Inside the brain is a dense network of neurons that receive, process, and relay information. The synapse, where neurons meet, ...

Vesicles initially contain the same salt solution as the extracellular space, with high concentrations of chloride (Cl -) and sodium (Na +). For glutamatergic synaptic vesicles, chloride ions must be ...

Researchers have used cryo-electron tomography to uncover new details of the molecular structure of synaptic vesicles, which help transport neurotransmitters in the brain. The study could inform ...

Experimental electron micrograph of purified synaptic vesicles (upper). Synaptic vesicles automatically identified in the image with a new computer program are highlighted with different colours and ...

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have drawn on structural biology expertise to determine structures of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), a key component of neuronal ...

Video depiction of vesicle fusion and tethering. In the active zone in the central left of the video, docked vesicles (dark blue) fuse with the membrane, releasing their contents and being quickly ...

Synaptic vesicles act as the brain’s chemical couriers, transporting neurotransmitters between cells. When a nerve impulse arrives, these vesicles fuse with the neuron’s membrane and release their ...

For all its mysteries, the brain can sometimes be described through simple metaphors. For example, communication between neurons works in many ways like a busy shipping depot: components come in, ...

How do we think, feel, remember, or move? These processes involve synaptic transmission, in which chemical signals are transmitted between nerve cells using molecular containers called vesicles. Now, ...

In A, researchers used a fluorescent protein (synaptopHluorin) to visualize synaptic vesicle movement. Some vesicles stay open briefly before retrieval (kiss-and-run). Others stay open longer but also ...