Stabilization of spontaneous neurotransmitter release at ribbon synapses by ribbon-specific subtypes of complexin

Nanophysiology Approach Reveals Diversity in Calcium Microdomains across Zebrafish Retinal Bipolar Ribbon Synapses

Rapid and high local calcium (Ca 2+ ) signals are essential for triggering neurotransmitter release from presynaptic terminals. In specialized bipolar ribbon synapses of the retina, these local Ca 2+ signals control multiple processes, including the priming, docking, and translocation of vesicles on the ribbon before exocytosis, endocytosis, and the replenishment of release-ready vesicles to the fusion sites for sustained neurotransmission. However, our knowledge about Ca 2+ signals along the axis of the ribbon active zone is limited. Here, we used fast confocal quantitative dual-color ratiometric line-scan imaging of a fluorescently labeled ribbon binding peptide and Ca 2+ indicators to monitor the spatial and temporal aspects of Ca 2+ transients of individual ribbon active zones in zebrafish retinal rod bipolar cells (RBCs). We observed that a Ca 2+ transient elicited a much greater fluorescence amplitude when the Ca 2+ indicator was conjugated to a ribeye-binding peptide than when using a soluble Ca 2+ indicator, and the estimated Ca 2+ levels at the ribbon active zone exceeded 26 μM in response to a 10-millisecond stimulus, as measured by a ribbon-bound low-affinity Ca 2+ indicator. Our quantitative modeling of Ca 2+ diffusion and buffering is consistent with this estimate and provides a detailed view of the spatiotemporal [Ca 2+ ] dynamics near the ribbon. Importantly, our data demonstrates that the local Ca 2+ levels may vary between ribbons of different RBCs and within the same cells. The variation in local Ca 2+ signals is correlated to ribbon size, which in turn correlates with active zone extent, as serial electron microscopy provides new information about the heterogeneity in ribbon size, shape, and area of the ribbon in contact with the plasma membrane.

Complexin regulation of synaptic vesicle release: mechanisms in the central nervous system and specialized retinal ribbon synapses

Synaptic ribbons, recognized for their pivotal role in conveying sensory signals in the visual pathway, are intricate assemblages of presynaptic proteins. Complexin (CPX) regulates synaptic vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release by modulating the assembly of the soluble NSF attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex, ensuring precise signal transmission in the retina and the broader central nervous system (CNS). While CPX1 or CPX2 isoforms (CPX1/2) play crucial roles in classical CNS synapses, CPX3 or CPX4 isoforms (CPX3/4) specifically regulate retinal ribbon synapses. These isoforms are essential for sustaining synaptic plasticity related to light signaling, adapting to changes in circadian rhythms, and dynamically regulating visual function under varying light conditions. This review explores the regulation of synaptic vesicle release by CPX in both the CNS and retinal ribbon synapses, with a focus on the mechanisms governing CPX3/4 function in the retina. Additionally, by reviewing the role of CPX and ribbon synapse dysfunction in non-retinal diseases, we further hypothesize the potential mechanisms of CPX in retinal diseases and propose therapeutic strategies targeting CPX to address retinal and CNS disorders associated with synaptic dysfunction.

Presynaptic Proteins and Their Roles in Visual Processing by the Retina

The sense of vision begins in the retina, where light is detected and processed through a complex series of synaptic connections into meaningful information relayed to the brain via retinal ganglion cells. Light responses begin as tonic and graded signals in photoreceptors, later emerging from the retina as a series of spikes from ganglion cells. Processing by the retina extracts critical features of the visual world, including spatial frequency, temporal frequency, motion direction, color, contrast, and luminance. To achieve this, the retina has evolved specialized and unique synapse types. These include the ribbon synapses of photoreceptors and bipolar cells, the dendritic synapses of amacrine and horizontal cells, and unconventional synaptic feedback from horizontal cells to photoreceptors. We review these unique synapses in the retina with a focus on the presynaptic molecules and physiological properties that shape their capabilities.

Complexin Membrane Interactions: Implications for Synapse Evolution and Function

The molecules and mechanisms behind chemical synaptic transmission have been explored for decades. For several of the core proteins involved in synaptic vesicle fusion, we now have a reasonably detailed grasp of their biochemical, structural, and functional properties. Complexin is one of the key synaptic proteins for which a simple mechanistic understanding is still lacking. Living up to its name, this small protein has been associated with a variety of roles differing between synapses and between species, but little consensus has been reached on its fundamental modes of action. Much attention has been paid to its deeply conserved SNARE-binding properties, while membrane-binding features of complexin and their functional significance have yet to be explored to the same degree. In this review, we summarize the known membrane interactions of the complexin C-terminal domain and their potential relevance to its function, synaptic localization, and evolutionary history.

