytoplasmic domain of VAMP2 was found to be necessary for both the formation of VAMP2-SypI hetero-dimers and for VAMP2 sorting to SVs. These data support a role for SypI in directing the correct sorting of VAMP2 in neurons and demonstrate that a direct interaction between the two proteins is required for SypI in order to exert its effect.

VAMP (synaptobrevin) is present in the plasma membrane of nerve terminals

1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (20) ◽  
pp. 3559-3567
Author(s):  
P. Taubenblatt ◽  
J.C. Dedieu ◽  
T. Gulik-Krzywicki ◽  
N. Morel
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Synaptic Vesicles ◽  
Specific Interaction ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Nerve Endings ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Synaptosomal Plasma Membrane ◽  
Presynaptic Plasma Membrane ◽  
Vesicle Proteins

Synaptic vesicle docking and exocytosis require the specific interaction of synaptic vesicle proteins (such as VAMP/synaptobrevin) with presynaptic plasma membrane proteins (such as syntaxin and SNAP 25). These proteins form a stable, SDS-resistant, multimolecular complex, the SNARE complex. The subcellular distribution of VAMP and syntaxin within Torpedo electric organ nerve endings was studied by immunogoldlabeling of SDS-digested freeze-fracture replicas (Fujimoto, 1995). This technique allowed us to visualize large surface areas of the presynaptic plasma membrane and numerous synaptic vesicles from rapidly frozen nerve endings and synaptosomes. VAMP was found associated with synaptic vesicles, as also shown by conventional electron microscopy immunolabeling, and to the presynaptic plasma membrane (P leaflet). Syntaxin was also detected in the nerve ending plasma membrane, without gold labeling of synaptic vesicles. Comparison of gold particle densities suggests that the presynaptic plasma membrane contains 3 VAMP molecules per molecule of syntaxin. After biotinylation of intact synaptosomes, the synaptosomal plasma membrane was isolated on Streptavidin coated magnetic beads. Its antigenic content was compared to that of purified synaptic vesicles. VAMP was present in both membranes whereas syntaxin and SNAP 25 were highly enriched in the synaptosomal plasma membrane. This membrane has a low content of classical synaptic vesicle proteins (synaptophysin, SV2 and the vesicular acetylcholine transporter). The VAMP to syntaxin stoichiometry in the isolated synaptosomal membrane was estimated by comparison with purified antigens and close to 2, in accordance with morphological data. SDS-resistant SNARE complexes were detected in the isolated presynaptic membrane but absent in purified synaptic vesicles. Taken together, these results show that the presence of VAMP in the plasma membrane of nerve endings cannot result from exocytosis of synaptic vesicles, a process which could, as far as SNAREs are concerned, very much resemble homotypic fusion.

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