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XB-ART-16536
Neuron 1997 May 01;185:815-26. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80320-7.
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Expression of a putative vesicular acetylcholine transporter facilitates quantal transmitter packaging.

Song H , Ming G , Fon E , Bellocchio E , Edwards RH , Poo M .


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A putative vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) was overexpressed in developing Xenopus spinal neurons by injection of rat VAChT cDNA or synthetic mRNA into Xenopus embryos. This resulted in a marked increase in the amplitude and frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents at neuromuscular synapses, reflecting an over 10-fold increase in the vesicular packaging of acetylcholine (ACh). The effect appeared in developing neurons even before synaptogenesis and was blocked by L-vesamicol, a specific blocker of ACh uptake into synaptic vesicles. Mutational studies showed that two highly conserved aspartate residues within putative transmembrane domains 4 and 10 are essential for the transport activity. These results provide direct evidence for the physiological function of a putative VAChT and demonstrate that quantal size can be regulated by changes in vesicular transporter activity.

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Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: slc18a3

References :
Williams, How does a vesicle know it is full? 1997, Pubmed