NEUROTRANSMITTER RELEASE - 4 YEARS OF SNARE COMPLEXES

Exocytosis in neurons requires proteins known as SNAREs, membrane prot eins that have now been implicated in many intracellular fusion events . SNAREs assemble into stable ternary complexes that are dissociated b y the ATPase NSF (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor), working together with SNAPs (soluble NSF attachment proteins). Recent results have she d new light on the mechanisms underlying SNARE (SNAP receptor) complex assembly and disassembly, and suggest changes in models that relate t hese reactions to vesicle docking and fusion.