Control of neurotransmitter release: From Ca2+ to voltage dependent G-protein coupled receptors

Itzchak Parnas*, Hanna Parnas

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

This review discusses two theories that try to explain mechanisms of control of neurotransmitter release in fast synapses: the Ca2+ hypothesis and the Ca2+ voltage hypothesis. The review summarizes experimental results that are incompatible with predictions from the Ca 2+ hypothesis and concludes that Ca2+ is involved in the control of the amount of release but not in the control of the time course of evoked release, i.e., initiation and termination of evoked release. Results summarizing direct effects of changes in membrane potential on the release machinery are then presented. These changes in membrane potential affect the affinity (for the transmitter) of presynaptic autoinhibitory G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The voltage dependence of these GPCRs and their pivotal role in determining the time course of evoked release is discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)975-990
Number of pages16
JournalPflugers Archiv European Journal of Physiology
Volume460
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2010

Keywords

  • GPCRs
  • M2R
  • Presynaptic receptor
  • Synaptic transmission
  • Transmitter release

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