The debate on the kiss-and-run fusion at synapses

New views of the human NK cell immunological synapse: recent advances enabled by super- and high-resolution imaging techniques

Imaging technology has undergone rapid growth with the development of super resolution microscopy, which enables resolution below the diffraction barrier of light (~200 nm). In addition, new techniques for single molecule imaging are being added to the cell biologist's arsenal. Immunologists have exploited these techniques to advance understanding of NK biology, particularly that of the immune synapse. The immune synapse's relatively small size and complex architecture combined with its exquisitely controlled signaling milieu have made it a challenge to visualize. In this review we highlight and discuss new insights into NK cell immune synapse formation and regulation revealed by cutting edge imaging techniques, including super-resolution microscopy, high-resolution total internal reflection microscopy, and Förster resonance energy transfer.

What are the mechanisms for analogue and digital signalling in the brain?

Synaptic transmission in the brain generally depends on action potentials. However, recent studies indicate that subthreshold variation in the presynaptic membrane potential also determines spike-evoked transmission. The informational content of each presynaptic action potential is therefore greater than initially expected. The contribution of this synaptic property, which is a fast (from 0.01 to 10 s) and state-dependent modulation of functional coupling, has been largely underestimated and could have important consequences for our understanding of information processing in neural networks. We discuss here how the membrane voltage of the presynaptic terminal might modulate neurotransmitter release by mechanisms that do not involve a change in presynaptic Ca(2+) influx.

Synaptic vesicle endocytosis

Neurons can sustain high rates of synaptic transmission without exhausting their supply of synaptic vesicles. This property relies on a highly efficient local endocytic recycling of synaptic vesicle membranes, which can be reused for hundreds, possibly thousands, of exo-endocytic cycles. Morphological, physiological, molecular, and genetic studies over the last four decades have provided insight into the membrane traffic reactions that govern this recycling and its regulation. These studies have shown that synaptic vesicle endocytosis capitalizes on fundamental and general endocytic mechanisms but also involves neuron-specific adaptations of such mechanisms. Thus, investigations of these processes have advanced not only the field of synaptic transmission but also, more generally, the field of endocytosis. This article summarizes current information on synaptic vesicle endocytosis with an emphasis on the underlying molecular mechanisms and with a special focus on clathrin-mediated endocytosis, the predominant pathway of synaptic vesicle protein internalization.

New insights into molecular players involved in neurotransmitter release

The strength of a synapse can profoundly influence network function. How this strength is set at the molecular level is a key question in neuroscience. Here, we review a simple model of neurotransmission that serves as a convenient framework to discuss recent studies on RIM and synaptotagmin.

Measurements of the acidification kinetics of single SynaptopHluorin vesicles

Uptake of neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles is driven by the proton gradient established across the vesicle membrane. The acidification of synaptic vesicles, therefore, is a crucial component of vesicle function. Here we present measurements of acidification rate constants from isolated, single synaptic vesicles. Vesicles were purified from mice expressing a fusion protein termed SynaptopHluorin created by the fusion of VAMP/synaptobrevin to the pH-sensitive super-ecliptic green fluorescent protein. We calibrated SynaptopHluorin fluorescence to determine the relationship between fluorescence intensity and internal vesicle pH, and used these values to measure the rate constant of vesicle acidification. We also measured the effects of ATP, glutamate, and chloride on acidification. We report acidification time constants of 500 ms to 1 s. The rate of acidification increased with increasing extravesicular concentrations of ATP and glutamate. These data provide an upper and a lower bound for vesicle acidification and indicate that vesicle readiness can be regulated by changes in energy and transmitter availability.

Quantal glutamate release is essential for reliable neuronal encodings in cerebral networks

Background

The neurons and synapses work coordinately to program the brain codes of controlling cognition and behaviors. Spike patterns at the presynaptic neurons regulate synaptic transmission. The quantitative regulations of synapse dynamics in spike encoding at the postsynaptic neurons remain unclear.

