Upon entering a presynaptic terminal, an action potential opens Ca(2+) channels, and transiently increases the local Ca(2+) concentration at the presynaptic active zone. Ca(2+) then triggers neurotransmitter release within a few hundred microseconds by activating synaptotagmins Ca(2+). Synaptotagmins bind Ca(2+) via two C2-domains, and transduce the Ca(2+) signal into a nanomechanical activatio...

Monoamine neurotransmitters are among the hundreds of signaling small molecules whose target interactions are switched "on" and "off" via transfer of the sulfuryl-moiety (-SO3) from PAPS (3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate) to the hydroxyls and amines of their scaffolds. These transfer reactions are catalyzed by a small family of broad-specificity enzymes-the human cytosolic sulfotransferase...

Homeostasis is an indispensable phenomenon in the maintenance of living organisms. Genetic defects which disrupt negative feedback processes can impact homeostatic regulation, potentially resulting in disease. To uncover the molecular mechanisms governing these and other diseases potentially related to defective homeostasis, I used the Drosophila neuromuscular junction as a model system. I char...

Our understanding of synaptic transmission has grown dramatically during the 15 years since the first issue of Neuron was published, a growth rate expected from the rapid progress in modern biology. As in all of biology, new techniques have led to major advances in the cell and molecular biology of synapses, and the subject has evolved in ways (like the production of genetically engineered mice...