 |
The Journal of Neuroscience, August 8, 2007, 27(32):8676-8686; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0658-07.2007
Previous Article | Next Article 
Cellular/Molecular
Munc18-1: Sequential Interactions with the Fusion Machinery Stimulate Vesicle Docking and Priming
Attila Gulyás-Kovács,1
Heidi de Wit,2
Ira Milosevic,1
Olexiy Kochubey,1
Ruud Toonen,2
Jürgen Klingauf,1
Matthijs Verhage,2 and
Jakob B. Sørensen1
1Department of Membrane Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany, and 2Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Correspondence should be addressed to Jakob B. Sørensen, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. Email: jsoeren{at}gwdg.de
Exocytosis of secretory or synaptic vesicles is executed by a mechanism including the SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins. Munc18-1 is a part of this fusion machinery, but its role is controversial because it is indispensable for fusion but also inhibits the assembly of purified SNAREs in vitro. This inhibition reflects the binding of Munc18-1 to a closed conformation of the target-SNARE syntaxin1. The controversy would be solved if binding to closed syntaxin1 were shown to be stimulatory for vesicle fusion and/or additional essential interactions were identified between Munc18-1 and the fusion machinery. Here, we provide evidence for both notions by dissecting sequential steps of the exocytotic cascade while expressing Munc18 variants in the Munc18-1 null background. In Munc18-1 null chromaffin cells, vesicle docking is abolished and syntaxin levels are reduced. A mutation that diminished Munc18 binding to syntaxin1 in vitro attenuated the vesicle-docking step but rescued vesicle priming in excess of docking. Conversely, expressing the Munc18-2 isoform, which also displays binding to closed syntaxin1, rescued vesicle docking identical with Munc18-1 but impaired more downstream vesicle priming steps. All Munc18 variants restored syntaxin1 levels at least to wild-type levels, showing that the docking phenotype is not caused by syntaxin1 reduction. None of the Munc18 variants affected vesicle fusion kinetics or fusion pore duration. In conclusion, binding of Munc18-1 to closed syntaxin1 stimulates vesicle docking and a distinct interaction mode regulates the consecutive priming step.
Key words: Munc18-1; chromaffin cells; amperometry; capacitance measurements; SNARE proteins; exocytosis
Received Feb. 14, 2007;
revised June 21, 2007;
accepted June 25, 2007.
Correspondence should be addressed to Jakob B. Sørensen, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. Email: jsoeren{at}gwdg.de
Related articles in J. Neurosci.:
- This Week in The Journal
J. Neurosci. 2007 27: i.
[Full Text]
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. T. Malintan, T. H. Nguyen, L. Han, C. F. Latham, S. L. Osborne, P. J. Wen, S. J. T. Lim, S. Sugita, B. M. Collins, and F. A. Meunier
Abrogating Munc18-1-SNARE Complex Interaction Has Limited Impact on Exocytosis in PC12 Cells
J. Biol. Chem.,
August 7, 2009;
284(32):
21637 - 21646.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
F. Deak, Y. Xu, W.-P. Chang, I. Dulubova, M. Khvotchev, X. Liu, T. C. Sudhof, and J. Rizo
Munc18-1 binding to the neuronal SNARE complex controls synaptic vesicle priming
J. Cell Biol.,
March 9, 2009;
184(5):
751 - 764.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. E. Graham, M. R. Edwards, L. Holden-Dye, A. Morgan, R. D. Burgoyne, and J. W. Barclay
UNC-18 Modulates Ethanol Sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Mol. Biol. Cell,
January 1, 2009;
20(1):
43 - 55.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. J. Merrins and E. L. Stuenkel
Kinetics of Rab27a-dependent actions on vesicle docking and priming in pancreatic {beta}-cells
J. Physiol.,
November 15, 2008;
586(22):
5367 - 5381.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
E.-J. Yoon, H. E. Hamm, and K. P. M. Currie
G protein {beta}{gamma} Subunits Modulate the Number and Nature of Exocytotic Fusion Events in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells Independent of Calcium Entry
J Neurophysiol,
November 1, 2008;
100(5):
2929 - 2939.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. Nagy, I. Milosevic, R. Mohrmann, K. Wiederhold, A. M. Walter, and J. B. Sorensen
The SNAP-25 Linker as an Adaptation Toward Fast Exocytosis
Mol. Biol. Cell,
September 1, 2008;
19(9):
3769 - 3781.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. N. Medine, C. Rickman, L. H. Chamberlain, and R. R. Duncan
Munc18-1 prevents the formation of ectopic SNARE complexes in living cells
J. Cell Sci.,
December 15, 2007;
120(24):
4407 - 4415.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|

|