Neurotransmitter release is potently blocked by a group of structurally related toxin proteins produced by Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum neurotoxin type B (BoNT/B) and tetanus toxin (TeTx) are zinc-dependent proteases that specifically cleave synaptobrevin (VAMP), a membrane protein of synaptic vesicles. Here we report that inhibition of transmitter release from synaptosomes caused by botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) is associated with the selective proteolysis of the synaptic protein SNAP-25. Furthermore, isolated or recombinant L chain of BoNT/A cleaves SNAP-25 in vitro. Cleavage occurred near the carboxyterminus and was sensitive to divalent cation chelators. In addition, a glutamate residue in the BoNT/A L chain, presumably required to stabilize a water molecule in the zinc-containing catalytic centre, was required for proteolytic activity. These findings demonstrate that BoNT/A acts as a zinc-dependent protease that selectively cleaves SNAP-25. Thus, a second component of the putative fusion complex mediating synaptic vesicle exocytosis is targeted by a clostridial neurotoxin.

Tetanus toxin inhibits neurotransmitter release by selectively blocking fusion of synaptic vesicles. Recently tetanus toxin was shown to proteolytically degrade synaptobrevin II (also named VAMP-2), a synaptic vesicle-specific protein, in vitro and in nerve terminals. As targets of tetanus toxin, synaptobrevins probably function in the exocytotic fusion of synaptic vesicles. Here we describe a new synaptobrevin homologue, cellubrevin, that is present in all cells and tissues tested and demonstrate that it is a membrane trafficking protein of a constitutively recycling pathway. Like synaptobrevin II, cellubrevin is proteolysed by tetanus toxin light chain in vitro and after transfection. Our results suggest that constitutive and regulated vesicular pathways use homologous proteins for membrane trafficking, probably for membrane fusion at the plasma membrane, indicating a greater mechanistic and evolutionary similarity between these pathways than previously thought.

Abstract. The recycling of synaptic vesicles in nerve terminals is thought to involve clathrin-coated vesicles. However, the properties of nerve terminal coated vesicles have not been characterized. Starting from a preparation of purified nerve terminals obtained from rat brain, we isolated clathrin-coated vesicles by a series of differential and density gradient centrifugation steps. The enrichment of coated vesicles during fractionation was monitored by EM. The final fraction consisted of >90 % of coated vesicles, with only negligible contamination by synaptic vesicles. Control experiments revealed that the contribution by coated vesicles derived from the axo-dendritic region or from nonneuronal cells is minimal.The membrane composition of nerve terminal-derived coated vesicles was very similar to that of synaptic vesicles, containing the membrane proteins synaptophysin, synaptotagmin, p29, synaptobrevin and the ll6-kD subunit of the vacuolar proton pump, in similar stoichiometric ratios. The small GTP-binding protein rab3A was absent, probably reflecting its dissociation from synaptic vesicles during endocytosis. Immunogold EM revealed that virtually all coated vesicles carried synaptic vesicle proteins, demonstrating that the contribution by coated vesicles derived from other membrane traffic pathways is negligible. Coated vesicles isolated from the whole brain exhibited a similar composition, most of them carrying synaptic vesicle proteins. This indicates that in nervous tissue, coated vesicles function predominantly in the synaptic vesicle pathway. Nerve terminal-derived coated vesicles contained AP-2 adaptor complexes, which is in agreement with their plasmalemmal origin. Furthermore, the neuron-specific coat proteins AP 180 and auxilin, as well as the eta1-and act-adaptins, were enriched in this fraction, suggesting a function for these coat proteins in synaptic vesicle recycling.

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The mammalian retina contains two synaptic layers. The outer plexiform layer (OPL) is primarily composed of ribbon synapses while the inner plexiform layer (IPL) comprises largely conventional synapses. In presynaptic terminals of ribbon synapses, electron-dense projections called ribbons are present at the synaptic plasma membranes. Ribbons bind synaptic vesicles and guide them to the synaptic membrane for fusion. In this manner, ribbons are thought to accelerate the delivery of vesicles for continuous exocytosis. In recent years, a large number of synaptic proteins has been described but it is not known if these protein colocalize in the same types of synapses. In previous studies, several proteins essential for synaptic function were not detected in ribbon synapses, suggesting that the mechanism of synaptic vesicle exocytosis may be very different in ribbon and conventional synapses. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy, we have now systematically investigated the protein composition of ribbon synapses. Our results show that, of the 19 synaptic proteins investigated, all except synapsin and rabphilin are obligatorily present in ribbon synapses. For example, rab3 which was reported to be absent from ribbon synapses, was found in bovine, rat and mouse ribbon synapses using multiple independent antibodies. In addition, we found staining in these synapses for PSD-95 and NMDA receptors, which suggested a similar design for the postsynaptic component in ribbon and conventional synapses. Our data show that ribbon synapses are more conventional in composition than reported, that most synaptic proteins are colocalized to the same type of synapse, and that synapsin and rabphilin are likely to be dispensible for basic synaptic functions.

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