Evidence for synergistic and complementary roles of Bassoon and darkness in organizing the ribbon synapse

Abstract Ribbon synapses are tonically active high-throughput synapses. The performance of the ribbon synapse is accomplished by a specialization of the cytomatrix at the active zone (CAZ) referred to as the synaptic ribbon (SR). Progress in our understanding of the structure–function relationship at the ribbon synapse has come from observations that, in photoreceptors lacking a full-size scaffolding protein Bassoon ( Bsn Δ Ex 4 / 5 ), dissociation of SRs coincides with perturbed signal transfer. The aim of the present study has been to elaborate the role of Bassoon as a structural organizer of the ribbon synapse and to differentiate it with regard to the ambient lighting conditions. The ul…