neuron

Investigation of the juxtamembrane region of neuronal- Synaptobrevin in synaptic transmission at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction

Damn that’s hot! That is what you’d feel if you touched a fire, but how do those signals travel from your fingers to your brain? Recent Ph.D. graduate Colin DeMill, along with other Stewart lab members Xinping Qiu, Marta Kisiel and Alanna Bolotta (Stewart Lab), have been teasing apart the molecular basis of neuron membrane fusion in Drosophila. Colin et al’s latest paper “Investigation of the juxtamembrane region of neuronal-Synaptobrevin in synaptic transmission at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction” was recently published in Journal of Neurophysiology. Neurons regulate the release of
neurotransmitter vesicles using a series of proteins forming a highly regulated molecular machine. One of these proteins, neuronal- Synaptobrevin (n-Syb), links vesicles to proteins in the cell membrane. n-Syb contains a highly conserved tryptophan residue at the interface between the membrane and cytosol. We hypothesized that this amino acid may play a functional role during the process of membrane fusion. Indeed, electrophysiological recordings from transgenic flies with tryptophan mutated demonstrated a deleterious effect on membrane fusion.

Congratulations on this exciting advance!

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