Cell Types and Synapses Expressing the SNARE Complex Regulating Proteins Complexin 1 and Complexin 2 in Mammalian Retina

Complexins (Cplxs) 1 to 4 are components of the presynaptic compartment of chemical synapses where they regulate important steps in synaptic vesicle exocytosis. In the retina, all four Cplxs are present, and while we know a lot about Cplxs 3 and 4, little is known about Cplxs 1 and 2. Here, we performed in situ hybridization experiments and bioinformatics and exploited Cplx 1 and Cplx 2 single-knockout mice combined with immunocytochemistry and light microscopy to characterize in detail the cell type and synapse-specific distribution of Cplx 1 and Cplx 2. We found that Cplx 2 and not Cplx 1 is the main isoform expressed in normal and displaced amacrine cells and ganglion cells in mouse retinae and that amacrine cells seem to operate with a single Cplx isoform at their conventional chemical synapses. Surprising was the finding that retinal function, determined with electroretinographic recordings, was altered in Cplx 1 but not Cplx 2 single-knockout mice. In summary, the results provide an important basis for future studies on the function of Cplxs 1 and 2 in the processing of visual signals in the mammalian retina.

Complexin Suppresses Spontaneous Exocytosis by Capturing the Membrane-Proximal Regions of VAMP2 and SNAP25

The neuronal protein complexin contains multiple domains that exert clamping and facilitatory functions to tune spontaneous and action potential-triggered synaptic release. We address the clamping mechanism and show that the accessory helix of complexin arrests assembly of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex that forms the core machinery of intracellular membrane fusion. In a reconstituted fusion assay, site-and stage-specific photo-cross-linking reveals that, prior to fusion, the complexin accessory helix laterally binds the membrane-proximal C-terminal ends of SNAP25 and VAMP2. Corresponding complexin interface mutants selectively increase spontaneous release of neuro-transmitters in living neurons, implying that the accessory helix suppresses final zippering/assembly of the SNARE four-helix bundle by restraining VAMP2 and SNAP25.

The Accessory Helix of Complexin Stabilizes a Partially Unzippered State of the SNARE Complex and Mediates the Complexin Clamping Function In Vivo

Spontaneous synaptic transmission is regulated by the protein complexin (Cpx). Cpx binds the SNARE complex, a coil-coiled four-helical bundle that mediates the attachment of a synaptic vesicle (SV) to the presynaptic membrane (PM). Cpx is thought to clamp spontaneous fusion events by stabilizing a partially unraveled state of the SNARE bundle; however, the molecular detail of this mechanism is still debated. We combined electrophysiology, molecular modeling, and site-directed mutagenesis in Drosophila to develop and validate the atomic model of the Cpx-mediated clamped state of the SNARE complex. We took advantage of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) B and G, which cleave the SNARE protein synaptobrevin (Syb) at different sites. Monitoring synaptic depression on BoNT loading revealed that the clamped state of the SNARE complex has two or three unraveled helical turns of Syb. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the Cpx clamping function is predominantly maintained by its accessory helix (AH), while molecular modeling suggested that the Cpx AH interacts with the unraveled C terminus of Syb and the SV lipid bilayer. The developed molecular model was employed to design new Cpx poor-clamp and super-clamp mutations and to tested the predictions in silico employing molecular dynamics simulations. Subsequently, we generated Drosophila lines harboring these mutations and confirmed the poor-clamp and super-clamp phenotypes in vivo. Altogether, these results validate the atomic model of the Cpx-mediated fusion clamp, wherein the Cpx AH inserts between the SNARE bundle and the SV lipid bilayer, simultaneously binding the unraveled C terminus of Syb and preventing full SNARE assembly.

