MOLECULAR ORGANIZATION OF NEURON TERMINALS

脊椎动物突触是一种特殊形式的细胞接触的关键 在神经系统功能中。 质膜和下层相关的 突触前和突触后两侧的细胞质蛋白 形成一个高度专业化的，超微结构独特的复合体， 许多生物化学和生理调节的细胞内定位 突触事件 这项研究的目的是研究 神经系统突触前末梢。这将由 强大的技术组合： 突触前，亚细胞胞质区室内的终端， 轴突运输，B）放射性标记的突触前末梢的富集 通过仔细和严格的制备突触体，和c）服从 放射性标记的突触体的生物化学实验， 设计用于测试放射性标记蛋白质的功能作用， 终端。 因此，我们可能通过对正常的基础研究获得的信息 生物化学、分子组织和突触的功能将 帮助a）理解突触前末梢执行其 在疾病状态的应激下的重要生物学任务，和B）在 识别影响突触的故障的起源和来源 直接.

The vertebrate synapse is a specialized form of cell-cell contact critical in nervous system function. The plasma membrane and underlying associated cytoplasmic proteins of both the pre- and postsynaptic sides of the synapse form a highly specialized, ultrastructurally unique complex that is the intracellular location of many biochemically and physiologically regulated synaptic events. The proposed study is designed to examine the molecular organization of nervous system presynaptic terminals. This will be accomplished by the powerful combination of well-documented technologies: labelling of the presynaptic, subcellular cytoplasmic compartments within the terminal by axonal transport, b) the enrichment of radiolabeled presynaptic terminals by careful and rigorous preparation of synaptosomes, and c) the subjection of the radiolabeled synaptosomes to biochemical experiments that are designed to test the functional role of the radiolabeled proteins within the terminals. Information we may thus obtain through basic research on normal biochemistry, molecular organization, and functioning of the synapse will aid a) in understanding the way the presynaptic terminal performs its important biological tasks under the stress of disease states, and b) in discerning the origins and source of malfunctions that affect the synapse directly.