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Expression of synaptobrevin II, cellubrevin and syntaxin but not SNAP‐25 in cultured astrocytes
Author(s) -
Vladimir Parpura,
Yong Fang,
Trent A. Basarsky,
Reinhard Jahn,
Philip G. Haydon
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(95)01401-2
Subject(s) - synaptobrevin , syntaxin , astrocyte , exocytosis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , glutamate receptor , synaptic vesicle , neuroglia , biochemistry , neuroscience , central nervous system , secretion , membrane , vesicle , receptor
Astrocytes, a sub‐type of glial cell in the central nervous system, can release the excitatory transmitters glutamate and aspartate in response to elevated levels of internal calcium. To investigate potential release mechanisms that may be present in these cells we have determined whether protein components of the neuronal secretory apparatus are expressed in astrocytes. Western blots, immunocytochemistry and RT PCR demonstrate that astrocytes express cellubrevin, synaptobrevin II and syntaxin, proteins known to form a macromolecular fusion complex. However, SNAP‐25 which is another neuronal protein of the fusion complex, was not detected. Astrocyte cellubrevin and synaptobrevin II were also shown to be sensitive to the proteolytic activity of tetanus toxin. Together these data indicate that astrocytes express some proteins that are known to form a fusion complex indicating that regulated exocytosis might mediate calcium‐regulated transmitter release from these cells.