Transmission at rod and cone ribbon synapses in the retina

Light-evoked voltage responses of rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the vertebrate retina must be converted to a train of synaptic vesicle release events for transmission to downstream neurons. This review discusses the processes, proteins, and structures that shape this critical early step in vision, focusing on studies from salamander retina with comparisons to other experimental animals. Many mechanisms are conserved across species. In cones, glutamate release is confined to ribbon release sites although rods are also capable of release at non-ribbon sites. The role of non-ribbon release in rods remains unclear. Release from synaptic ribbons in rods and cones involves at least three vesicle pools: a readily releasable pool (RRP) matching the number of membrane-associated vesicles along the ribbon base, a ribbon reserve pool matching the number of additional vesicles on the ribbon, and an enormous cytoplasmic reserve. Vesicle release increases in parallel with Ca²⁺ channel activity. While the opening of only a few Ca²⁺ channels beneath each ribbon can trigger fusion of a single vesicle, sustained release rates in darkness are governed by the rate at which the RRP can be replenished. The number of vacant release sites, their functional status, and the rate of vesicle delivery in turn govern replenishment. Along with an overview of the mechanisms of exocytosis and endocytosis, we consider specific properties of ribbon-associated proteins and pose a number of remaining questions about this first synapse in the visual system.

Functional Roles of Complexin 3 and Complexin 4 at Mouse Photoreceptor Ribbon Synapses

Complexins (Cplxs) are SNARE complex regulators controlling the speed and Ca(2+) sensitivity of SNARE-mediated synaptic vesicle fusion. We have shown previously that photoreceptor ribbon synapses in mouse retina are equipped with Cplx3 and Cplx4 and that lack of both Cplxs perturbs photoreceptor ribbon synaptic function; however, Cplx3/4 function in photoreceptor synaptic transmission remained elusive. To investigate Cplx3/4 function in photoreceptor ribbon synapses, voltage-clamp recordings from postsynaptic horizontal cells were performed in horizontal slice preparations of Cplx3/4 wild-type (WT) and Cplx3/4 double knock-out (DKO) mice. We measured tonic activity in light and dark, current responses to changes in luminous intensity, and electrically evoked postsynaptic responses. Cplx3/4 decreased the frequency of tonic events and shifted their amplitude distribution to smaller values. Light responses were sustained in the presence of Cplx3/4, but transient in their absence. Finally, Cplx3/4 increased synaptic vesicle release evoked by electrical stimulation. Using electron microscopy, we quantified the number of synaptic vesicles at presynaptic ribbons after light or dark adaptation. In Cplx3/4 WT photoreceptors, the number of synaptic vesicles associated with the ribbon base close to the release site was significantly lower in light than in dark. This is in contrast to Cplx3/4 DKO photoreceptors, in which the number of ribbon-associated synaptic vesicles remained unchanged regardless of the adaptational state. Our results indicate a suppressing and a facilitating action of Cplx3/4 on Ca(2+)-dependent tonic and evoked neurotransmitter release, respectively, and a regulatory role in the adaptation-dependent availability of synaptic vesicles for release at photoreceptor ribbon synapses.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Synaptic vesicle fusion at active zones of chemical synapses is executed by SNARE complexes. Complexins (Cplxs) are SNARE complex regulators and photoreceptor ribbon synapses are equipped with Cplx3 and Cplx4. The absence of both Cplxs perturbs ribbon synaptic function. Because we lack information on Cplx function in photoreceptor synaptic transmission, we investigated Cplx function using voltage-clamp recordings from postsynaptic horizontal cells of Cplx3/4 wild-type and Cplx3/4 double knock-out mice and quantified synaptic vesicle number at the ribbon after light and dark adaptation using electron microscopy. The findings reveal a suppressing action of Cplx3/4 on tonic neurotransmitter release, a facilitating action on evoked release, and a regulatory role of Cplx3/4 in the adaptation-dependent availability of synaptic vesicles at mouse photoreceptor ribbon synapses.

Evolutionary Divergence of the C-terminal Domain of Complexin Accounts for Functional Disparities between Vertebrate and Invertebrate Complexins

