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 形成高度特化的，超微结构独特的复合物， 许多生物化学和生理学上的细胞内定位 调节突触事件。 这项拟议的研究旨在检查 皮层细胞质和相关的突触质膜在中央 神经系统突触前末梢 这将由 强大的三种技术组合，有充分的记录：a）标签 突触前，亚细胞室内的终端由轴突 运输，B）放射性标记的突触前末梢的富集， 仔细和严格的制备突触体和c）服从 这些放射性标记的突触体进行一系列实验，类似于那些 以前用于阐明的结构组织的 富含血影蛋白的细胞骨架和相关的质膜 红血球 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功能的方式， 在疾病状态的压力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 highly specialized, ultrastructurally unique complexes that are the intracellular locations of many of the biochemically and physiologically regulated synaptic events. The proposed study is designed to examine the molecular organization of the cortical cytoplasm and associated synaptic plasma membrane within central nervous system presynaptic terminals. This will be accomplished by the powerful combination of three, well-documented technologies: a) labelling of presynaptic, subcellular 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 these radiolabled synatosomes to a battery of experiments, similar to those previously used to elucidate the structural organization of the spectrin-enriched cytoskeleton and the associated plasma membrane of the red blood cell. 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.