Fast synaptic vesicle docking and cluster rearrangement after short stimuli.

Abstract

In synapses replenishment of the readily releasable pool by physical movement and docking of synaptic vesicles (SVs) to the plasma membrane (PM) is essential for maintaining synaptic transmission. While the kinetics of fusion and re-priming can be measured electrophysiologically, the kinetics of re-docking can be inferred only very indirectly. The inferred repriming rate constants, however, could reflect both priming from an already docked state or docking and subsequent priming. In the Calyx of Held repriming can be as fast as 50 ms, raising the question, whether such fast rates could involve SVs that are not yet docked.