Complexin is a critical presynaptic protein that regulates both spontaneous and calcium-triggered neurotransmitter release in all synapses. Although the SNARE-binding central helix of complexin is highly conserved and required for all known complexin functions, the remainder of the protein has profoundly diverged across the animal kingdom. Striking disparities in complexin inhibitory activity are observed between vertebrate and invertebrate complexins but little is known about the source of these differences or their relevance to the underlying mechanism of complexin regulation. We found that mouse complexin 1 (mCpx1) failed to inhibit neurotransmitter secretion in Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junctions lacking the worm complexin 1 (CPX-1). This lack of inhibition stemmed from differences in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of mCpx1. Previous studies revealed that the CTD selectively binds to highly curved membranes and directs complexin to synaptic vesicles. Although mouse and worm complexin have similar lipid binding affinity, their last few amino acids differ in both hydrophobicity and in lipid binding conformation, and these differences strongly impacted CPX-1 inhibitory function. Moreover, function was not maintained if a critical amphipathic helix in the worm CPX-1 CTD was replaced with the corresponding mCpx1 amphipathic helix. Invertebrate complexins generally shared more C-terminal similarity with vertebrate complexin 3 and 4 isoforms, and the amphipathic region of mouse complexin 3 significantly restored inhibitory function to worm CPX-1. We hypothesize that the CTD of complexin is essential in conferring an inhibitory function to complexin, and that this inhibitory activity has been attenuated in the vertebrate complexin 1 and 2 isoforms. Thus, evolutionary changes in the complexin CTD differentially shape its synaptic role across phylogeny.

Enlargement of Ribbons in Zebrafish Hair Cells Increases Calcium Currents But Disrupts Afferent Spontaneous Activity and Timing of Stimulus Onset

In sensory hair cells of auditory and vestibular organs, the ribbon synapse is required for the precise encoding of a wide range of complex stimuli. Hair cells have a unique presynaptic structure, the synaptic ribbon, which organizes both synaptic vesicles and calcium channels at the active zone. Previous work has shown that hair-cell ribbon size is correlated with differences in postsynaptic activity. However, additional variability in postsynapse size presents a challenge to determining the specific role of ribbon size in sensory encoding. To selectively assess the impact of ribbon size on synapse function, we examined hair cells in transgenic zebrafish that have enlarged ribbons, without postsynaptic alterations. Morphologically, we found that enlarged ribbons had more associated vesicles and reduced presynaptic calcium-channel clustering. Functionally, hair cells with enlarged ribbons had larger global and ribbon-localized calcium currents. Afferent neuron recordings revealed that hair cells with enlarged ribbons resulted in reduced spontaneous spike rates. Additionally, despite larger presynaptic calcium signals, we observed fewer evoked spikes with longer latencies from stimulus onset. Together, our work indicates that hair-cell ribbon size influences the spontaneous spiking and the precise encoding of stimulus onset in afferent neurons.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Numerous studies support that hair-cell ribbon size corresponds with functional sensitivity differences in afferent neurons and, in the case of inner hair cells of the cochlea, vulnerability to damage from noise trauma. Yet it is unclear whether ribbon size directly influences sensory encoding. Our study reveals that ribbon enlargement results in increased ribbon-localized calcium signals, yet reduces afferent spontaneous activity and disrupts the timing of stimulus onset, a distinct aspect of auditory and vestibular encoding. These observations suggest that varying ribbon size alone can influence sensory encoding, and give further insight into how hair cells transduce signals that cover a wide dynamic range of stimuli.

Mechanisms, pools, and sites of spontaneous vesicle release at synapses of rod and cone photoreceptors

Photoreceptors have depolarized resting potentials that stimulate calcium-dependent release continuously from a large vesicle pool but neurons can also release vesicles without stimulation. We characterized the Ca(2+) dependence, vesicle pools, and release sites involved in spontaneous release at photoreceptor ribbon synapses. In whole-cell recordings from light-adapted horizontal cells (HCs) of tiger salamander retina, we detected miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents (mEPSCs) when no stimulation was applied to promote exocytosis. Blocking Ca(2+) influx by lowering extracellular Ca(2+) , by application of Cd(2+) and other agents reduced the frequency of mEPSCs but did not eliminate them, indicating that mEPSCs can occur independently of Ca(2+) . We also measured release presynaptically from rods and cones by examining quantal glutamate transporter anion currents. Presynaptic quantal event frequency was reduced by Cd(2+) or by increased intracellular Ca(2+) buffering in rods, but not in cones, that were voltage clamped at -70 mV. By inhibiting the vesicle cycle with bafilomycin, we found the frequency of mEPSCs declined more rapidly than the amplitude of evoked excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) suggesting a possible separation between vesicle pools in evoked and spontaneous exocytosis. We mapped sites of Ca(2+) -independent release using total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to visualize fusion of individual vesicles loaded with dextran-conjugated pHrodo. Spontaneous release in rods occurred more frequently at non-ribbon sites than evoked release events. The function of Ca(2+) -independent spontaneous release at continuously active photoreceptor synapses remains unclear, but the low frequency of spontaneous quanta limits their impact on noise.

