Unveiling the intra and intermolecular steps underpinning vesicular priming (2017-2019)

The fusion of secretory vesicles by exocytosis underpins neuronal communication. This project will unravel the mechanism that allows secretory vesicles to acquire the ability to fuse with the plasma membrane, a process called priming. Despite considerable efforts focused on elucidating vesicular fusion, the way these vesicles become fusion-competent upon arrival at the plasma membrane remains elusive. This project will make use of single molecule imaging to assess mobility changes of key priming molecules to uncover their diffusional signature during priming. It will therefore build the first comprehensive molecular model of molecular interactions that lead a recently docked vesicle to become fusion-competent.