Epidemiological evidence suggests that dietary consumption of the long chain omega-3 fatty
acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), commonly found in …

This review focuses on the so-called SNARE (soluble N-ethyl maleimide sensitive factor
attachment protein receptor) proteins that are involved in exocytosis at the pre-synpatic …

Munc13 proteins are essential in neurotransmitter release, controlling the priming of
synaptic vesicles to a release-ready state. The sequences responsible for this priming …

The calcium ion (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous second messenger that is crucial for the regulation of
a wide variety of cellular processes. The diverse transient signals transduced by Ca2+ are …

A rapid increase in intracellular calcium directly triggers regulated exocytosis. In addition,
changes in intracellular calcium concentration can adjust the extent of exocytosis (quantal …

The Ras-like small G-proteins RalA and RalB have achieved some notoriety as components
of one of a growing variety of candidate Ras effector pathways. Recent work has …

In cultured hippocampal neurons, synaptogenesis is largely independent of synaptic
transmission, while several accounts in the literature indicate that synaptogenesis at …

Myosin-Va is an actin-based processive motor that conveys intracellular cargoes. Synaptic
vesicles are one of the most important cargoes for myosin-Va, but the role of mammalian …

Large excitatory synapses in the auditory system, such as the calyx of Held, faithfully
transmit trains of action potentials up to a frequency of a few hundred hertz, and these …

Although it is presynaptic, short‐term plasticity has been shown at some synapses to
depend upon the postsynaptic cell type. Previous studies have reported conflicting results as …