SummaryUltrafast endocytosis can retrieve a single large endocytic vesicle as fast as 50-100 ms after synaptic vesicle fusion. However, the fate of the large endocytic vesicles is not known. Here we demonstrate that these vesicles transition to a synaptic endosome about one second after stimulation. The endosome is resolved into coated vesicles after 3 seconds, which in turn become small-diameter synaptic vesicles 5-6 seconds after stimulation. We disrupted clathrin function using RNAi and found that clathrin is not required for ultrafast endocytosis but is required to generate synaptic vesicles from the endosome. Ultrafast endocytosis fails when actin polymerization is disrupted, or when neurons are stimulated at room temperature instead of physiological temperature. In the absence of ultrafast endocytosis, synaptic vesicles are retrieved directly from the plasma membrane by clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These results explain in large part discrepancies among published experiments concerning the role of clathrin in synaptic vesicle endocytosis.

The dose-response of the teratogenic potency of the thalidomide (Thd) derivative EM12 was evaluated in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). The smallest daily dose found to be effective was 30 micrograms EM12/kg body wt. This is the lowest dose of a Thd derivative ever reported to induce severe skeletal abnormalities. Ten micrograms EM12/kg body wt may be considered the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) under the experimental conditions chosen. The teratogenic potencies of the two EM12 enantiomers were tested at 100 micrograms/kg body wt, the dose which just induces an almost 100% effect in the case of the racemate. The S(-)-EM12 was found to induce typical severe limb abnormalities such as amelia, phocomelia, and radius aplasia, and none of the exposed fetuses were devoid of skeletal defects. In contrast, only few and minor skeletal defects were observed after application of the R(+) enantiomer. Although a pronounced teratogenic potency of the R(+)-EM12 can now largely be excluded, these low-dose studies are not sufficient to completely rule out any teratogenic potential of this enantiomer, since racemisation to small amounts of the S(-) form may occur in vivo. Further studies with Thd derivatives which are unable to racemise are necessary to prove the assumed complete ineffectiveness of the R(+) enantiomers.

Nano-resolution fl uorescence electron microscopy (nano-fEM) pinpoints the location of individual proteins in electron micrographs. Plastic sections are fi rst imaged using a super-resolution fl uorescence microscope and then imaged on an electron microscope. The two images are superimposed to correlate the position of labeled proteins relative to subcellular structures. Here, we describe the method in detail and present fi ve technical advancements: the use of uranyl acetate during the freeze-substitution to enhance the contrast of tissues and reduce the loss of fl uorescence, the use of ground-state depletion instead of photoactivation for temporal control of fl uorescence, the use of organic fl uorophores instead of fl uorescent proteins to obtain brighter fl uorescence signals, the use of tissue culture cells to broaden the utility of the method, and the use of a transmission electron microscope to achieve sharper images of ultrastructure.

No abstract

The teratogenic potency of the thalidomide (Thd) derivative phthalimidophthalimide (Phtpht) was assessed in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), by oral administration of the relatively high daily dose of 50 mg Phtpht/kg body wt, during the susceptible period (days 48-61 of pregnancy). Since in this species daily doses of only 100 micrograms/kg body wt of the Thd derivative EM12 already induce typical gross structural abnormalities in nearly 100% of the fetuses, investigations with a small number of these New World monkeys allow a rough estimation of the teratogenic potency of Thd-type substances. Macroscopic inspection and skeletal evaluation of ten fetuses gave no indication of dysmorphogenesis following treatment with Phtpht. We conclude that Phtpht has little, if any, Thd-type teratogenic potency in this non-human primate.