Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 1981 Oct;91(1):257-69.
doi: 10.1083/jcb.91.1.257.

Identification of a synaptic vesicle-specific membrane protein with a wide distribution in neuronal and neurosecretory tissue

W D Matthew, L Tsavaler, L F Reichardt
Comparative Study

Identification of a synaptic vesicle-specific membrane protein with a wide distribution in neuronal and neurosecretory tissue

W D Matthew et al. J Cell Biol. 1981 Oct.

Abstract

Two different monoclonal antibodies, characterized initially as binding synaptic terminal regions of rat brain, bind a 65,000-dalton protein, which is exposed on the outer surface of brain synaptic vesicles. Immunocytochemical experiments at the electron microscope level demonstrate that these antibodies bind the vesicles in many different types of nerve terminals. The antibodies have been used successfully to purify synaptic vesicles from crude brain homogenates by immunoprecipitation onto the surface of polyacrylamide beads. The profiles of the structures precipitated by these beads are almost exclusively vesicular, confirming the vesicle-specificity of the antibodies. In SDS gels, the antibodies bind a single protein of 65,000 daltons. The two antibodies are not identical, but compete for binding sites on this protein. Immune competition experiments also demonstrate that the antigenic components on the 65,000-dalton protein are widely distributed in neuronal and neural secretory tissues. Detectable antigen is not found in uninnervated tissue--blood cells and extrajunctional muscle. Low levels are found in nonneural secretory tissues; it is not certain whether this reflects the presence of low amounts of the antigen on all the exocytotic vesicles in these tissues or whether the antigen is found only in neuronal fibers within these tissues. The molecular weight and at least two antigenic determinants of the 65,000-dalton protein are highly conserved throughout vertebrate phylogeny. The two antibodies recognize a 65,000-dalton protein present in shark, amphibia, birds, and mammals. The highly conserved nature of the determinants on this protein and their specific localization on secretory vesicles of many different types suggest that this protein may be essential for the normal function of neuronal secretory vesicles.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. J Cell Biol. 1978 Feb;76(2):323-40 - PubMed
    1. J Neurochem. 1980 Jan;34(1):26-32 - PubMed
    1. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680-5 - PubMed
    1. J Neurobiol. 1971;2(3):231-46 - PubMed
    1. J Exp Med. 1972 Aug 1;136(2):241-60 - PubMed

Publication types