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Publication Abstract from PubMed

Synaptotagmin-1 and neuronal SNARE proteins have central roles in evoked synchronous neurotransmitter release; however, it is unknown how they cooperate to trigger synaptic vesicle fusion. Here we report atomic-resolution crystal structures of Ca2+- and Mg2+-bound complexes between synaptotagmin-1 and the neuronal SNARE complex, one of which was determined with diffraction data from an X-ray free-electron laser, leading to an atomic-resolution structure with accurate rotamer assignments for many side chains. The structures reveal several interfaces, including a large, specific, Ca2+-independent and conserved interface. Tests of this interface by mutagenesis suggest that it is essential for Ca2+-triggered neurotransmitter release in mouse hippocampal neuronal synapses and for Ca2+-triggered vesicle fusion in a reconstituted system. We propose that this interface forms before Ca2+ triggering, moves en bloc as Ca2+ influx promotes the interactions between synaptotagmin-1 and the plasma membrane, and consequently remodels the membrane to promote fusion, possibly in conjunction with other interfaces.

Architecture of the synaptotagmin-SNARE machinery for neuronal exocytosis.,Zhou Q, Lai Y, Bacaj T, Zhao M, Lyubimov AY, Uervirojnangkoorn M, Zeldin OB, Brewster AS, Sauter NK, Cohen AE, Soltis SM, Alonso-Mori R, Chollet M, Lemke HT, Pfuetzner RA, Choi UB, Weis WI, Diao J, Sudhof TC, Brunger AT Nature. 2015 Aug 17. doi: 10.1038/nature14975. PMID:26280336^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.