Synapsins and the synaptic vesicle reserve pool : floats or anchors?

• Main Authors: Zhang, Minchuan, Augustine, George James
• Other Authors: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Science::Medicine; Synapsins; Synaptic Vesicle Trafficking
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/151850
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In presynaptic terminals, synaptic vesicles (SVs) are found in a discrete cluster that includes a reserve pool that is mobilized during synaptic activity. Synapsins serve as a key protein for maintaining SVs within this reserve pool, but the mechanism that allows synapsins to do this is unclear. This mechanism is likely to involve synapsins either cross-linking SVs, thereby anchoring SVs to each other, or creating a liquid phase that allows SVs to float within a synapsin droplet. Here, we summarize what is known about the role of synapsins in clustering of SVs and evaluate experimental evidence supporting these two models.