title: SNARE motif: a common motif used by pathogens to manipulate membrane fusion.
abstract: To penetrate host cells through their membranes, pathogens use a variety of molecular components in which the presence of heptad repeat motifs seems to be a prevailing element. Heptad repeats are characterized by a pattern of seven, generally hydrophobic, residues. In order to initiate membrane fusion, viruses use glycoproteins-containing heptad repeats. These proteins are structurally and functionally similar to the SNARE proteins known to be involved in eukaryotic membrane fusion. SNAREs also display a heptad repeat motif called the "SNARE motif". As bacterial genomes are being sequenced, microorganisms also appear to be carrying membrane proteins resembling eukaryotic SNAREs. This category of SNARE-like proteins might share similar functions and could be used by microorganisms to either promote or block membrane fusion. Such a recurrence across pathogenic organisms suggests that this architectural motif was evolutionarily selected because it most effectively ensures the survival of pathogens within the eukaryotic environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wesolowski
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paumet
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011485:Protein Binding; D050600:SNARE Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014780:Viruses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins