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The synaptic SNARE complex is a parallel four-stranded helical bundle

Nature Structural Biology volume 5, pages 765–769 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The heterotrimeric synaptic soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex, consisting of the synaptic vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2) and presynaptic plasma membrane proteins SNAP-25 (synaptosome-associated protein of 25,000 Mr) and syntaxin 1A, is a critical component of the exocytotic machinery. We have used spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate the structural organization of this complex, particularly the two predicted helical domains contributed by SNAP-25. Our results indicate that the N- and C-terminal domains of SNAP-25 are parallel to each other and to the C-terminal domain of syntaxin 1A. Based on these findings, we propose a parallel four-stranded coiled coil model for the structure of the synaptic SNARE complex.

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Figure 1: Synaptic SNARE complexes assembled with wild type and spin-labeled proteins.
Figure 2: EPR spectra of synaptic SNARE complexes.
Figure 3: Schematic representation of SNARE complex components showing EPR-derived interspin distances.
Figure 4: The synaptic SNARE complex: a four-stranded helical bundle.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank L. Gonzalez, Jr. for helpful discussions throughout this work. Support for this research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (M.K.B. and Y.-K.S.), the McKnight Fund for Neuroscience (M.K.B.), and a Searle Scholarship (Y.-K.S.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 94720, California

    Michelle A. Poirier, Charles Chan & Mark K. Bennett

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 94720, California

    Wenzhong Xiao, Jed C. Macosko & Yeon-Kyun Shin

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  1. Michelle A. Poirier
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  2. Wenzhong Xiao
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  3. Jed C. Macosko
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  4. Charles Chan
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Correspondence to Mark K. Bennett.

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Poirier, M., Xiao, W., Macosko, J. et al. The synaptic SNARE complex is a parallel four-stranded helical bundle. Nat Struct Mol Biol 5, 765–769 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/1799

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