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A more recent version of this article appeared on March 1, 2008
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Submitted on May 25, 2007
Revised on October 24, 2007
Accepted on December 10, 2007
-SNAP in the SNARE Conformational Cycle Controlling Membrane Fusion

Departments of *Neurobiology and
Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Monitoring Editor: Adam Linstedt
Regulated exocytosis in neurons and neuroendocrine cells requires the formation of a stable SNARE complex consisting of synaptobrevin-2/VAMP2, SNAP-25, and syntaxin 1. This complex is subsequently disassembled by the concerted action of
-SNAP and the AAA-ATPase NSF. We report that NSF inhibition causes accumulation of
-SNAP in clusters on plasma membranes. Clustering is mediated by the binding of
-SNAP to uncomplexed syntaxin since cleavage of syntaxin with botulinum neurotoxin C1 or competition using antibodies against syntaxin SNARE motif abolishes clustering. Binding of
-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
-SNAP mutant defective in NSF-activation is used. We conclude that
-SNAP inhibits exocytosis by binding to the syntaxin SNARE motif and in turn preventing SNARE assembly, revealing an unexpected site of action for
-SNAP in the SNARE cycle that drives exocytotic membrane fusion.
King’s College London, Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, New Hunt’s House, Guy’s Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom;
Department of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Coal Research, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany; ||LIMES-Institute, Laboratory for Membrane Biochemistry, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
Address correspondence to:
Reinhard Jahn (rjahn{at}gwdg.de)