Structural insights into the molecular mechanism of Ca2+-dependent exocytosis

The fusion of vesicles with target membranes is controlled by a complex net work of protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions. Recent structures o f the SNARE complex, synaptotagmin III, nSec1, domains of NSF and its adapt or SNAP, along with Rab3 and some of its effecters, provide the framework f or developing molecular models of vesicle fusion and for designing experime nts to test these models. Ultimately, this knowledge of the structures of h igher-order complexes and their dynamic behavior will allow us to obtain a full understanding of the vesicle fusion protein machinery.