A new life for an old pump: V-ATPase and neurotransmitter release

Abstract

Neurons fire by releasing neurotransmitters via fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane. Fusion can be evoked by an incoming signal from a preceding neuron or can occur spontaneously. Synaptic vesicle fusion requires the formation of trans complexes between SNAREs as well as Ca 2+ ions. Wang et al. (2014. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi .org/jcb.201312109) now find that the Ca 2+ -binding protein Calmodulin promotes spontaneous release and SNARE complex formation via its interaction with the V 0 sector of the V-ATPase. © 2014 Vavassori and Mayer.