I wish I could say the paper is highly cited because it represents a novel and unexpected addition to the literature, but I am afraid that is not the case. The truth is that although this paper is a comprehensive review in a field that is of fundamental importance to neuroscience, it is difficult to understand. The fact that this review article is highly cited gives me some hope that I may have been able to write it in a reasonably understandable manner.

I became interested in neurotransmitter release and the synaptic vesicle cycle that underlies release because this is the event that initiates synaptic transmission. The fundamental importance of release in normal brain function and in brain diseases made me decide that understanding it is of crucial significance for neurobiology. I believe my review tries to capture this fact.