Methodology/Principal Findings

With dual whole-cell recordings at synapse-paired cells in mouse cortical slices, we have investigated the regulation of synapse dynamics to neuronal spike encoding at cerebral circuits assembled by pyramidal neurons and GABAergic ones. Our studies at unitary synapses show that postsynaptic responses are constant over time, such as glutamate receptor-channel currents at GABAergic neurons and glutamate transport currents at astrocytes, indicating quantal glutamate release. In terms of its physiological impact, our results demonstrate that the signals integrated from quantal glutamatergic synapses drive spike encoding at GABAergic neurons reliably, which in turn precisely set spike encoding at pyramidal neurons through feedback inhibition.

Conclusion/Significance

Our studies provide the evidences for the quantal glutamate release to drive the spike encodings precisely in cortical circuits, which may be essential for programming the reliable codes in the brain to manage well-organized behaviors.

From the stochasticity of molecular processes to the variability of synaptic transmission

The variability of the postsynaptic response following a single action potential arises from two sources: the neurotransmitter release is probabilistic, and the postsynaptic response to neurotransmitter release has variable timing and amplitude. At individual synapses, the number of molecules of a given type that are involved in these processes is small enough that the stochastic (random) properties of molecular events cannot be neglected. How the stochasticity of molecular processes contributes to the variability of synaptic transmission, its sensitivity and its robustness to molecular fluctuations has important implications for our understanding of the mechanistic basis of synaptic transmission and of synaptic plasticity.

Live imaging of bulk endocytosis in frog motor nerve terminals using FM dyes

We observed endocytosis in real time in stimulated frog motor nerve terminals by imaging the growth of large membrane infoldings labeled with a low concentration of FM dye. The spatial and temporal information made available by these experiments allowed us to image several new aspects of this synaptic vesicle recycling pathway. Membrane infoldings appeared near synaptic vesicle clusters and grew rapidly during long-duration, high-frequency stimulation. In some cases, we observed large, elongated infoldings growing laterally into the terminal. We used these observations to calculate infolding growth rates. A decrease in stimulation frequency caused a decrease in growth rates, but the overall length of these structures was unaffected by frequency changes. Attempts to wash the dye from these infoldings after stimulation were unsuccessful, demonstrating that the fluorescent structures had been endocytosed. We also used this technique to trigger and image infoldings during repeated, short trains. We found that membrane uptake occurred repeatedly at individual endocytosis sites, but only during a portion of the total number of trains delivered to the terminal. Finally, we showed that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, but not actin, was involved in this endocytosis pathway. The ability to monitor many individual bulk endocytosis sites in real time should allow for new types of endocytosis measurements and could reveal novel and unexpected mechanisms for coordinating membrane recovery during synaptic activity.

Inhibition of Ca2+ channels and adrenal catecholamine release by G protein coupled receptors

Catecholamines and other transmitters released from adrenal chromaffin cells play central roles in the "fight-or-flight" response and exert profound effects on cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and nervous system function. As such, precise regulation of chromaffin cell exocytosis is key to maintaining normal physiological function and appropriate responsiveness to acute stress. Chromaffin cells express a number of different G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that sense the local environment and orchestrate this precise control of transmitter release. The primary trigger for catecholamine release is Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, so it makes sense that these channels are subject to complex regulation by GPCRs. In particular G protein βγ heterodimers (Gbc) bind to and inhibit Ca2+ channels. Here I review the mechanisms by which GPCRs inhibit Ca2+ channels in chromaffin cells and how this might be altered by cellular context. This is related to the potent autocrine inhibition of Ca2+ entry and transmitter release seen in chromaffin cells. Recent data that implicate an additional inhibitory target of Gβγ on the exocytotic machinery and how this might fine tune neuroendocrine secretion are also discussed.

Two modes of lytic granule fusion during degranulation by natural killer cells

Lytic granules in cytotoxic lymphocytes, which include T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, are secretory lysosomes that release their content upon fusion with the plasma membrane (PM), a process known as degranulation. Although vesicle exocytosis has been extensively studied in endocrine and neuronal cells, much less is known about the fusion of lytic granules in cytotoxic lymphocytes. Here, we used total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to examine lytic granules labeled with fluorescently tagged Fas ligand (FasL) in the NK cell line NKL stimulated with phorbol ester and ionomycin and in primary NK cells activated by physiological receptor–ligand interactions. Two fusion modes were observed: complete fusion, characterized by loss of granule content and rapid diffusion of FasL at the PM; and incomplete fusion, characterized by transient fusion pore opening and retention of FasL at the fusion site. The pH-sensitive green fluorescence protein (pHluorin) fused to the lumenal domain of FasL was used to visualize fusion pore opening with a time resolution of 30 ms. Upon incomplete fusion, pHluorin emission lasted several seconds in the absence of noticeable diffusion. Thus, we conclude that lytic granules in NK cells undergo both complete and incomplete fusion with the PM, and propose that incomplete fusion may promote efficient recycling of lytic granule membrane after the release of cytotoxic effector molecules.

