NEUROBIOLOGY - EXAM 2
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the two types of synapses? - Correct Answers -Chemical and electrical
Electrical synapses - Correct Answers -can only induce excitation
Where are synaptic vesicles found before fusion? - Correct Answers -They dock at the
active zone along the presynaptic membrane.
What transmitters do small clear vesicles contain? - Correct Answers -Glutamate and
acetylcholine
What transmitters do dense-cored vesicles contain? - Correct Answers -Peptide
neurotransmitters
What are the three pathways responsible for recovering and returning empty vesicles to
the releasable pool? - Correct Answers -Kiss and run, clathrin-mediated endocytosis,
recycling
What occurs in the kiss and run pathway? - Correct Answers -Direct reclosing of the
fusion pore and reformation of the vesicle.
What occurs in the clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway? - Correct Answers -
Following complete fusion and endocytosis, the clathrin coat is removed and the vesicle
is returned to the releasable pool.
What occurs in the recycling pathway? - Correct Answers -Following complete fusion
and endocytosis, the vesicle fuses with an endosome and mature vesicles are then
formed by budding from the endosome.
How are the following three events related: action potentials, fusion of synaptic vesicles,
and release of neurotransmitter? - Correct Answers -They all use Ca2+ as an
intracellular messenger
What causes voltage dependent calcium channels to open? - Correct Answers -
Depolarization of the membrane during an action potential.
, What triggers the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles? - Correct Answers -Microdomains
containing high Ca2+ concentrations
How are microdomains of high cytosolic Ca2+ formed? - Correct Answers -An action
potential causes Ca2+ channels to open. Near the mouth of an open channel, the
concentration of Ca2+ is higher than in the rest of the cell, forming the microdomain.
Where are peptide neurotransmitters synthesized? - Correct Answers -In the
endoplasmic reticulum of the cell body.
What two proteins are needed for the movement of transmitters into vesicles? - Correct
Answers -Proton transporter and vesicular transporter
What is the function of the proton transporter? - Correct Answers -It pumps protons into
the vesicle, producing a proton gradient which provides energy for the movement of
transmitters into the vesicle.
What is the function of the vesicular transporter? - Correct Answers -It exchanges
protons for transmitter molecules. Protons move down the electrochemical gradient and
out of the cell while transmitters move into the lumen of the vesicle.
What is another name for the vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)? - Correct
Answers -synaptobrevin
What is another name for the synaptosome-associated protein of 25kDa? - Correct
Answers -SNAP-25
What three proteins form the core complex? - Correct Answers -VAMP, syntaxin, and
SNAP-25
What are two other names for the core complex? - Correct Answers -SNAP receptor
and SNARE complex
What are the three proteins essential for synaptic transmission and final fusion during
exocytosis? - Correct Answers -VAMP (v-SNARE), SNAP-25 and syntaxin (t-SNARE)
What are two protesases that cleave specific SNARE proteins, blocking transmitter
release? - Correct Answers -Tetanus toxin and botulinum toxin
What are the two classes of neurotransmitter receptors? - Correct Answers -Ionotropic
receptors and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR)
What is a ionotropic receptor? - Correct Answers -A large, multisubunit complex
composed of 4 or 5 individual proteins which combine to form an ion channel through
the membrane.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the two types of synapses? - Correct Answers -Chemical and electrical
Electrical synapses - Correct Answers -can only induce excitation
Where are synaptic vesicles found before fusion? - Correct Answers -They dock at the
active zone along the presynaptic membrane.
What transmitters do small clear vesicles contain? - Correct Answers -Glutamate and
acetylcholine
What transmitters do dense-cored vesicles contain? - Correct Answers -Peptide
neurotransmitters
What are the three pathways responsible for recovering and returning empty vesicles to
the releasable pool? - Correct Answers -Kiss and run, clathrin-mediated endocytosis,
recycling
What occurs in the kiss and run pathway? - Correct Answers -Direct reclosing of the
fusion pore and reformation of the vesicle.
What occurs in the clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway? - Correct Answers -
Following complete fusion and endocytosis, the clathrin coat is removed and the vesicle
is returned to the releasable pool.
What occurs in the recycling pathway? - Correct Answers -Following complete fusion
and endocytosis, the vesicle fuses with an endosome and mature vesicles are then
formed by budding from the endosome.
How are the following three events related: action potentials, fusion of synaptic vesicles,
and release of neurotransmitter? - Correct Answers -They all use Ca2+ as an
intracellular messenger
What causes voltage dependent calcium channels to open? - Correct Answers -
Depolarization of the membrane during an action potential.
, What triggers the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles? - Correct Answers -Microdomains
containing high Ca2+ concentrations
How are microdomains of high cytosolic Ca2+ formed? - Correct Answers -An action
potential causes Ca2+ channels to open. Near the mouth of an open channel, the
concentration of Ca2+ is higher than in the rest of the cell, forming the microdomain.
Where are peptide neurotransmitters synthesized? - Correct Answers -In the
endoplasmic reticulum of the cell body.
What two proteins are needed for the movement of transmitters into vesicles? - Correct
Answers -Proton transporter and vesicular transporter
What is the function of the proton transporter? - Correct Answers -It pumps protons into
the vesicle, producing a proton gradient which provides energy for the movement of
transmitters into the vesicle.
What is the function of the vesicular transporter? - Correct Answers -It exchanges
protons for transmitter molecules. Protons move down the electrochemical gradient and
out of the cell while transmitters move into the lumen of the vesicle.
What is another name for the vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)? - Correct
Answers -synaptobrevin
What is another name for the synaptosome-associated protein of 25kDa? - Correct
Answers -SNAP-25
What three proteins form the core complex? - Correct Answers -VAMP, syntaxin, and
SNAP-25
What are two other names for the core complex? - Correct Answers -SNAP receptor
and SNARE complex
What are the three proteins essential for synaptic transmission and final fusion during
exocytosis? - Correct Answers -VAMP (v-SNARE), SNAP-25 and syntaxin (t-SNARE)
What are two protesases that cleave specific SNARE proteins, blocking transmitter
release? - Correct Answers -Tetanus toxin and botulinum toxin
What are the two classes of neurotransmitter receptors? - Correct Answers -Ionotropic
receptors and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR)
What is a ionotropic receptor? - Correct Answers -A large, multisubunit complex
composed of 4 or 5 individual proteins which combine to form an ion channel through
the membrane.
