Synapse Review

Question 1

How large is the typical synaptic cleft?

Answer 1

20-40nm

Question 2

The active zone is one which side of the synapse?

Answer 2

Presynaptic

Question 3

About how many vesicles are stored in the presynaptic axon?

Answer 3

200-500 vesicles

Question 4

What causes the exocytosis of neurotransmitters?

Answer 4

Ca2+ chemical signaling

Question 5

Where is more Ca2+ concentrated in relation to the cell membrane?

Answer 5

Outside of the membrane

Question 6

Ca2+ sensors have a high or low affinity?

Answer 6

Low affinity

Question 7

The diffusion of Ca2+ is proportional to which value?

Answer 7

d^2

To diffuse a longer distance takes an exponentially longer period of time

Question 8

What are the two major classes of synaptic vessicle proteins?

Answer 8

Transport and trafficking proteins

Question 9

What do transport proteins do?

Answer 9

Fill vesicles with nuerotransmitters with the flow of protons

Question 10

What do trafficking proteins do?

Answer 10

Fix vesicles to membranes of presynaptic axons

Question 11

What is synapsin and what does it do?

Answer 11

Synapsin is a trafficking protein that binds vesicles to actin

Question 12

How is synapsin activated?

Answer 12

Ca2+ influx activates Ca-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) which then phosphorylates synapsin

Question 13

What is the function of Rab3?

Answer 13

Target vesicles to the active zone and forms a Rab3/RIM/VGCC complex at the active site of the synaptic bouton

Question 14

What are V-SNAREs v. T-SNAREs?

Answer 14

Vesicle SNAREs and Target SNAREs

Question 15

Are following V-SNAREs or T-SNAREs?

1. Synaptobrevin
2. Syntaxin

Answer 15

1. Synaptobrevin - V-SNARE

2. Syntaxin - T-SNARE

Question 16

Synaptotagmin is a sensor for which ion?

Answer 16

Ca2+

Question 17

What does synaptotagmin do when it interacts with Ca2+?

Answer 17

Synaptotagmin pierces the membrane and causes the membranes to fuse and exocytose the neurotransmitter

Question 18

Which protein is necessary for the retrieval of the membrane to recycle the membrane for more vesicles?

Answer 18

AP2 - an adapter protein that sticks to the membrane

Question 19

What are the three types of excitatory post-synaptic receptors?

Answer 19

NMDA
AMPA
Metatropic

Question 20

NMDA, AMPA, and Metatropic receptors have a thick or thin post-synaptic density?

Answer 20

Thick

Question 21

What is the name of the adapter protein that helps to retrieve the membrane to reform vesicles?

Answer 21

AP-2 complex

Question 22

AP-2 complex binds to what 3-legged molecule to help form the vesicles in endocytosis?

Answer 22

Clathrin

Question 23

What does clathrin do in endocytosis?

Answer 23

Binds to other clathrin molecules and forms a shell around the developing vesicle.