Research Projects

Regulated secretion is a calcium-dependent specialized secretory pathway in neurons and neuroendocrine cells. Synaptic vesicles and Dense core vesicles (DCVs) are the major vesicles undergoing regulated exocytosis govern key events of synaptic transmission. Dense core vesicles (DCVs) undergo regulated exocytosis releasing neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Despite research over several decades on DCV biogenesis, many aspects are not very clear. SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein receptor) proteins are the central machinery involved in membrane fusion events, during which v-SNAREs (vesicle SNAREs) form complex with t-SNAREs (target SNAREs). Syntaxin 6 (Stx 6) is a snare protein localized at the trans-Golgi region (TGN) and has been demonstrated to be implicated in DCV formation. However, its precise role in DCV biogenesis remains elusive. The current proposal aims to decipher the role of syntaxin 6 in DCV biogenesis by a multi-disciplinary approach. We will be using widely studied PC 12 and INS 1 neuroendocrine cells as a model system for carrying out our research.