Publication: Trans-synaptic assemblies link synaptic vesicles and neuroreceptors
Authors
Martínez Sánchez, Antonio ; Laugks, Ulrike ; Kochovski, Zdravko ; Papantoniou, Christos ; Zinzula, Luca ; Baumeister, Wolfgang ; Lucic, Vladan
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Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe6204
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
© 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. This document is the Published version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Science Advances . To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe6204
Abstract
Synaptic transmission is characterized by fast, tightly coupled processes and complex signaling pathways that
require a precise protein organization, such as the previously reported nanodomain colocalization of pre- and
postsynaptic proteins. Here, we used cryo–electron tomography to visualize synaptic complexes together with
their native environment comprising interacting proteins and lipids on a 2- to 4-nm scale. Using template-free
detection and classification, we showed that tripartite trans-synaptic assemblies (subcolumns) link synaptic vesicles to postsynaptic receptors and established that a particular displacement between directly interacting complexes characterizes subcolumns. Furthermore, we obtained de novo average structures of ionotropic glutamate receptors in their physiological composition, embedded in plasma membrane. These data support the hypothesis that synaptic function is carried by precisely organized trans-synaptic units. It provides a framework for further exploration of synaptic and other large molecular assemblies that link different cells or cellular regions and may require weak or transient interactions to exert their function.
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Citation
Sci. Adv. 2021 7 : eabe6204
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