title: VAMP-2 promotes neurite elongation and SNAP-25A increases neurite sprouting in PC12 cells.
abstract: Recent studies suggest that the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attached protein (SNAP) receptor (SNARE)-mediated membrane fusion system is involved in vesicle fusion in the plasma membrane that allows expansion for neurite elongation. There have been several reports analyzing the effects of neurite outgrowth by inhibition of SNAREs. In this study, we took the opposite approach by overexpressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fusion SNAREs, including VAMP-2, SNAP-25A, and syntaxin1A, in PC12 cells to investigate the role of SNAREs in the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. Neurite outgrowth analysis demonstrated that: (1) GFP-VAMP-2 increased the length of individual neurites, without changing the number of neurites per cell; (2) GFP-SNAP-25A increased the number of neurites per cell, with no change in the length of the individual neurites. In both cases, the total length of neurites per cell was increased; (3) GFP-syntaxin1A resulted in no significant change, either in neurite length, or in the number of neurites per cell. These findings suggest that when overexpressed in PC12 cells, VAMP-2 can promote neurite elongation, while SNAP-25A can stimulate neurite sprouting. On the other hand, overexpression of syntaxin1A neither promotes nor inhibits neurite outgrowth. Thus VAMP-2 and SNAP-25A play different roles in neurite elongation and sprouting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shirasu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okajima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirasawa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins; D051381:Rats; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25; D050827:Syntaxin 1
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C494210:Snap25 protein, rat; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25; D050827:Syntaxin 1; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins