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Cysteine strings, calcium channels and synaptic transmission
Author(s) -
Ganetzky Barry
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950160704
Subject(s) - xenopus , synaptic vesicle , neurotransmission , cysteine , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , synaptic cleft , biophysics , chemistry , biochemistry , vesicle , membrane , gene , enzyme , receptor
Multidisciplinary studies have led to the discovery and characterization of cysteine string proteins (csps) in both Drosophila and Torpedo. Phenotypic analysis of csp mutants in Drosophila demonstrates a crucial role for csp in synaptic transmission. Expression studies of Torpedo csp (Tcsp) in Xenopus oocytes suggests that the protein has some role in the function of presynaptic Ca 2+ channels. However, biochemical purification of Tcsp indicates that is associated with synaptic vesicles rather than with the plasma membrane of presynaptic terminals where Ca 2+ channels reside. These results suggest a model in which csps serve as a link by which docked synaptic vesicles could modulate the activity of presynaptic Ca 2+ channels.