IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v423y2003i6943d10.1038_nature01755.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

α-Neurexins couple Ca2+ channels to synaptic vesicle exocytosis

Author

Listed:
  • Markus Missler

    (Center for Basic Neuroscience, Department of Molecular Genetics
    The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
    Zentrum Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Georg-August Universität)

  • Weiqi Zhang

    (Zentrum Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Georg-August Universität)

  • Astrid Rohlmann

    (Zentrum Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Georg-August Universität)

  • Gunnar Kattenstroth

    (Lehrstuhl für Zellphysiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

  • Robert E. Hammer

    (Center for Basic Neuroscience, Department of Biochemistry
    The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)

  • Kurt Gottmann

    (Lehrstuhl für Zellphysiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

  • Thomas C. Südhof

    (Center for Basic Neuroscience, Department of Molecular Genetics
    The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)

Abstract

Synapses are specialized intercellular junctions in which cell adhesion molecules connect the presynaptic machinery for neurotransmitter release to the postsynaptic machinery for receptor signalling. Neurotransmitter release requires the presynaptic co-assembly of Ca2+ channels with the secretory apparatus, but little is known about how synaptic components are organized. α-Neurexins, a family of >1,000 presynaptic cell-surface proteins encoded by three genes, link the pre- and postsynaptic compartments of synapses by binding extracellularly to postsynaptic cell adhesion molecules and intracellularly to presynaptic PDZ domain proteins. Using triple-knockout mice, we show that α-neurexins are not required for synapse formation, but are essential for Ca2+-triggered neurotransmitter release. Neurotransmitter release is impaired because synaptic Ca2+ channel function is markedly reduced, although the number of cell-surface Ca2+ channels appears normal. These data suggest that α-neurexins organize presynaptic terminals by functionally coupling Ca2+ channels to the presynaptic machinery.

Suggested Citation

  • Markus Missler & Weiqi Zhang & Astrid Rohlmann & Gunnar Kattenstroth & Robert E. Hammer & Kurt Gottmann & Thomas C. Südhof, 2003. "α-Neurexins couple Ca2+ channels to synaptic vesicle exocytosis," Nature, Nature, vol. 423(6943), pages 939-948, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:423:y:2003:i:6943:d:10.1038_nature01755
    DOI: 10.1038/nature01755
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature01755
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature01755?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alessandra Sclip & Thomas C. Südhof, 2023. "Combinatorial expression of neurexins and LAR-type phosphotyrosine phosphatase receptors instructs assembly of a cerebellar circuit," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Justin H. Trotter & Cosmos Yuqi Wang & Peng Zhou & George Nakahara & Thomas C. Südhof, 2023. "A combinatorial code of neurexin-3 alternative splicing controls inhibitory synapses via a trans-synaptic dystroglycan signaling loop," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-22, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:423:y:2003:i:6943:d:10.1038_nature01755. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.