The tight spatial coupling of synaptic vesicles and voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (Ca V s) ensures efficient action potential-triggered neurotransmitter release from presynaptic active zones (AZs). Rab-interacting molecule-binding proteins (RIM-BPs) interact with Ca 2+ channels and via RIM with other components of the release machinery. Although human RIM-BPs have been implicated in autism spectrum disorders, little is known about the role of mammalian RIM-BPs in synaptic transmission. We investigated RIM-BP2-deficient murine hippocampal neurons in cultures and slices. Short-term facilitation is significantly enhanced in both model systems. Detailed analysis in culture revealed a reduction in initial release probability, which presumably underlies the increased shortterm facilitation. Superresolution microscopy revealed an impairment in Ca V 2.1 clustering at AZs, which likely alters Ca 2+ nanodomains at release sites and thereby affects release probability. Additional deletion of RIM-BP1 does not exacerbate the phenotype, indicating that RIM-BP2 is the dominating RIM-BP isoform at these synapses.RIM-BP2 | calcium channel coupling | release probability | short-term plasticity | active zone structure A t the presynapse, coupling between action potentials (APs) and synaptic vesicle fusion is exquisitely precise, ensuring high temporal fidelity of neuron-to-neuron signaling in the nervous system. Two properties are thought to be responsible for this remarkable precision: a highly efficient release apparatus that transduces Ca 2+ signals into vesicle fusion and a tightly organized active zone (AZ), where the release apparatus and voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (Ca V s) are spatially coupled. Rab-interacting molecules (RIM) are thought to contribute to both properties, because loss of RIM impairs vesicle priming (1) and Ca V localization at the AZ (2). RIM-binding proteins (RIM-BPs) directly interact with RIM (3), the pore-forming subunits of Ca V 1 and Ca V 2 channels (2, 4, 5), and Bassoon (5), and have therefore been suggested to play a role in presynaptic Ca V localization. The Drosophila homolog of RIM-binding proteins (DRBP) is indeed crucial for neurotransmitter release at the AZ of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) because loss of DRBP reduces Ca V abundance and impairs the integrity of the AZ scaffold (6). DRBP-deficient flies show severe impairment of neurotransmitter release along with increased short-term facilitation (6, 7).Recently, Acuna et al. (8) published a report on the combined loss of RIM-BP1 and RIM-BP2 in mouse synapses. The authors report that although RIM-BPs are not essential for synaptic transmission, AP-triggered neurotransmitter release is more variable and the sensitivity to the Ca 2+ chelator EGTA is increased at the Calyx of Held, suggesting a larger coupling distance of Ca V and the release machinery.In the present study, we further investigated the consequences of constitutive deletion of RIM-BP2 on the structure and function of mouse hippocampal synapses. We show that loss of RIM-BP2 lead...

Acidification is required for the function of many intracellular organelles, but methods to acutely manipulate their intraluminal pH have not been available. Here we present a targeting strategy to selectively express the light-driven proton pump Arch3 on synaptic vesicles. Our new tool, pHoenix, can functionally replace endogenous proton pumps, enabling optogenetic control of vesicular acidification and neurotransmitter accumulation. Under physiological conditions, glutamatergic vesicles are nearly full, as additional vesicle acidification with pHoenix only slightly increased the quantal size. By contrast, we found that incompletely filled vesicles exhibited a lower release probability than full vesicles, suggesting preferential exocytosis of vesicles with high transmitter content. Our subcellular targeting approach can be transferred to other organelles, as demonstrated for a pHoenix variant that allows light-activated acidification of lysosomes.

Highlights d RBP and RIM are needed for sufficient Ca 2+ influx d RBP2 primes synaptic vesicles via Munc13-1 at small central synapses d RBP2 controls short-term plasticity by vesicle priming or Ca 2+ -channel recruitment

Neuromodulators bind to pre-and postsynaptic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are able to quickly change intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) and Ca 2+ levels, and are thought to play important roles in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we discovered in human neurons an unanticipated presynaptic mechanism that acutely changes synaptic ultrastructure and regulates synaptic communication. Activation of neuromodulator receptors bidirectionally controlled synaptic vesicle numbers within nerve terminals. This control correlated with changes in the levels of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of synapsin-1. Using a conditional deletion approach, we reveal that the neuromodulator-induced control of synaptic vesicle numbers was largely dependent on synapsin-1. We propose a mechanism whereby non-phosphorylated synapsin-1 ''latches'' synaptic vesicles to presynaptic clusters at the active zone. cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of synapsin-1 then removes the vesicles. cAMP-independent dephosphorylation of synapsin-1 in turn recruits vesicles. Synapsin-1 thereby bidirectionally regulates synaptic vesicle numbers and modifies presynaptic neurotransmitter release as an effector of neuromodulator signaling in human neurons.