Researchers at University of Washington release new data on life sciences
2009 JUL 13 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to recent research from the United States, "Soluble N-ethyl-maleimide sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptors (SNARES) are hypothesized to trigger membrane fusion by complexing in trans through their membrane-distal N termini and zippering toward their membrane-embedded C termini, which in turn drives the two membranes together. In this study, we use a set of truncated SNARES to trap kinetically stable, partially zipped traps-SNARE complexes on intact organelles in the absence of hemifusion and content mixing." "We show that the C-terminal zippering of SNARE cytoplasmic domains controls the onset of lipid mixing but not the sub-sequent transition from hemifusion to full fusion. Moreover, we find that a partially zipped nonfusogenic traps-complex is rescued by Sec17, a universal SNARE cochaperone. Rescue occurs independently of the Sec17-binding partner Sec18, and it exhibits steep cooperativity, indicating that Sec17 engages multiple stalled traps-complexes to drive fusion," wrote M.L. Schwartz and colleagues, University of Washington. The researchers concluded: "These experiments delineate distinct functions within the traps-complex, provide a straightforward method to trap and study prefusion complexes on native membranes, and reveal that Sec17 can rescue a stalled, partially zipped traps-complex." Schwartz and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Cell Biology (Capture and release of partially zipped trans-SNARE complexes on intact organelles. Journal of Cell Biology, 2009;185(3):535-549). For additional information, contact A.J. Merz, University of Washington, Dept. of Biochemistry, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Publisher contact information for the Journal of Cell Biology is: Rockefeller University Press, 1114 First Avenue, 4TH FL, New York, NY 10021, USA. Keywords: United States, Seattle, Life Sciences, Proteomics. Fusion Proteins, Cell Biology, University of Washington. This article was prepared by Proteomics Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Proteomics Weekly via NewsRx.com.
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