scholarly journals A Novel Site of Action for α-SNAP in the SNARE Conformational Cycle Controlling Membrane Fusion

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 776-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Barszczewski ◽  
John J. Chua ◽  
Alexander Stein ◽  
Ulrike Winter ◽  
Rainer Heintzmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Sensitive Factor ◽  
Site Of Action ◽  
Snare Motif ◽  
Liposome Fusion

Regulated exocytosis in neurons and neuroendocrine cells requires the formation of a stable soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex consisting of synaptobrevin-2/vesicle-associated membrane protein 2, synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25), and syntaxin 1. This complex is subsequently disassembled by the concerted action of α-SNAP and the ATPases associated with different cellular activities-ATPase N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF). We report that NSF inhibition causes accumulation of α-SNAP in clusters on plasma membranes. Clustering is mediated by the binding of α-SNAP to uncomplexed syntaxin, because cleavage of syntaxin with botulinum neurotoxin C1 or competition by using antibodies against syntaxin SNARE motif abolishes clustering. Binding of α-SNAP potently inhibits Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of secretory granules and SNARE-mediated liposome fusion. Membrane clustering and inhibition of both exocytosis and liposome fusion are counteracted by NSF but not when an α-SNAP mutant defective in NSF activation is used. We conclude that α-SNAP inhibits exocytosis by binding to the syntaxin SNARE motif and in turn prevents SNARE assembly, revealing an unexpected site of action for α-SNAP in the SNARE cycle that drives exocytotic membrane fusion.

VAMP-8 segregates mast cell–preformed mediator exocytosis from cytokine trafficking pathways

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 111 (7) ◽  
pp. 3665-3674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeraj Tiwari ◽  
Cheng-Chun Wang ◽  
Cristiana Brochetta ◽  
Gou Ke ◽  
Francesca Vita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mast Cells ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Sensitive Factor ◽  
Syntaxin 4 ◽  
Deficient Mice ◽  
Snare Complex Formation ◽  
Vesicular Compartment

Abstract Inflammatory responses by mast cells are characterized by massive exocytosis of prestored granular mediators followed by cytokine/chemokine release. The vesicular trafficking mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Vesicular-associated membrane protein-8 (VAMP-8), a member of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE) family of fusion proteins initially characterized in endosomal and endosomal-lysosomal fusion, may also function in regulated exocytosis. Here we show that in bone marrow–derived mast cells (BMMCs) VAMP-8 partially colocalized with secretory granules and redistributed upon stimulation. This was associated with increased SNARE complex formation with the target t-SNAREs, SNAP-23 and syntaxin-4. VAMP-8–deficient BMMCs exhibited a markedly reduced degranulation response after IgE+ antigen-, thapsigargin-, or ionomycin-induced stimulation. VAMP-8–deficient mice also showed reduced plasma histamine levels in passive systemic anaphylaxis experiments, while cytokine/chemokine release was not affected. Unprocessed TNF accumulated at the plasma membrane where it colocalized with a VAMP-3–positive vesicular compartment but not with VAMP-8. The findings demonstrate that VAMP-8 segregates secretory lysosomal granule exocytosis in mast cells from cytokine/chemokine molecular trafficking pathways.

scholarly journals SNARE complexes of different composition jointly mediate membrane fusion in Arabidopsis cytokinesis

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1593-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid El Kasmi ◽  
Cornelia Krause ◽  
Ulrike Hiller ◽  
York-Dieter Stierhof ◽  
Ulrike Mayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
The Other ◽  
Division Plane ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Sensitive Factor ◽  
Membrane Type ◽  
Cell Division Plane

