Fast, Temperature-Sensitive and Clathrin-Independent Endocytosis at Central Synapses

• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.013
• Publication Date: 2016-04-14T19:56:17Z
• Authors: Igor Delvendahl; Nicholas P. Vyleta; Henrique von Gers...; Stefan Hallermann
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Time Factors; Estriol; Temperature; Action Potentials; Hippocampus; Synaptic Transmission; Clathrin; Endocytosis; Rats; Mice, Inbred C57BL; 03 medical and health sciences; Animals

The fusion of neurotransmitter-filled vesicles during synaptic transmission is balanced by endocytotic membrane retrieval. Despite extensive research, the speed and mechanisms of synaptic vesicle endocytosis have remained controversial. Here, we establish low-noise time-resolved membrane capacitance measurements that allow monitoring changes in surface membrane area elicited by single action potentials and stronger stimuli with high-temporal resolution at physiological temperature in individual bona-fide mature central synapses. We show that single action potentials trigger very rapid endocytosis, retrieving presynaptic membrane with a time constant of 470 ms. This fast endocytosis is independent of clathrin but mediated by dynamin and actin. In contrast, stronger stimuli evoke a slower mode of endocytosis that is clathrin, dynamin, and actin dependent. Furthermore, the speed of endocytosis is highly temperature dependent with a Q10 of ∼3.5. These results demonstrate that distinct molecular modes of endocytosis with markedly different kinetics operate at central synapses.