title: YKT6 is a core constituent of membrane fusion machineries at the Arabidopsis trans-Golgi network.
abstract: SNARE complex formation is essential for membrane fusion in exocytotic and vacuolar trafficking pathways. Vesicle-associated (v-) SNARE associates with a target membrane (t-) SNARE to form a SNARE complex bridging two membranes, which may facilitate membrane fusion. The Arabidopsis genome encodes a large number of predicted SNARE proteins that might function primarily as fusogens for vesicle transport in endomembrane systems. The SNAREs SYP41, SYP61 and VTI12 reside in the trans-Golgi network and have been proposed to function together in vesicle fusion with this organelle. Here, we use a liposome fusion assay to demonstrate that VTI12 and either SYP41 or SYP61, but not both, are required for membrane fusion. This indicates that SYP41 and SYP61 are likely to function in independent vesicle fusion reactions in Arabidopsis. In addition, we have identified two new functionally interchangeable components, YKT61 and YKT62, that show sequence similarity to the multifunctional yeast SNARE YKT6. Both YKT61 and YKT62 interact with SYP41 and are essential for membrane fusion mediated by either SYP41 or SYP61. These results therefore define the core constituents required for membrane fusion at the Arabidopsis trans-Golgi network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yeon-Kyun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Diane C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bassham
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000378:metabolism; D050765:Qa-SNARE Proteins; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D021601:trans-Golgi Network / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids; D050765:Qa-SNARE Proteins; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D050600:SNARE Proteins; C472135:SYP61 protein, Arabidopsis; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; C502123:YKT61 protein, Arabidopsis; C020485:proteoliposomes