Membrane fusion is mediated by soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes. Although membrane fusion is required for separating daughter cells in eukaryotic cytokinesis, the SNARE complexes involved are not known. In plants, membrane vesicles targeted to the cell division plane fuse with one another to form the partitioning membrane, progressing from the center to the periphery of the cell. In Arabidopsis, the cytokinesis-specific Qa-SNARE KNOLLE interacts with two other Q-SNAREs, SNAP33 and novel plant-specific SNARE 11 (NPSN11), whose roles in cytokinesis are not clear. Here we show by coimmunoprecipitation that KNOLLE forms two SNARE complexes that differ in composition. One complex is modeled on the trimeric plasma membrane type of SNARE complex and includes, in addition to KNOLLE, the promiscuous Qb,c-SNARE SNAP33 and the R-SNARE vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) 721,722, also involved in innate immunity. In contrast, the other KNOLLE-containing complex is tetrameric and includes Qb-SNARE NPSN11, Qc-SNARE SYP71, and VAMP721,722. Elimination of only one or the other type of KNOLLE complex by mutation, including the double mutant npsn11 syp71, causes a mild or no cytokinesis defect. In contrast, the two double mutants snap33 npsn11 and snap33 syp71 eliminate both types of KNOLLE complexes and display knolle-like cytokinesis defects. Thus the two distinct types of KNOLLE complexes appear to jointly mediate membrane fusion in Arabidopsis cytokinesis.

scholarly journals Regulation of exocytosis by the exocyst subunit Sec6 and the SM protein Sec1

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Morgera ◽  
Margaret R. Sallah ◽  
Michelle L. Dubuke ◽  
Pallavi Gandhi ◽  
Daniel N. Brewer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Secretory Pathway ◽  
Secretory Vesicle ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Attachment Protein ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Sensitive Factor ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Sm Protein ◽  
Snare Complex Formation

Trafficking of protein and lipid cargo through the secretory pathway in eukaryotic cells is mediated by membrane-bound vesicles. Secretory vesicle targeting and fusion require a conserved multisubunit protein complex termed the exocyst, which has been implicated in specific tethering of vesicles to sites of polarized exocytosis. The exocyst is directly involved in regulating soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes and membrane fusion through interactions between the Sec6 subunit and the plasma membrane SNARE protein Sec9. Here we show another facet of Sec6 function—it directly binds Sec1, another SNARE regulator, but of the Sec1/Munc18 family. The Sec6–Sec1 interaction is exclusive of Sec6–Sec9 but compatible with Sec6–exocyst assembly. In contrast, the Sec6–exocyst interaction is incompatible with Sec6–Sec9. Therefore, upon vesicle arrival, Sec6 is proposed to release Sec9 in favor of Sec6–exocyst assembly and to simultaneously recruit Sec1 to sites of secretion for coordinated SNARE complex formation and membrane fusion.

scholarly journals HOPS drives vacuole fusion by binding the vacuolar SNARE complex and the Vam7 PX domain via two distinct sites

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 2601-2611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Krämer ◽  
Christian Ungermann
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Endomembrane System ◽  
Attachment Protein ◽  
Vacuole Fusion ◽  
Px Domain ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Sensitive Factor ◽  
Membrane Tethering

Membrane fusion within the endomembrane system follows a defined order of events: membrane tethering, mediated by Rabs and tethers, assembly of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes, and lipid bilayer mixing. Here we present evidence that the vacuolar HOPS tethering complex controls fusion through specific interactions with the vacuolar SNARE complex (consisting of Vam3, Vam7, Vti1, and Nyv1) and the N-terminal domains of Vam7 and Vam3. We show that homotypic fusion and protein sorting (HOPS) binds Vam7 via its subunits Vps16 and Vps18. In addition, we observed that Vps16, Vps18, and the Sec1/Munc18 protein Vps33, which is also part of the HOPS complex, bind to the Q-SNARE complex. In agreement with this observation, HOPS-stimulated fusion was inhibited if HOPS was preincubated with the minimal Q-SNARE complex. Importantly, artificial targeting of Vam7 without its PX domain to membranes rescued vacuole morphology in vivo, but resulted in a cytokinesis defect if the N-terminal domain of Vam3 was also removed. Our data thus support a model of HOPS-controlled membrane fusion by recognizing different elements of the SNARE complex.

scholarly journals A Second SNARE Role for Exocytic SNAP25 in Endosome Fusion

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 2113-2124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshikatsu Aikawa ◽  
Kara L. Lynch ◽  
Kristin L. Boswell ◽  
Thomas F.J. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Secretory Vesicle ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Snare Proteins ◽  
Recycling Endosome ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Interfering Rna

