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An evolutionarily conserved mechanism for presynaptic trapping

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Abstract

Presynaptic differentiation takes place over three interrelated acts involving the biogenesis and trafficking of molecular complexes of active zone material, the “trapping” or stabilization of active zone sites, and the subsequent development of mature synapses. Although the identities of proteins involved with establishing presynaptic specializations have been increasingly delineated, the exact functional mechanisms by which the active zone is assembled remain poorly understood. Here, we discuss a theoretical model for how the trapping stage of presynaptic differentiation might occur in developing neurons. We suggest that subsets of active zone proteins containing polyglutamine domains undergo concentration-dependent prion-like conversions as they accumulate at the plasma membrane. This conversion might serve to aggregate the proteins into a singular structure, which is then able to recruit scaffolding agents necessary for regulated synaptic transmission. A brief informatics analysis in support of this ‘Q’ assembly hypothesis—across commonly used models of synaptogenesis—is presented.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by La Universidad de Antofagasta (Dirección de Investigacion, #1314, #1315) and El Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT #1070462).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Department of Biomedicine, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, 1270300, Antofagasta, Chile

    Fabian Fernandez & Pedro Zamorano

  2. Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Department of Medical Technology, Universidad de Antofagasta, 1270300, Antofagasta, Chile

    Viviana Torres

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  1. Fabian Fernandez
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  2. Viviana Torres
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  3. Pedro Zamorano
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Correspondence to Fabian Fernandez.

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Fernandez, F., Torres, V. & Zamorano, P. An evolutionarily conserved mechanism for presynaptic trapping. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 67, 1751–1754 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-010-0343-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-010-0343-5

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