Table 2.

A list of neurotransmitter release processes [19]. The neurotransmitters in the release process, including tethering and docking, priming, and fusion and their definition and functions have been summarized in this table.

Release processes		Definition	Regulatory proteins
	Tethering and docking	The process of vesicle localization on the target membrane. Generally, the distance between the vesicle membrane and the target membrane is about 75~150 nm in tethered state and 5~10 nm in docked state.	SNAREs GTP-binding protein
	Priming	The process of transforming synaptic vesicles into a state with the ability to fuse with the presynaptic membrane of the active zone, which is a rate limiting step in Ca2+-dependent exocytosis.	SNAREs, Munc13, Rim, Munc18, CAPS, Snapin, Complexin, Rab3a, Doc2, Syntaphilin Tomosyn, SV2, NSF, SNAPs
	Fusion	Vesicle membrane fuse with presynaptic membrane and release neurotransmitters to synaptic cleft triggered by Ca2+ in milliseconds.	SNAREs, Synaptotagmins