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins play key roles in membrane fusion, but their sorting to specific membranes is poorly understood. Moreover, individual SNARE proteins can function in multiple membrane fusion events dependent upon their trafficking itinerary. Synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP25) is a plasma membrane Q (containing glutamate)-SNARE essential for Ca2+-dependent secretory vesicle–plasma membrane fusion in neuroendocrine cells. However, a substantial intracellular pool of SNAP25 is maintained by endocytosis. To assess the role of endosomal SNAP25, we expressed botulinum neurotoxin E (BoNT E) light chain in PC12 cells, which specifically cleaves SNAP25. BoNT E expression altered the intracellular distribution of SNAP25, shifting it from a perinuclear recycling endosome to sorting endosomes, which indicates that SNAP25 is required for its own endocytic trafficking. The trafficking of syntaxin 13 and endocytosed cargo was similarly disrupted by BoNT E expression as was an endosomal SNARE complex comprised of SNAP25/syntaxin 13/vesicle-associated membrane protein 2. The small-interfering RNA-mediated down-regulation of SNAP25 exerted effects similar to those of BoNT E expression. Our results indicate that SNAP25 has a second function as an endosomal Q-SNARE in trafficking from the sorting endosome to the recycling endosome and that BoNT E has effects linked to disruption of the endosome recycling pathway.

scholarly journals Munc13-4 reconstitutes calcium-dependent SNARE-mediated membrane fusion

2012 ◽  
Vol 197 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin L. Boswell ◽  
Declan J. James ◽  
Joseph M. Esquibel ◽  
Stephen Bruinsma ◽  
Ryutaro Shirakawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Snare Proteins ◽  
C2 Domains ◽  
Granule Exocytosis ◽  
Calcium Dependent ◽  
Binding Residues ◽  
Liposome Fusion ◽  
Rate Limiting

Munc13-4 is a widely expressed member of the CAPS/Munc13 protein family proposed to function in priming secretory granules for exocytosis. Munc13-4 contains N- and C-terminal C2 domains (C2A and C2B) predicted to bind Ca2+, but Ca2+-dependent regulation of Munc13-4 activity has not been described. The C2 domains bracket a predicted SNARE-binding domain, but whether Munc13-4 interacts with SNARE proteins is unknown. We report that Munc13-4 bound Ca2+ and restored Ca2+-dependent granule exocytosis to permeable cells (platelets, mast, and neuroendocrine cells) dependent on putative Ca2+-binding residues in C2A and C2B. Munc13-4 exhibited Ca2+-stimulated SNARE interactions dependent on C2A and Ca2+-dependent membrane binding dependent on C2B. In an apparent coupling of membrane and SNARE binding, Munc13-4 stimulated SNARE-dependent liposome fusion dependent on putative Ca2+-binding residues in both C2A and C2B domains. Munc13-4 is the first priming factor shown to promote Ca2+-dependent SNARE complex formation and SNARE-mediated liposome fusion. These properties of Munc13-4 suggest its function as a Ca2+ sensor at rate-limiting priming steps in granule exocytosis.

scholarly journals Structural Roles for the Juxtamembrane Linker Region and Transmembrane Region of Synaptobrevin 2 in Membrane Fusion

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaru Hu ◽  
Le Zhu ◽  
Cong Ma
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Transmembrane Region ◽  
Tight Coupling ◽  
Linker Region ◽  
Force Transfer ◽  
Tryptophan Residues ◽  
Snare Motif ◽  
Liposome Fusion

Formation of the trans-SNARE complex is believed to generate a force transfer to the membranes to promote membrane fusion, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we show that helix-breaking and/or length-increasing insertions in the juxtamembrane linker region of synaptobrevin-2 exert diverse effects on liposome fusion, in a manner dependent on the insertion position relative to the two conserved tryptophan residues (W89/W90). Helical extension of synaptobrevin-2 to W89/W90 is a prerequisite for initiating membrane merger. The transmembrane region of synaptobrevin-2 enables proper localization of W89/W90 at the membrane interface to gate force transfer. Besides, our data indicate that the SNARE regulatory components Munc18-1 and Munc13-1 impose liposome fusion strong demand on tight coupling between the SNARE motif and the transmembrane region of synaptobrevin-2.

