title: A tethering complex dimer catalyzes trans-SNARE complex formation in intracellular membrane fusion.
abstract: SNARE complexes mediate membrane fusion in the endomembrane system. They consist of coiled-coil bundles of four helices designated as Qa, Qb, Qc and R. A critical intermediate in the fusion pathway is the trans-SNARE complex generated by the assembly of SNAREs residing in opposing membranes. Mechanistic details of trans-SNARE complex formation and topology in a physiological system remain largely unresolved. Our studies on native yeast vacuoles revealed that SNAREs alone are insufficient to form trans-SNARE complexes and that additional factors, potentially tethering complexes and Rab GTPases, are required for the process. Here we report a novel finding that a HOPS tethering complex dimer catalyzes Rab GTPase-dependent formation of a topologically preferred QbQcR-Qa trans-SNARE complex.
authors: Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Baylor College of Medicine; Houston, TX USA.
authors: Aditya
authors: A
authors: Kulkarni
authors: Kannan
authors: K
authors: Alpadi
authors: Sarita
authors: S
authors: Namjoshi
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Peters