210 research outputs found
Distinct modes of endocytotic presynaptic membrane and protein uptake at the calyx of Held terminal of rats and mice.
Neurotransmitter is released at synapses by fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane. To sustain synaptic transmission, compensatory retrieval of membranes and vesicular proteins is essential. We combined capacitance measurements and pH-imaging via pH-sensitive vesicular protein marker (anti-synaptotagmin2-cypHer5E), and compared the retrieval kinetics of membranes and vesicular proteins at the calyx of Held synapse. Membrane and Syt2 were retrieved with a similar time course when slow endocytosis was elicited. When fast endocytosis was elicited, Syt2 was still retrieved together with the membrane, but endocytosed organelle re-acidification was slowed down, which provides strong evidence for two distinct endocytotic pathways. Strikingly, CaM inhibitors or the inhibition of the Ca2+-calmodulin-Munc13-1 signaling pathway only impaired the uptake of Syt2 while leaving membrane retrieval intact, indicating different recycling mechanisms for membranes and vesicle proteins. Our data identify a novel mechanism of stimulus-and Ca2+-dependent regulation of coordinated endocytosis of synaptic membranes and vesicle proteins
Complexin has a dual synaptic function as checkpoint protein in vesicle priming and as a promoter of vesicle fusion
The presynaptic SNARE-complex regulator complexin (Cplx) enhances the fusogenicity of primed synaptic vesicles (SVs). Consequently, Cplx deletion impairs action potential-evoked transmitter release. Conversely, though, Cplx loss enhances spontaneous and delayed asynchronous release at certain synapse types. Using electrophysiology and kinetic modeling, we show that such seemingly contradictory transmitter release phenotypes seen upon Cplx deletion can be explained by an additional of Cplx in the control of SV priming, where its ablation facilitates the generation of a "faulty" SV fusion apparatus. Supporting this notion, a sequential two-step priming scheme, featuring reduced vesicle fusogenicity and increased transition rates into the faulty primed state, reproduces all aberrations of transmitter release modes and short-term synaptic plasticity seen upon Cplx loss. Accordingly, we propose a dual presynaptic function for the SNARE-complex interactor Cplx, one as a "checkpoint" protein that guarantees the proper assembly of the fusion machinery during vesicle priming, and one in boosting vesicle fusogenicity
On the Fermionic Frequencies of Circular Strings
We revisit the semiclassical computation of the fluctuation spectrum around
different circular string solutions in AdS_5xS^5 and AdS_4xCP^3, starting from
the Green-Schwarz action. It has been known that the results for these
frequencies obtained from the algebraic curve and from the worldsheet
computations sometimes do not agree. In particular, different methods give
different results for the half-integer shifts in the mode numbers of the
frequencies. We find that these discrepancies can be removed if one carefully
takes into account the transition matrices in the spin bundle over the target
space.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur
Superconformal M2-branes and generalized Jordan triple systems
Three-dimensional conformal theories with six supersymmetries and SU(4)
R-symmetry describing stacks of M2-branes are here proposed to be related to
generalized Jordan triple systems. Writing the four-index structure constants
in an appropriate form, the Chern-Simons part of the action immediately
suggests a connection to such triple systems. In contrast to the previously
considered three-algebras, the additional structure of a generalized Jordan
triple system is associated to a graded Lie algebra, which corresponds to an
extension of the gauge group. In this note we show that the whole theory with
six manifest supersymmetries can be naturally expressed in terms of such a
graded Lie algebra. Also the BLG theory with eight supersymmetries is included
as a special case.Comment: 15 pages, v2 and v3: minor corrections and clarifications, references
added, v2: section 4 extended, v3: published versio
On the structure of k-Lie algebras
We show that the structure constants of -Lie algebras, , with a
positive definite metric are the sum of the volume forms of orthogonal
-planes. This generalizes the result for in arXiv:0804.2662 and
arXiv:0804.3078, and confirms a conjecture in math/0211170.Comment: 4 pages, minor changes and a reference adde
Generic multiloop methods and application to N=4 super-Yang-Mills
We review some recent additions to the tool-chest of techniques for finding
compact integrand representations of multiloop gauge-theory amplitudes -
including non-planar contributions - applicable for N=4 super-Yang-Mills in
four and higher dimensions, as well as for theories with less supersymmetry. We
discuss a general organization of amplitudes in terms of purely cubic graphs,
review the method of maximal cuts, as well as some special D-dimensional
recursive cuts, and conclude by describing the efficient organization of
amplitudes resulting from the conjectured duality between color and kinematic
structures on constituent graphs.Comment: 42 pages, 18 figures, invited review for a special issue of Journal
of Physics A devoted to "Scattering Amplitudes in Gauge Theories", v2 minor
corrections, v3 added reference
Photoswitchable diacylglycerols enable optical control of protein kinase C.
Increased levels of the second messenger lipid diacylglycerol (DAG) induce downstream signaling events including the translocation of C1-domain-containing proteins toward the plasma membrane. Here, we introduce three light-sensitive DAGs, termed PhoDAGs, which feature a photoswitchable acyl chain. The PhoDAGs are inactive in the dark and promote the translocation of proteins that feature C1 domains toward the plasma membrane upon a flash of UV-A light. This effect is quickly reversed after the termination of photostimulation or by irradiation with blue light, permitting the generation of oscillation patterns. Both protein kinase C and Munc13 can thus be put under optical control. PhoDAGs control vesicle release in excitable cells, such as mouse pancreatic islets and hippocampal neurons, and modulate synaptic transmission in Caenorhabditis elegans. As such, the PhoDAGs afford an unprecedented degree of spatiotemporal control and are broadly applicable tools to study DAG signaling
Tree-Level Formalism
We review two novel techniques used to calculate tree-level scattering
amplitudes efficiently: MHV diagrams, and on-shell recursion relations. For the
MHV diagrams, we consider applications to tree-level amplitudes and focus in
particular on the N=4 supersymmetric formulation. We also briefly describe the
derivation of loop amplitudes using MHV diagrams. For the recursion relations,
after presenting their general proof, we discuss several applications to
massless theories with and without supersymmetry, to theories with massive
particles, and to graviton amplitudes in General Relativity. This article is an
invited review for a special issue of Journal of Physics A devoted to
"Scattering Amplitudes in Gauge Theories".Comment: 40 pages, 8 figures, invited review for a special issue of Journal of
Physics A devoted to "Scattering Amplitudes in Gauge Theories", R.
Roiban(ed), M. Spradlin(ed), A. Volovich(ed); v2: minor corrections,
references adde
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