title: Essential roles of snap-29 in C. elegans.
abstract: SNARE domain proteins are key molecules mediating intracellular fusion events. SNAP25 family proteins are unique target-SNAREs possessing two SNARE domains. Here we report the genetic, molecular, and cell biological characterization of C. elegans SNAP-29. We found that snap-29 is an essential gene required throughout the life-cycle. Depletion of snap-29 by RNAi in adults results in sterility associated with endomitotic oocytes and pre-meiotic maturation of the oocytes. Many of the embryos that are produced are multinucleated, indicating a defect in embryonic cytokinesis. A profound defect in secretion by oocytes and early embryos in animals lacking SNAP-29 appears to be the underlying defect connecting these phenotypes. Further analysis revealed defects in basolateral and apical secretion by intestinal epithelial cells in animals lacking SNAP-29, indicating a broad requirement for this protein in the secretory pathway. A SNAP-29-GFP fusion protein was enriched on recycling endosomes, and loss of SNAP-29 disrupted recycling endosome morphology. Taken together these results suggest a requirement for SNAP-29 in the fusion of post-Golgi vesicles with the recycling endosome for cargo to reach the cell surface.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Functional Cellulomics, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Junsu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Matthew H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Zegarek
authors.forename: Barth D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Junho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011992:Endosomes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000502:physiology*; D007246:Infertility / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D050682:Q-SNARE Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D050600:SNARE Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D050682:Q-SNARE Proteins; C562341:SNAP-29 protein, C elegans; D050600:SNARE Proteins