UNC13A Summary

UNC13A (protein unc-13 homolog A) is a 193 kDa synaptic protein that regulates vesicle maturation and exocytosis (UniProt: Q9UPW8). It acts as a diacylglycerol target and functions in synaptic vesicle priming prior to fusion, enabling neurotransmitter release at glutamatergic synapses. UNC13A also participates in refilling the readily releasable pool of vesicles and facilitates dense core vesicle fusion in neurons; beyond the synapse, it supports insulin secretion and dendrite formation.

UNC13A is predominantly localized to neuronal presynaptic terminals, reflecting its core role in synaptic transmission and plasticity. No explicit disease associations are documented in UniProt curated data for this protein.

In Alzheimer's Disease, UNC13A shows reduced abundance in post-mortem human AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics). Across the quantified subcellular fractions, the protein is significantly downregulated with a mean log2 fold-change of −0.462. This decreased synaptic expression may contribute to impaired neurotransmitter release capacity and synaptic dysfunction observed in AD pathology.