Protein quantification at the single vesicle level reveals that a subset of synaptic vesicle proteins are trafficked with high precision

Protein sorting represents a potential point of regulation in neurotransmission because it dictates the protein composition of synaptic vesicles, the organelle that mediates transmitter release. Although the average number of most vesicle proteins has been estimated using bulk biochemical approaches (Takamori et al., 2006), no information exists on the intervesicle variability of protein number, and thus on the precision with which proteins are sorted to vesicles. To address this, we adapted a single molecule quantification approach (Mutch et al., 2007) and used it to quantify both the average number and variance of seven integral membrane proteins in brain synaptic vesicles. We report that four vesicle proteins, SV2, the proton ATPase, Vglut1, and synaptotagmin 1, showed little intervesicle variation in number, indicating they are sorted to vesicles with high precision. In contrast, the apparent number of VAMP2/synaptobrevin 2, synaptophysin, and synaptogyrin demonstrated significant intervesicle variability. These findings place constraints on models of protein function at the synapse and raise the possibility that changes in vesicle protein expression affect vesicle composition and functioning.

Polyspermy prevention: facts and artifacts?

The purpose of this review is to open a debate as to whether or not oocytes actively repel supernumerary sperm or in nature final sperm: oocyte ratios are so low that polyspermy preventing mechanisms are not necessary. Before encountering the oocyte, spermatozoa need to be primed, either by environmental factors as in animals exhibiting external fertilization, or by factors from the female reproductive tract, as in mammals. The spermatozoon must then recognize and interact with the outer layers of the oocyte and progression of the fertilizing spermatozoon through these layers is further controlled and modulated by a precise sequence of signals in situ. Removal of these outer coats may not inhibit fertilization, however does interfere with the dynamics of sperm-oocyte interaction. We propose that monospermy in mammals and sea urchins, under natural conditions, is ensured by the controlled and gradual encounter of a minimum number of spermatozoa with the oocyte and that fine tuning is ensured by the structural and molecular organization of the oocyte and its surrounding coats. We suggest that laboratory experiments using oocytes deprived of their investments and exposed to unnaturally high concentrations of spermatozoa are artifactual and argue that the conclusions leading to the hypothesis of a fast electrical block to polyspermy are unfounded. Under laboratory conditions the majority of spermatozoa, although motile and capable of attaching to the oocyte surface, are either physiologically incompetent or attach to areas of the oocyte surface that do not support entry.

Frequency-dependent modes of synaptic vesicle endocytosis and exocytosis at adult mouse neuromuscular junctions

During locomotion, adult rodent lumbar motoneurons fire in high-frequency (80-100 Hz) 1-2 s bursts every several seconds, releasing between 10,000 and 20,000 vesicles per burst. The estimated total vesicle pool size indicates that all vesicles would be used within 30 s; thus, a mechanism for rapid endocytosis and vesicle recycling is necessary to maintain effective transmission and motor behavior. However, whether such rapid recycling exists at mouse neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) or how it is regulated has been unclear. Here, we show that much less FM1-43 dye is lost per stimulus with 100 Hz stimulation than with 10 Hz stimulation even when the same number of vesicles undergo exocytosis. Electrophysiological data using folimycin show this lesser amount of dye loss is caused in part by the rapid reuse of vesicles. We showed previously that a myosin light chain kinase (MLCK)-myosin II pathway was required for effective transmission at 100 Hz. Here, we confirm the activation of MLCK, based on increased nerve terminal phospho-MLC immunostaining, with 100 Hz but not with 10 Hz stimulation. We further demonstrate that activation of MLCK, by increased extracellular Ca(2+), by PKC (protein kinase C) activation, or by a MLCK agonist peptide, reduces the amount of dye lost even with 10 Hz stimulation. MLCK activation at 10 Hz also resulted in more vesicles being rapidly reused. Thus, MLCK activation by 100 Hz stimulation switches the mechanism of vesicle cycling to a rapid-reuse mode and is required to sustain effective transmission in adult mouse NMJs.