Nanoscale dynamics of synaptic vesicle trafficking and fusion at the presynaptic active zone

The cytomatrix at the active zone (CAZ) is a macromolecular complex that facilitates the supply of release-ready synaptic vesicles to support neurotransmitter release at synapses. To reveal the dynamics of this supply process in living synapses, we used super-resolution imaging to track single vesicles at voltage-clamped presynaptic terminals of retinal bipolar neurons, whose CAZ contains a specialized structure—the synaptic ribbon—that supports both fast, transient and slow, sustained modes of transmission. We find that the synaptic ribbon serves a dual function as a conduit for diffusion of synaptic vesicles and a platform for vesicles to fuse distal to the plasma membrane itself, via compound fusion. The combination of these functions allows the ribbon-type CAZ to achieve the continuous transmitter release required by synapses of neurons that carry tonic, graded visual signals in the retina.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13245.001

Neurons communicate with one another through junctions known as synapses. When a neuron is activated, it triggers the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters at the synapse, which bind to and activate neighbouring neurons. Neurons involved in vision, sound and balance contain “ribbon” synapses, which are able to release neurotransmitters steadily over longer periods of time than other types of synapse.

Neurotransmitters inside neurons are packaged into small structures called vesicles, which can then fuse with the cell’s surface membrane to release the neurotransmitters from the cell. Unlike other types of synapse, ribbon synapses are able to release these vesicles in a continuous fashion. How vesicles move around at the synapses remains poorly understood because monitoring the vesicles in living cells is technically difficult and previous studies were limited to tracking vesicles in a small part of the synapse. Now, Vaithianathan et al. overcome these technical hurdles to follow the movement of vesicles across whole ribbon synapses in zebrafish eyes.

The experiments use fluorescent proteins to track the movement of the vesicles under a microscope. Vaithianathan et al. find that vesicles at ribbon synapses move very little when the neurons are not active. However, when the neurons are activated, the vesicles that are near the cell membrane fuse with it and release their neurotransmitters. Other vesicles that are further away from the membrane then move to fill in the spaces vacated by the fusing vesicles.

Further experiments show that some of the vesicles that are further away from the membrane can fuse with vesicles that have already released their neurotransmitter but remain in place at the membrane. This process – known as compound fusion – allows neurotransmitters to be released over a longer period of time by providing a path for vesicles to release neurotransmitters without having to approach the membrane first. The next challenge is to develop a computational model using the data from this study to better understand how ribbon synapses work.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13245.002

Molecular underpinnings of synaptic vesicle pool heterogeneity

Neuronal communication relies on chemical synaptic transmission for information transfer and processing. Chemical neurotransmission is initiated by synaptic vesicle fusion with the presynaptic active zone resulting in release of neurotransmitters. Classical models have assumed that all synaptic vesicles within a synapse have the same potential to fuse under different functional contexts. In this model, functional differences among synaptic vesicle populations are ascribed to their spatial distribution in the synapse with respect to the active zone. Emerging evidence suggests, however, that synaptic vesicles are not a homogenous population of organelles, and they possess intrinsic molecular differences and differential interaction partners. Recent studies have reported a diverse array of synaptic molecules that selectively regulate synaptic vesicles' ability to fuse synchronously and asynchronously in response to action potentials or spontaneously irrespective of action potentials. Here we discuss these molecular mediators of vesicle pool heterogeneity that are found on the synaptic vesicle membrane, on the presynaptic plasma membrane, or within the cytosol and consider some of the functional consequences of this diversity. This emerging molecular framework presents novel avenues to probe synaptic function and uncover how synaptic vesicle pools impact neuronal signaling.

Complexins: small but capable

Despite intensive research, it is still unclear how an immediate and profound acceleration of exocytosis is triggered by appropriate Ca(2+)-stimuli in presynaptic terminals. This is due to the fact that the molecular mechanisms of "docking" and "priming" reactions, which set up secretory vesicles to fuse at millisecond time scale, are extremely hard to study. Yet, driven by a fruitful combination of in vitro and in vivo analyses, our mechanistic understanding of Ca(2+)-triggered vesicle fusion has certainly advanced in the past few years. In this review, we aim to highlight recent progress and emerging views on the molecular mechanisms, by which constitutively forming SNAREpins are organized in functional, tightly regulated units for synchronized release. In particular, we will focus on the role of the small regulatory factor complexin whose function in Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis has been controversially discussed for more than a decade. Special emphasis will also be laid on the functional relationship of complexin and synaptotagmin, as both proteins possibly act as allies and/or antagonists to govern SNARE-mediated exocytosis.

