Presynaptic regulation of quantal size: K+/H+ exchange stimulates vesicular glutamate transport

Abstract

The amount of neurotransmitter stored in a single synaptic vesicle can determine the size of the postsynaptic response, but the factors that regulate vesicle filling remain poorly understood. A proton electrochemical gradient (ΔμH+) generated by the vacuolar H+-ATPase drives the accumulation of classical transmitters into synaptic vesicles. The chemical component of ΔμH+ (ΔpH) has received particular attention for its role in the vesicular transport of cationic transmitters as well as protein sorting and degradation. Thus, considerable work has addressed the factors that promote ΔpH. However, synaptic vesicle uptake of the principal excitatory transmitter glutamate depends on the electrical component of ΔμH+ (Δψ). We now find that rat brain synaptic vesicles express monovalent cation/H+ exchange activity that converts ΔpH into Δψ, and this promotes synaptic vesicle filling with glutamate. Manipulating presynaptic K+ at a glutamatergic synapse influences quantal size, demonstrating that synaptic vesicle K+/H+ exchange regulates glutamate release and synaptic transmission.