Synaptojanin

Synaptojanin is a protein involved in vesicle uncoating in neurons. This is an important regulatory lipid phosphatase. It dephosphorylates the D-5 position phosphate from phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) and Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate(PIP2). It belongs to family of 5-phosphatases, which are structurally unrelated to D-3 inositol phosphatases like PTEN. Other members of the family of 5'phosphoinositide phosphatases include OCRL, SHIP1, SHIP2, INPP5J, INPP5E, INPP5B, INPP5A and SKIP. Synaptojanin is a protein involved in vesicle uncoating in neurons. This is an important regulatory lipid phosphatase. It dephosphorylates the D-5 position phosphate from phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) and Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate(PIP2). It belongs to family of 5-phosphatases, which are structurally unrelated to D-3 inositol phosphatases like PTEN. Other members of the family of 5'phosphoinositide phosphatases include OCRL, SHIP1, SHIP2, INPP5J, INPP5E, INPP5B, INPP5A and SKIP. The synaptojanin family comprises proteins that are key players in the synaptic vesicle recovery at the synapse. In general, vesicles containing neurotransmitters fuse with the presynaptic cell in order to release neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft. It is the release of neurotransmitters that allows neuron to neuron communication in the nervous system. The recovery of the vesicle is referred to as endocytosis and is important to reset the presynaptic cell with new neurotransmitter. Synaptojanin 1 and Synaptojanin 2 are the two main proteins in the synaptojanin family. Synaptojanin 2 can be further subdivided into synaptojanin 2a and synaptojanin 2b.