Cytoplasmic dynein and kinesin I are both unidirectional intracellular motors. Dynein moves cargo toward the cell center, and kinesin moves cargo toward the cell periphery. There is growing evidence that bi-directional motility is regulated in the cell, potentially through direct interactions between oppositely oriented motors. We have identified a direct interaction between cytoplasmic dynein ...

Alpha-synuclein is a neuronal protein implicated both in synaptic transmission and in neurodegenerative diseases. Although it is evident that this protein is enriched in the presynaptic terminals of neurons, localization in synaptic vesicles has not been conclusively determined. Here, we show that alpha-synuclein is present, but not enriched, in synaptic vesicles using highly purified synaptic ...

Complexins (Cplxs) are key regulators of synaptic exocytosis, but whether they act as facilitators or inhibitors is currently being disputed controversially. We show that genetic deletion of all Cplxs expressed in the mouse brain causes a reduction in Ca(2+)-triggered and spontaneous neurotransmitter release at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Our results demonstrate that at mammalian c...

Background: Superficial mucocele presents as small, clear vesicle on noninflamed mucosa. In this study, we report several vesicles on the bucal mucosa of a woman diagnosed as superficial mucocele.Case Presentation: A 48-year old woman presented with multiple vesicles on her labial mucosa, ventral surface of the tongue, floor of the mouth and palate. A mucosal biopsy was taken from the vesicle. ...

These results allow us to conclude that [18F]UCB-H is a suitable radiotracer for the imaging of the isoform SV2A in vivo. Forty male Sprague-Dawley were divided in two experiments SV2A is a SV2 isoform protein involved in the synaptic vesicle trafficking and in brain process like the epilepsy (1, 2). [18F]UCB-H was developed like a tool to study the role of this isoform with neuroimaging techni...

During development, newly born neurons migrate away from their initial birth sites to their final positions in the mature brain. The neurotrophin BDNF has been shown to regulate the migration of granule cells in the cerebellum. The cellular mechanisms that mediate this chemotactic response have not been resolved. In this issue of Neuron, Zhou et al. show that vesicle trafficking is critical for...

Axoplasmic vesicles were purified and observed to translocate on isolated microtubules in an ATP-dependent, trypsin-sensitive manner, implying that ATP-binding polypeptides essential for force generation were present on the vesicle surface. To identify these proteins [alpha 32P]8-azidoadenosine 5'-triphosphate ([alpha 32P]8-N3ATP), a photoaffinity analogue of ATP, was used. The results presente...

Cytoskeletal proteins such as actin and myosin are important constituents of the nucleoplasm. Spectrin is an actin binding protein typically related to plasma membrane; recently, it has been found that it is widespread and forms distinct membrane protein domains in such organelles as the Golgi. In this paper, the large germinal vesicle of amphibian oocytes was chosen as a particularly suitable ...