Compensatory endocytosis in bladder umbrella cells occurs through an integrin-regulated and RhoA- and dynamin-dependent pathway

Compensatory endocytosis (CE) ensures recycling of membrane components and maintenance of plasma membrane size; however, the mechanisms, regulation, and physiological functions of clathrin-independent modes of CE are poorly understood. CE was studied in umbrella cells, which undergo regulated exocytosis of subapical discoidal/fusiform vesicles (DFV) during bladder filling, and may then replenish the pool of DFV by internalizing apical membrane during voiding. We found that voiding-stimulated CE, which depended on beta(1) integrin-associated signalling pathways, occurred by a dynamin-, actin-, and RhoA-regulated mechanism and was independent of caveolins, clathrin, and flotillin. Internalized apical membrane and fluid were initially found in ZO-1-positive vesicles, which were distinct from DFV, classical early endosomes, or the Golgi, and subsequently in lysosomes. We conclude that clathrin-independent CE in umbrella cells functions to recover membrane during voiding, is integrin regulated, occurs by a RhoA- and dynamin-dependent pathway, and terminates in degradation and not recapture of membrane in DFV.

Rapid endocytosis does not recycle vesicles within the readily releasable pool

Endocytosis is essential in maintaining exocytosis at secretory cells. Rapid endocytosis with a time course less than a few seconds is widely observed at nerve terminals and non-neuronal secretory cells. It is generally assumed that rapid endocytosis recycles vesicles within the readily releasable pool (RRP) via a kiss-and-run mechanism that involves rapid opening and closure of a fusion pore at the release site. The present work suggests that both rapid (tau less than approximately 2 s) and slow (tau = approximately 10-20 s) endocytosis do not recycle vesicles to the RRP but to a recycling pool at least a few times larger than the RRP at a nerve terminal, the calyx of Held in rat brainstem. Challenging the long-held view that rapid endocytosis offers a rapid, local vesicle recycling within the RRP, our finding calls for reconsideration of the function and the underlying mechanism of rapid endocytosis. We suggest that rapid endocytosis provides the nerve terminal the ability to recycle vesicles rapidly via the recycling pool and to maintain the normal morphology of the nerve terminal, including the release site, by rapidly clearing the fused vesicle membrane from the release site during intense firing.

Activity-dependent bulk synaptic vesicle endocytosis--a fast, high capacity membrane retrieval mechanism

Central nerve terminals are placed under considerable stress during intense stimulation due to large numbers of synaptic vesicles (SVs) fusing with the plasma membrane. Classical clathrin-dependent SV endocytosis cannot correct for the large increase in nerve terminal surface area in the short term, due to its slow kinetics and low capacity. During such intense stimulation, an additional SV retrieval pathway is recruited called bulk endocytosis. Recent studies have shown that bulk endocytosis fulfils all of the physiological requirements to remedy the acute changes in nerve terminal surface area to allow the nerve terminal to continue to function. This review will summarise the recent developments in the field that characterise the physiology of bulk endocytosis which show that it is a fast, activity-dependent and high capacity mechanism that is essential for the function of central nerve terminals.

The Rho-linked mental retardation protein OPHN1 controls synaptic vesicle endocytosis via endophilin A1

Neurons transmit information at chemical synapses by releasing neurotransmitters that are stored in synaptic vesicles (SVs) at the presynaptic site. After release, these vesicles need to be efficiently retrieved in order to maintain synaptic transmission. In concurrence, malfunctions in SV recycling have been associated with cognitive disorders. Oligophrenin-1 (OPHN1) encodes a Rho-GTPase-activating protein (Rho-GAP) whose loss of function causes X-linked mental retardation. OPHN1 is highly expressed in the brain and present both pre- and postsynaptically in neurons. Previous studies report that postsynaptic OPHN1 is important for dendritic spine morphogenesis, but its function at the presynaptic site remains largely unexplored. Here, we present evidence that reduced or defective OPHN1 signaling impairs SV cycling at hippocampal synapses. In particular, we show that OPHN1 knockdown affects the kinetic efficiency of endocytosis. We further demonstrate that OPHN1 forms a complex with endophilin A1, a protein implicated in membrane curvature generation during SV endocytosis and, importantly, that OPHN1's interaction with endophilin A1 and its Rho-GAP activity are important for its function in SV endocytosis. Our findings suggest that defects in efficient SV retrieval may contribute to the pathogenesis of OPHN1-linked cognitive impairment.

