Vesicles slide on a synaptic body

In vision and hearing, all-or-nothing action potentials are insufficient because they cannot transmit small changes in intensity. Thus, neurons in these areas use the synaptic body (SB), an unusual presynaptic organelle that is specialized for continuous transmitter release. This requires a lasting supply of synaptic vesicles. A new article by David Lenzi, William Roberts (University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon), and colleagues suggests that the SB is a source of these vesicles.

The distribution of vesicles on the SB changes sharply in response to stimulation, as seen in electron tomography maps of inhibited versus strongly stimulated synapses. Vesicles near the plasma membrane side of the SB were released most rapidly. This generated a gradient of vesicles, most of which remained on the cytoplasmic face of the SB. “The redistribution is what...