TY - JOUR
T1 - SNARE function analyzed in synaptobrevin/VAMP knockout mice
AU - Schoch, S.
AU - Deák, F.
AU - Königstorfer, A.
AU - Mozhayeva, M.
AU - Sara, Y.
AU - Südhof, T. C.
AU - Kavalali, E. T.
PY - 2001/11/2
Y1 - 2001/11/2
N2 - SNAREs (soluble NSF-attachment protein receptors) are generally acknowledged as central components of membrane fusion reactions, but their precise function has remained enigmatic. Competing hypotheses suggest roles for SNAREs in mediating the specificity of fusion, catalyzing fusion, or actually executing fusion. We generated knockout mice lacking synaptobrevin/VAMP 2, the vesicular SNARE protein responsible for synaptic vesicle fusion in forebrain synapses, to make use of the exquisite temporal resolution of electrophysiology in measuring fusion. In the absence of synaptobrevin 2, spontaneous synaptic vesicle fusion and fusion induced by hypertonic sucrose were decreased @O 10- fold, but fast Ca2+-triggered fusion was decreased more than 100-fold. Thus, synaptobrevin 2 may function in catalyzing fusion reactions and stabilizing fusion intermediates but is not absolutely required for synaptic fusion.
AB - SNAREs (soluble NSF-attachment protein receptors) are generally acknowledged as central components of membrane fusion reactions, but their precise function has remained enigmatic. Competing hypotheses suggest roles for SNAREs in mediating the specificity of fusion, catalyzing fusion, or actually executing fusion. We generated knockout mice lacking synaptobrevin/VAMP 2, the vesicular SNARE protein responsible for synaptic vesicle fusion in forebrain synapses, to make use of the exquisite temporal resolution of electrophysiology in measuring fusion. In the absence of synaptobrevin 2, spontaneous synaptic vesicle fusion and fusion induced by hypertonic sucrose were decreased @O 10- fold, but fast Ca2+-triggered fusion was decreased more than 100-fold. Thus, synaptobrevin 2 may function in catalyzing fusion reactions and stabilizing fusion intermediates but is not absolutely required for synaptic fusion.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035798088&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035798088&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/science.1064335
DO - 10.1126/science.1064335
M3 - Article
C2 - 11691998
AN - SCOPUS:0035798088
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 294
SP - 1117
EP - 1122
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 5544
ER -