The probability of neurotransmitter release: variability and feedback control at single synapses

Information transfer at chemical synapses occurs when vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane and release neurotransmitter. This process is stochastic and its likelihood of occurrence is a crucial factor in the regulation of signal propagation in neuronal networks. The reliability of neurotransmitter release can be highly variable: experimental data from electrophysiological, molecular and imaging studies have demonstrated that synaptic terminals can individually set their neurotransmitter release probability dynamically through local feedback regulation. This local tuning of transmission has important implications for current models of single-neuron computation.

Mechanisms of endocytosis

Endocytic mechanisms control the lipid and protein composition of the plasma membrane, thereby regulating how cells interact with their environments. Here, we review what is known about mammalian endocytic mechanisms, with focus on the cellular proteins that control these events. We discuss the well-studied clathrin-mediated endocytic mechanisms and dissect endocytic pathways that proceed independently of clathrin. These clathrin-independent pathways include the CLIC/GEEC endocytic pathway, arf6-dependent endocytosis, flotillin-dependent endocytosis, macropinocytosis, circular doral ruffles, phagocytosis, and trans-endocytosis. We also critically review the role of caveolae and caveolin1 in endocytosis. We highlight the roles of lipids, membrane curvature-modulating proteins, small G proteins, actin, and dynamin in endocytic pathways. We discuss the functional relevance of distinct endocytic pathways and emphasize the importance of studying these pathways to understand human disease processes.

Enhanced quantal release of excitatory transmitter in anterior cingulate cortex of adult mice with chronic pain

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a forebrain structure that plays important roles in emotion, learning, memory and persistent pain. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission was induced by peripheral inflammation and nerve injury in ACC synapses. However, little information is available on their presynaptic mechanisms, since the source of the enhanced synaptic transmission could include the enhanced probability of neurotransmitter release at existing release sites and/or increases in the number of available vesicles. The present study aims to perform quantal analysis of excitatory synapses in the ACC with chronic pain to examine the source of these increases. The quantal analysis revealed that both probability of transmitter release and number of available vesicles were increased in a mouse model of peripheral inflammation, whereas only probability of transmitter release but not number of available vesicles was enhanced in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. In addition, we compared the miniature excitatory postsynaptic potentials (mEPSCs) in ACC synapses with those in other pain-related brain areas such as the amygdala and spinal cord. Interestingly, the rate and amplitude of mEPSCs in ACC synapses were significantly lower than those in the amygdala and spinal cord. Our studies provide strong evidences that chronic inflammatory pain increases both probability of transmitter release and number of available vesicles, whereas neuropathic pain increases only probability of transmitter release in the ACC synapses.

Neurotransmitters and peptides: whispered secrets and public announcements

The magnocellular oxytocin and vasopressin neurones of the hypothalamus are now understood in exceptional detail. Extensive quantitative details from many independent sources are available describing the electrical activity of the neurones in diverse circumstances, the subcellular localization of vesicles, and rates of hormone secretion from nerve endings into the blood and from dendrites into the brain. These data enable the relationship of electrical (spike) activity to vesicle exocytosis to be inferred with some precision. Such calculations lead to the conclusion that exocytosis of peptide-containing vesicles is a relatively rare event even in this vesicle-dense system. At any given release site in the neurohypophysis, it seems that several hundred spikes are needed on average to release a single vesicle. Release from compartments within the brain seems also to be very rare, making it implausible that peptides can act in a temporally precise, anatomically specific manner. However, very large amounts of peptide are released by these infrequent events, consistent with their likely role as neurohormonal messengers.

