Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1997 Jan;18(1):133-42.
doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(01)80052-0.

Synaptotagmin-syntaxin interaction: the C2 domain as a Ca2+-dependent electrostatic switch

X Shao  1 , C Li, I Fernandez, X Zhang, T C Südhof, J Rizo
Affiliations
Free article

Synaptotagmin-syntaxin interaction: the C2 domain as a Ca2+-dependent electrostatic switch

X Shao et al. Neuron. 1997 Jan.
Free article

Abstract

Synaptotagmin I is a synaptic vesicle protein that is thought to act as a Ca2+ sensor in neurotransmitter release. The first C2 domain of synaptotagmin I (C2A domain) contains a bipartite Ca2+-binding motif and interacts in a Ca2+-dependent manner with syntaxin, a central component of the membrane fusion complex. Analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis shows that this interaction is mediated by the cooperative action of basic residues surrounding the Ca2+-binding sites of the C2A domain and is driven by a change in the electrostatic potential of the C2A domain induced by Ca2+ binding. A model is proposed whereby synaptotagmin acts as an electrostatic switch in Ca2+-triggered synaptic vesicle exocytosis, promoting a structural rearrangement in the fusion machinery that is effected by its interaction with syntaxin.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources