English Intern
    Lehrstuhl für Physiologie - Schwerpunkt Neurophysiologie

    Munc13-3 Is Required for the Developmental Localization of Ca2+ Channels to Active Zones and the Nanopositioning of Cav2.1 Near Release Sensors

    01.01.2018

    Kusch V, Bornstein G, Loreth D, Bank J, Jordan J, Baur D, Watanabe M, Kulik A, Heckmann M, Eilers J, Schmidt H (2018)

    Cell Reports 22, 1965–73

    Spatial relationships between Cav channels and release sensors at active zones (AZs) are a major determinant of synaptic fidelity. They are regulated developmentally, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. Here, we show that Munc13-3 regulates the density of Cav2.1 and Cav2.2 channels, alters the localization of Cav2.1, and is required for the development of tight, nanodomain coupling at parallel-fiber AZs. We combined EGTA application and Ca2+-channel pharmacology in electrophysiological and two-photon Ca2+ imaging experiments with quantitative freeze-fracture immunoelectron microscopy and mathematical modeling. We found that a normally occurring developmental shift from release being dominated by Ca2+ influx through Cav2.1 and Cav2.2 channels with domain overlap and loose coupling (microdomains) to a nanodomain Cav2.1 to sensor coupling is impaired in Munc13-3-deficient synapses. Thus, at AZs lacking Munc13-3, release remained triggered by Cav2.1 and Cav2.2 microdomains, suggesting a critical role of Munc13-3 in the formation of release sites with calcium channel nanodomains.

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