Inactivation of clathrin heavy chain inhibits synaptic recycling but allows bulk membrane uptake

Synaptic vesicle reformation depends on clathrin, an abundant protein that polymerizes around newly forming vesicles. However, how clathrin is involved in synaptic recycling in vivo remains unresolved. We test clathrin function during synaptic endocytosis using clathrin heavy chain (chc) mutants combined with chc photoinactivation to circumvent early embryonic lethality associated with chc mutations in multicellular organisms. Acute inactivation of chc at stimulated synapses leads to substantial membrane internalization visualized by live dye uptake and electron microscopy. However, chc-inactivated membrane cannot recycle and participate in vesicle release, resulting in a dramatic defect in neurotransmission maintenance during intense synaptic activity. Furthermore, inactivation of chc in the context of other endocytic mutations results in membrane uptake. Our data not only indicate that chc is critical for synaptic vesicle recycling but they also show that in the absence of the protein, bulk retrieval mediates massive synaptic membrane internalization.

Hypotonicity and peptide discharge from a single vesicle

Neuroendocrine secretory vesicles discharge their cargo in response to a stimulus, but the nature of this event is poorly understood. We studied the release of the pituitary hormone prolactin by hypotonicity, because this hormone also contributes to osmoregulation. In perfused rat lactotrophs, hypotonicity resulted in a transient increase followed by a sustained depression of prolactin release, as monitored by radioimmunoassay. In single cells imaged by confocal microscopy, hypotonicity elicited discharge of the fluorescently labeled atrial natriuretic peptide cargo from approximately 2% of vesicles/cell. In contrast, KCl-induced depolarization resulted in a response of approximately 10% of vesicles/cell, with different unloading/loading time course of the two fluorescent probes. In cell-attached studies, discrete changes in membrane capacitance were recorded in both unstimulated and stimulated conditions, reflecting single vesicle fusion/fissions with the plasma membrane. In stimulated cells, the probability of occurrence of full fusion events was low and unchanged, whereas over 95% of fusion events were transient, with the open fusion pore probability, the average pore dwell-time, the frequency of occurrence, and the fusion pore conductance increased. Hypotonicity only rarely elicited new fusion events in silent membrane patches. The results indicate that, in hypotonicity-stimulated lactotrophs, transient vesicle fusion mediates hormone release.

Synaptic endocytosis: illuminating the role of clathrin assembly

Acute photo-inactivation of clathrin in Drosophila synapses sheds new light on a 35-year-old debate over mechanisms of synaptic-vesicle endocytosis: clathrin is essential for reformation of functional synaptic vesicles, but not for bulk membrane internalization.

Synaptic vesicle protein trafficking at the glutamate synapse

Expression of the integral and associated proteins of synaptic vesicles is subject to regulation over time, by region, and in response to activity. The process by which changes in protein levels and isoforms result in different properties of neurotransmitter release involves protein trafficking to the synaptic vesicle. How newly synthesized proteins are incorporated into synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic bouton is poorly understood. During synaptogenesis, synaptic vesicle proteins sort through the secretory pathway and are transported down the axon in precursor vesicles that undergo maturation to form synaptic vesicles. Changes in protein content of synaptic vesicles could involve the formation of new vesicles that either mix with the previous complement of vesicles or replace them, presumably by their degradation or inactivation. Alternatively, new proteins could individually incorporate into existing synaptic vesicles, changing their functional properties. Glutamatergic vesicles likely express many of the same integral membrane proteins and share certain common mechanisms of biogenesis, recycling, and degradation with other synaptic vesicles. However, glutamatergic vesicles are defined by their ability to package glutamate for release, a property conferred by the expression of a vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT). VGLUTs are subject to regional, developmental, and activity-dependent changes in expression. In addition, VGLUT isoforms differ in their trafficking, which may target them to different pathways during biogenesis or after recycling, which may in turn sort them to different vesicle pools. Emerging data indicate that differences in the association of VGLUTs and other synaptic vesicle proteins with endocytic adaptors may influence their trafficking. These observations indicate that independent regulation of synaptic vesicle protein trafficking has the potential to influence synaptic vesicle protein composition, the maintenance of synaptic vesicle pools, and the release of glutamate in response to changing physiological requirements.