AUTHOR=Yu Yi , Chen Su , Mo Xiaoqiang , Gong Jihong , Li Chenhong , Yang Xiaofei TITLE=Accessory and Central α-helices of Complexin Selectively Activate Ca2+ Triggering of Synaptic Exocytosis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience VOLUME=11 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00061 DOI=10.3389/fnmol.2018.00061 ISSN=1662-5099 ABSTRACT=

Complexins, binding to assembling soluble NSF-attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes, activate Ca2+ triggered exocytosis and clamp spontaneous release in the presynaptic terminal. Functions of complexin are structural dependent and mechanistically distinct. To further understand the functional/structural dependence of complexin, here we show that the accessory and central α-helices of complexin are sufficient in activation of Ca2+ triggered vesicle fusion but not in clamping spontaneous release. Targeting the two α-helices to synaptic vesicle suppresses spontaneous release, thus further emphasizing the importance of curvature membrane localization in clamping function.