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The function of Synaptotagmin IV (Syt IV) in vesicle exocytosis and neurotransmitter release is debated, as Syt IV does not bind calcium. Here, Zhang et al. show that Syt IV localizes to the vesicles of neuropeptide-secreting nerve terminals in the posterior pituitary and regulates the kinetics of calcium-triggered exocytosis.
The floor plate is not usually a neurogenic structure, but in the embryonic midbrain, dopaminergic neurons do develop from floor plate. This study shows that the high levels of Shh that are present in the floor plate generally suppress neurogenesis and that for neurons to be generated, Shh must be downregulated by Wnt signaling in the midbrain.
