Opposing functions of two sub-domains of the SNARE-complex in neurotransmission

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The SNARE-complex consisting of synaptobrevin-2/VAMP-2, SNAP-25 and syntaxin-1 is essential for evoked neurotransmission and also involved in spontaneous release. Here, we used cultured autaptic hippocampal neurons from Snap-25 null mice rescued with mutants challenging the C-terminal, N-terminal and middle domains of the SNARE-bundle to dissect out the involvement of these domains in neurotransmission. We report that the stabilities of two different sub-domains of the SNARE-bundle have opposing functions in setting the probability for both spontaneous and evoked neurotransmission. Destabilizing the C-terminal end of the SNARE-bundle abolishes spontaneous neurotransmitter release and reduces evoked release probability, indicating that the C-terminal end promotes both modes of release. In contrast, destabilizing the middle or deleting the N-terminal end of the SNARE-bundle increases both spontaneous and evoked release probabilities. In both cases, spontaneous release was affected more than evoked neurotransmission. In addition, the N-terminal deletion delays vesicle priming after a high-frequency train. We propose that the stability of N-terminal two-thirds of the SNARE-bundle has a function for vesicle priming and limiting spontaneous release.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEMBO Journal
Volume29
Issue number15
Pages (from-to)2477-90
Number of pages13
ISSN0261-4189
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Cells, Cultured; Gene Deletion; Hippocampus; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Sequence Alignment; Synaptic Transmission; Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25

ID: 21861051