Synaptic Vesicle Tethering to the Drosophila Active Zone Cytomatrix
Bruchpilot (Brp) is a core protein component of the Drosophila active zone (AZ), where it promotes calcium channel clustering to ensure adequate transmitter release. In addition, the C-terminal region of Brp tethers synaptic vesicles to the AZ cytomatrix. In a C-terminally truncated allele, brpnude (lacking the last 17 amino acids), impaired vesicle tethering is accompanied by short-term synaptic depression and impaired sustained transmitter release. We set out to test the hypothesis that neuronal expression of a C-terminal Brp fragment would mimic the synaptic phenotype of brpnude mutants by competitively binding the putative vesicular interaction partner(s) of Brp. Our electrophysiological analysis of larval neuromuscular synapses supports this hypothesis and sets the basis for a subsequent in vivo screen to identify the interacting protein(s). To this end, a membrane-bound C-terminal Brp fragment was neuronally expressed to misdirect synaptic vesicles to ectopic locations. RNAi lines against vesicle-associated proteins were then scored for their ability to revert the ectopic vesicle localisation.
Date: 12 October 2016, 12:00 (Wednesday, 1st week, Michaelmas 2016)
Venue: Sherrington Library, Sherrington Building
Speaker: Robert J Kittel (Institute of Physiology, Universitat Wurzburg)
Organising department: Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG)
Organiser: Fiona Woods (University of Oxford, Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour)
Organiser contact email address: fiona.woods@cncb.ox.ac.uk
Part of: CNCB Seminar Series
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Fiona Woods