Topic: spontaneous neurotransmitter release

Microtubules are key to multiple neuronal functions involving the transport of organelles, however, their relationship to neurotransmitter release is still unresolved. Here, we show that microtubules present in the presynaptic compartment of cholinergic autaptic synapses are dynamic. To investigate how the balance between microtubule growth and shrinkage affects neurotransmission we induced synchronous microtubule depolymerization by photoactivation of the chemical inhibitor SBTub3. The consequence was an increase in spontaneous neurotransmitter release. An analogous effect was obtained by dia

Establishing synaptic connections between neurons is essential for neuronal circuitry and efficient brain communication While the role of neuronal activity in refining and maintaining synapses is well known, we focus on its role, specifically spontaneous neurotransmitter release, for synapse formation between dentate gyrus axons, the mossy fibres (MF), onto CA3 pyramidal cells in the hippocampus. Neurotransmitter release occurs through two primary modes: action potential induced release and spontaneous fusion of synaptic vesicles. These modes are underpinned by distinct pools of vesicles, exhi

Stathmin-2 (STMN2) is a microtubule-associated protein that promotes microtubule instability and is targeted to vesicles. It is well established that STMN2 is upregulated after injury, however, the biological relevance and the mechanisms activated by a transient increase of STMN2 remain unknown. Using Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles as animal model we observed that STMN2 levels peaked in a population of motoneurons three days after the transection of the spinal cord, before tadpoles recovered their swimming capacity within 5 to 7 days. To investigate the possible role of STMN2 in the process of re