# Brain-derived synaptic vesicles have an intrinsic ability to sequester tubulin

## TL;DR

This study shows that synaptic vesicles can collect tubulin, a protein important for cell structure, suggesting a new role for these vesicles in regulating microtubules in nerve cells.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that synaptic vesicles can intrinsically sequester tubulin, a novel mechanism linking vesicle clusters to microtubule dynamics.

## Key findings

- Synaptic vesicles enrich tubulin in the synaptic compartment.
- Vesicles form tubulin-rich regions in physiological conditions.
- The vesicle-tubulin interaction is direct and intrinsic.

## Abstract

The presence and function of microtubules within the synaptic bouton has long been under investigation. In recent years, evidence has accumulated that connects the synaptic vesicle cluster to the local dynamics of microtubule ends. Nonetheless, one question remains open, namely whether the vesicles influence the availability of tubulin within the synaptic compartment.

An analysis of previously published live imaging experiments indicates that tubulin is strongly enriched in the synaptic vesicle cluster. To analyze the vesicle-tubulin interaction directly, we isolated vesicles from the mouse brain and imaged them together with fluorescent tubulin in vitro. We found that soluble tubulin is collected by synaptic vesicles in physiological buffers, resulting in the formation of tubulin-rich regions (TRRs) on the respective vesicle clusters.

We conclude that the synaptic vesicle cluster is indeed able to recruit soluble tubulin.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-025-02464-9.