Synaptic Neuron Marker Antibody Sampler Kit

Background

Synaptophysin (SYP) is a neuronal synaptic vesicle glycoprotein that is expressed in neuroendocrine cells and neoplasms (1). Synapsin-1 is a neuronal phospho-protein localized to presynaptic terminals. Synapsin-1 plays an important role in synapse formation, neurotransmitter regulation, and regulation of synaptic vesicle fusion and trafficking (2,3). Synaptotagmin-1 (SYT1) is an integral membrane protein found in synaptic vesicles thought to play a role in vesicle trafficking and exocytosis (4). Complexin isoforms 1 and 2 are small synaptic proteins that bind to SNARE complexes, responsible for regulating exocytosis and synaptic vesicle fusion (5). SynGAP is a synaptic GTPase-activating protein selectively expressed in the brain and found at higher concentrations specifically at excitatory synapses in the mammalian forebrain. SynGAP interacts with the PDZ domains of PSD95, a postsynaptic scaffolding protein that couples SynGAP to NMDA receptors (6). PSD95 is involved in the assembly and function of the postsynaptic density (PSD) complex (7,8). SHANK proteins act as scaffolds at the neuronal PSD (9), where they play a critical role in PSD assembly of excitatory synapses during development (10). Bassoon (BSN) is a scaffolding protein component of the synaptic ribbon and of the cytomatrix at the active zones of both excitatory and inhibitory synapses with a presumptive role in orchestrating events of the synaptic vesicle cycle (11-13). Together, these proteins can be used to measure presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins and synaptic development under normal and disease conditions.