Protein bassoon (Zinc finger protein 231, ZNF231) is localized to the presynaptic density active zone that regulates neurotransmitter release, in brain neurons and photoreceptor ribbon synapses. Bassoon is thought to be involved in the organization of the active zone cytomatri, Xenopus/Amphibian, by binding to ERC2/CAST1. It is essential to regulated neurotransmitter release from a subset of brain glutaminergic neurons. In addition Bassoon's activity as a transcriptional regulator is suggested by the following sequences: a pair of C8 double zinc fingers motifs, a leucine zipper motif, an SH3 domain-binding motif, two nuclear targeting sequences, glutamine- and histidine-rich domains.