What is the role of SNARE proteins in membrane fusion?

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (2) ◽  
pp. C237-C249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph G. Duman ◽  
John G. Forte
Keyword(s):  
Subcellular Localization ◽  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Biological Membrane ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Snare Proteins ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Sensitive Factor ◽  
Membrane Contact

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor activating protein receptor (SNARE) proteins have been at the fore-front of research on biological membrane fusion for some time. The subcellular localization of SNAREs and their ability to form the so-called SNARE complex may be integral to determining the specificity of intracellular fusion (the SNARE hypothesis) and/or serving as the minimal fusion machinery. Both the SNARE hypothesis and the idea of the minimal fusion machinery have been challenged by a number of experimental observations in various model systems, suggesting that SNAREs may have other functions. Considering recent advances in the SNARE literature, it appears that SNAREs may actually function as part of a complex fusion “machine.” Their role in the machinery could be any one or a combination of roles, including establishing tight membrane contact, formation of a scaffolding on which to build the machine, binding of lipid surfaces, and many others. It is also possible that complexations other than the classic SNARE complex participate in membrane fusion.

scholarly journals A Role for Soluble N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive Factor Attachment Protein Receptor Complex Dimerization during Neurosecretion

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 3379-3389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Fdez ◽  
Thomas A. Jowitt ◽  
Ming-Chuan Wang ◽  
Manisha Rajebhosale ◽  
Keith Foster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Membrane Interface ◽  
Attachment Protein ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Sensitive Factor ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Factor Attachment Protein Receptor

The interactions underlying the cooperativity of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes during neurotransmission are not known. Here, we provide a molecular characterization of a dimer formed between the cytoplasmic portions of neuronal SNARE complexes. Dimerization generates a two-winged structure in which the C termini of cytosolic SNARE complexes are in apposition, and it involves residues from the vesicle-associated SNARE synaptobrevin 2 that lie close to the cytosol–membrane interface within the full-length protein. Mutation of these residues reduces stability of dimers formed between SNARE complexes, without affecting the stability of each individual SNARE complex. These mutations also cause a corresponding decrease in the ability of botulinum toxin-resistant synaptobrevin 2 to rescue regulated exocytosis in toxin-treated neuroendocrine cells. Moreover, such synaptobrevin 2 mutants give rise to a dominant-negative inhibition of exocytosis. These data are consistent with an important role for SNARE complex dimers in neurosecretion.

Synaptic Transmission in the Immune System

e-Neuroforum ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Rettig ◽  
David R. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Neuroendocrine Cells ◽  
Regulated Exocytosis ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Immunological Synapses ◽  
Immunological Diseases

AbstractThe release of neurotransmitters at synapses belongs to the most important processes in the central nervous system. In the last decades much has been learned about the molecular mechanisms which form the basis for this fundamental process. Highly regulated exocytosis, based on the SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive attachment protein receptor) complex and its regulatory molecules is the signature specialization of the nervous system and is shared by neurons and neuroendocrine cells. Cells of the immune system use a similar mechanism to release cytotoxic materials from secretory granules at contacts with virally or bacterially infected cells or cancer cells, in order to remove these threats. These contact zones have been termed immunological synapses in reference to the highly specific targeted exocytosis of effector molecules. Recent findings indicate that mutations in SNARE or SNARE-interacting proteins are the basis of a number of devastating immunological diseases. While SNARE complexes are ubiquitous and mediate a wide variety of membrane fusion events it is surprising that in many cases the SNARE proteins involved in immunological synapses are the same molecules which mediate regulated exocytosis of transmitters and hormones in neurons and neuroendocrine cells. These similarities raise the possibility that results obtained at immunological synapses may be applicable, in particular in the area of presynaptic function, to neuronal synapses. Since immunological synapses (IS) are assembled and disassembled in about a half an hour, the use of immune cells isolated from human blood allows not only the study of the molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission in human cells, but is particularly suited to the examination of the assembly and disassembly of these “synapses” via live imaging. In this overview we discuss areas of similarity between synapses of the nervous and immune systems and in the process will refer to results of our experiments of the last few years.

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