CYSTEINE STRINGS, CALCIUM CHANNELS AND SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION

Authors
Citation
B. Ganetzky, CYSTEINE STRINGS, CALCIUM CHANNELS AND SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION, BioEssays, 16(7), 1994, pp. 461-463
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Biology,Biology
Journal title
ISSN journal
02659247
Volume
16
Issue
7
Year of publication
1994
Pages
461 - 463
Database
ISI
SICI code
0265-9247(1994)16:7<461:CSCCAS>2.0.ZU;2-Y
Abstract
Multidisciplinary studies have led to the discovery and characterizati on of cysteine string proteins (csps) in both Drosophila and Torpedo. Phenotypic analysis of csp mutants in Drosophila demonstrates a crucia l 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 Ca2+ channels. However, biochemical pu rification of Tcsp indicates that is associated with synaptic vesicles rather than with the plasma membrane of presynaptic terminals where C a2+ channels reside. These results suggest a model in which csps serve as a link by which docked synaptic vesicles could modulate the activi ty of presynaptic Ca2+ channels.