2018
Overview
Synaptic vesicles are small membrane-bound sacs within the nerve terminals of neurons that store neurotransmitters and release them into the synapse to communicate with neighbouring cells. When an electrical signal reaches the terminal, synaptic vesicles fuse with the cell membrane and discharge their chemical contents, which then act on receptors of the target neuron, enabling the rapid signalling that underlies brain function. After release, vesicle membranes are recovered and recycled so that neurotransmission can continue, a process that depends on specialized proteins and on the lipid composition of the membranes involved. Disruption of synaptic vesicle function can impair communication between neurons and is relevant to a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Research published in this journal touches on the molecular machinery underlying vesicle recycling, including an analysis of the lipid components in the dynamin fraction prepared from rat brain; dynamin is a protein essential for pinching off recycled vesicle membranes during the endocytosis that regenerates synaptic vesicles. Such work bears on how nerve terminals sustain the vesicle cycle that supports neurotransmission. By examining the components and mechanisms of vesicle release and recycling, neurological research clarifies how synaptic communication is maintained. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to synaptic vesicles and neuronal signalling.
Research published in this journal
1 peer-reviewed article, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.