A VAMP-Binding Protein from Aplysia Required for Neurotransmitter Release

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 269; no. 5230; pp. 1580 - 1583
• Main Authors: Skehel, Paul A., Martin, Kelsey C., Kandel, Eric R., Bartsch, Dusan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 15.09.1995; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Anatomy; Animals; Antibodies; Antiserum; Aplysia; Aplysia californica; Base Sequence; Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - chemistry; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - physiology; Cell membranes; Cells, Cultured; Cellular immunity; Central nervous system; Central Nervous System - chemistry; Cloning, Molecular; Coding; Complementary DNA; Exocytosis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gills - innervation; Inhibition; Invertebrates; Marine; Membrane fusion; Membrane proteins; Membrane Proteins - chemistry; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Membrane Proteins - physiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Mollusca; Motor neurons; Motor Neurons - physiology; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Neural transmission; Neural transmission regulation; Neurology; Neurons; Neurons - physiology; Neurons, Afferent - physiology; Neurotransmitter Agents - metabolism; Physiological aspects; Physiology. Development; Proteins; R-SNARE Proteins; Regulation; Synapses; Synaptic Transmission; Synaptic Vesicles - physiology; Vesicular Transport Proteins; Yeast; Membrane protein; Aplysia californica; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Synaptic vesicle; Gastropoda; Exocytosis; Binding protein; Synaptic transmission; Plasma membrane; Neurotransmitter; Invertebrata; Mollusca; Excitatory postsynaptic potential; Release
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.7667638

Before the fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane, a protein complex is thought to form between VAMP--an integral membrane protein of the vesicle--and two proteins associated with the plasma membrane, SNAP-25 and syntaxin. The yeast two-hybrid interaction cloning system has now been used to identify additional proteins from Aplysia that interact directly with VAMP. A 33-kilodalton membrane protein, termed VAP-33 (VAMP-associated protein of 33 kilodaltons), was identified whose corresponding messenger RNA was detected only in the central nervous system and the gill of Aplysia. Presynaptic injection of antibodies specific for VAP-33 inhibited synaptic transmission, which suggests that VAP-33 is required for the exocytosis of neurotransmitter.