Mapping of a dominant immunogenic region of synaptophysin, a major membrane protein of synaptic vesicles.

Synaptophysin is a major integral membrane protein of synaptic vesicles. Its transmembrane topology deduced from the cDNA sequence predicts 4 transmembrane regions and a carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic tail containing a characteristic pentapeptide repeat structure. The monoclonal antibody (mAb), SY38, binds to a cytoplasmic domain of synaptophysin. By using fusion proteins corresponding to truncated forms of the cytoplasmic tail, its epitope was located to a flexible segment in the center of the repeat structure. Four other mAbs (c7.1, c7.2, c7.3, c7.4) share the same epitope, which thus emerges as the major immunogenic region of this membrane protein.