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The active zone protein CAST regulates synaptic vesicle recycling and quantal size in the mouse hippocampus
Author(s) -
Kobayashi Shizuka,
Hida Yamato,
Ishizaki Hiroyoshi,
Inoue Eiji,
TanakaOkamoto Miki,
Yamasaki Miwako,
Miyazaki Taisuke,
Fukaya Masahiro,
Kitajima Isao,
Takai Yoshimi,
Watanabe Masahiko,
Ohtsuka Toshihisa,
Manabe Toshiya
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.13331
Subject(s) - synaptic vesicle , hippocampus , active zone , chemistry , neuroscience , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , vesicle , biochemistry , membrane
Synaptic efficacy is determined by various factors, including the quantal size, which is dependent on the amount of neurotransmitters in synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic terminal. It is essential for stable synaptic transmission that the quantal size is kept within a constant range and that synaptic efficacy during and after repetitive synaptic activation is maintained by replenishing release sites with synaptic vesicles. However, the mechanisms for these fundamental properties have still been undetermined. We found that the active zone protein CAST (cytomatrix at the active zone structural protein) played pivotal roles in both presynaptic regulation of quantal size and recycling of endocytosed synaptic vesicles. In the CA 1 region of hippocampal slices of the CAST knockout mice, miniature excitatory synaptic responses were increased in size, and synaptic depression after prolonged synaptic activation was larger, which was attributable to selective impairment of synaptic vesicle trafficking via the endosome in the presynaptic terminal likely mediated by Rab6. Therefore, CAST serves as a key molecule that regulates dynamics and neurotransmitter contents of synaptic vesicles in the excitatory presynaptic terminal in the central nervous system.