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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Jul 6.
Published in final edited form as: Synapse. 2019 Sep 23;74(1):e22131. doi: 10.1002/syn.22131

FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3

An updated model for modulation of synaptic vesicle release at dopaminergic neuron synapses. Fusion of acidified neurotransmitter vesicles with the synaptic membrane causes release of dopamine and H+ ions. Dopamine activates a feedback loop through auto-receptors (DOP-2), and possibly through the membrane transporter (DAT-1), while ASIC-1 functions to facilitate a positive feedback loop that reinforces dopamine release in response to a local pH drop in the synaptic cleft. Thus, DOP-2, DAT-1 and ASIC-1 form a modulatory hub responsible for fine-tuning synaptic dopamine levels