Cycling of Synaptic Vesicles: How Far? How Fast!

Thierry Galli^1* and Volker Haucke^2*

¹Membrane Traffic and Neuronal Plasticity Group, INSERM U536, Institut du Fer-à-moulin, 75005 Paris, France.
²Institut für Chemie-Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.

Abstract: Synaptic transmission is based on the regulated exocytotic fusion of synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitter. In order to sustain neurotransmitter release, these vesicles need to be recycled locally. Recent data suggest that two tracks for the cycling of synaptic vesicles coexist: a slow track in which vesicles fuse completely with the presynaptic plasma membrane, followed by clathrin-mediated recycling of the vesicular components, and a fast track that may correspond to the transient opening and closing of a fusion pore. In this review, we attempt to provide an overview of the components involved in both tracks of vesicle cycling, as well as to identify possible mechanistic links between these two pathways.

*Corresponding authors. E-mail, thierry{at}tgalli.net (T.G.) or vhaucke{at}chemie.fu-berlin.de (V.H.)

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