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The sec6/8 (exocyst) complex is implicated in targeting of vesicles for regulated exocytosis in various cell types and is believed to play a role in synaptogenesis and brain development. We show that the subunits sec6 and sec8 are present at significant levels in neurons of adult rat brain, and that immunoreactivity for the two subunits has a differential subcellular distribution. We show that in developing as well as mature neurons sec6 is concentrated at the inside of the presynaptic plasma membrane, while sec8 immunoreactivity shows a diffuse cytoplasmic distribution. Among established, strongly synaptophysin-positive neuronal boutons, sec6 displays highly differential concentrations, indicating a role for the complex independent of the ongoing synaptic-vesicle release activity. Sec6 is transported along neurites on secretogranin II-positive vesicles, while sec6-negative/secretogranin II-positive vesicles stay in the cell body. In PC12 cells, sec6-positive vesicles accumulate at the plasma membrane at sites of cell–cell contact. Neuronal induction of the PC12 cells with nerve growth factor shows that sec8 is not freely soluble, but may probably interact with cytoskeletal elements. The complex may facilitate the targeting of membrane material to presynaptic sites and may possibly shuttle vesicles from the cytoskeletal transport machinery to presynaptic membrane sites. Thus, we suggest that the exocyst complex serves to modulate exocytotic activity, by targeting membrane material to its presynaptic destination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]