Exocytosis : Lessons from SNARE Mutants and Friends
Résumé
Our understanding of the mechanism of membrane fusion and particularly of exocytosis saw a revolution in the early 90s with the elucidation of the targets of clostridial neurotoxins (the most potent blockers of neurotransmitter release), the identification of secretory mutants in yeast and the proposal of the SNARE hypothesis by Rothman and his coworkers. Since then, the field of membrane fusion has seen hundreds of papers further characterizing the central role of SNARE proteins in membrane fusion, particularly during exocytosis. The purpose of this chapter is to present and discuss the function of SNARE proteins in exocytosis with a particular focus on their mutants and partners.