Functional roles of complexin in neurotransmitter release at ribbon synapses of mouse retinal bipolar neurons

Ribbon synapses of photoreceptor cells and bipolar neurons in the retina signal graded changes in light intensity via sustained release of neurotransmitter. One molecular specialization of retinal ribbon synapses is the expression of complexin protein subtypes Cplx3 and Cplx4, whereas conventional synapses express Cplx1 and Cplx2. Because complexins bind to the molecular machinery for synaptic vesicle fusion (the SNARE complex) and modulate transmitter release at conventional synapses, we examined the roles of ribbon-specific complexin in regulating release at ribbon synapses of ON bipolar neurons from mouse retina. To interfere acutely with the interaction of native complexins with the SNARE complex, a peptide consisting of the highly conserved SNARE-binding domain of Cplx3 was introduced via a whole-cell patch pipette placed directly on the synaptic terminal, and vesicle fusion was monitored using capacitance measurements and FM-dye destaining. The inhibitory peptide, but not control peptides, increased spontaneous synaptic vesicle fusion, partially depleted reserve synaptic vesicles, and reduced fusion triggered by opening voltage-gated calcium channels under voltage clamp, without affecting the number of synaptic vesicles associated with ribbons, as revealed by electron microscopy of recorded terminals. The results are consistent with a dual role for ribbon-specific complexin, acting as a brake on the SNARE complex to prevent spontaneous fusion in the absence of calcium influx, while at the same time facilitating release evoked by depolarization.

The accessory helix of complexin functions by stabilizing central helix secondary structure

The presynaptic protein complexin (CPX) is a critical regulator of synaptic vesicle fusion, but the mechanisms underlying its regulatory effects are not well understood. Its highly conserved central helix (CH) directly binds the ternary SNARE complex and is required for all known CPX functions. The adjacent accessory helix (AH) is not conserved despite also playing an important role in CPX function, and numerous models for its mechanism have been proposed. We examined the impact of AH mutations and chimeras on CPX function in vivo and in vitro using C. elegans. The mouse AH fully restored function when substituted into worm CPX suggesting its mechanism is evolutionarily conserved. CPX inhibitory function was impaired when helix propagation into the CH was disrupted whereas replacing the AH with a non-native helical sequence restored CPX function. We propose that the AH operates by stabilizing CH secondary structure rather than through protein or lipid interactions.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04553.001

The nervous system sends information around the body in the form of electrical signals that travel through cells called neurons. These signals cannot pass across the small gaps—called synapses—that separate neighboring neurons. Instead, when electrical signals reach the synapse, chemicals called neurotransmitters are released across the gap and trigger an electrical signal in the next neuron.

Neurotransmitters are stored within neurons in small envelopes of membrane known as synaptic vesicles. They are released when the vesicles fuse with the membrane that surrounds the neuron. This fusion process must be tightly controlled to ensure that information is passed between the neurons at the right time.

Complexin is a small protein that controls vesicle fusion by binding to a group of proteins called the SNARE complex. It contains two structured sections called the central helix and the accessory helix, which are both important for vesicle fusion. The central helix is able to bind to the SNARE proteins, and it has the same sequence of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—in all animals. However, the sequence of amino acids in the accessory helix varies widely across different animals and it is not clear whether it performs the same role in all of them.

Radoff et al. studied complexin in the nematode worm C. elegans, and found that when its accessory helix is replaced with the amino acid sequence from the mouse one, it can still properly control vesicle fusion. Indeed, complexin can still work properly when its accessory helix is replaced with an artificial protein helix that has a similar shape.

These experiments suggest that the overall structure of the accessory helix is more important than its exact sequence of amino acids. Radoff et al. propose that its role in vesicle fusion is to stabilize the structure of the central helix to allow it to bind to the SNARE proteins. The next challenge is to understand how vesicle fusion is prevented when complexin binds to the SNARE proteins.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04553.002