title: Towards reconstitution of membrane fusion mediated by SNAREs and other synaptic proteins.
abstract: Proteoliposomes have been widely used for in vitro studies of membrane fusion mediated by synaptic proteins. Initially, such studies were made with large unsynchronized ensembles of vesicles. Such ensemble assays limited the insights into the SNARE-mediated fusion mechanism that could be obtained from them. Single particle microscopy experiments can alleviate many of these limitations but they pose significant technical challenges. Here we summarize various approaches that have enabled studies of fusion mediated by SNAREs and other synaptic proteins at a single-particle level. Currently available methods are described and their advantages and limitations are discussed.
authors: a Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology .
authors: Axel T
authors: AT
authors: Brunger
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Cipriano
authors: Jiajie
authors: J
authors: Diao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000378:metabolism; D050600:SNARE Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011510:Proteolipids; D050600:SNARE Proteins; C020485:proteoliposomes
keywords: Membrane fusion; neuronal SNAREs; neurotransmitter release; single molecule FRET; single particle microscopy; synaptic vesicle; synaptotagmin