In a neuron, synaptic vesicles store various neurotransmitters that are released at the synapse. The release is regulated by a voltage-dependent calcium channel. Vesicles are essential for propagating
Primary hippocampal neurons observed at 10 days in vitro by confocal microscopy. In both images neurons are stained with a somatodendritic marker, microtubule associated protein (red). In the right image, synaptic vesicles are stained in green (yellow where the green and red overlap). Scale bar = 25 μm.
Synaptotagmins constitute a family of membrane-trafficking proteins that are characterized by an N-terminal transmembrane region, a variable linker, and two C-terminal C2 domains - C2A and C2B. There
Molecular machinery driving exocytosis in neurotransmitter release: the core SNARE complex (formed by four α-helices contributed by synaptobrevin, syntaxin and SNAP-25) and the Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin.