Synaptosomal Associated Protein 47kDa (SNAP47)

The SNARE proteins are essential components of the intracellular fusion machinery. It is thought that they form a tight four-helix complex between membranes, in effect initiating fusion. Most SNAREs contain a single coiled-coil region, referred to as the SNARE motif, directly adjacent to a single transmembrane domain. The neuronal SNARE SNAP-25 defines a subfamily of SNARE proteins with two SNARE helices connected by a longer linker, comprising also the proteins SNAP-23 and SNAP-29. SNAP-47 shows a widespread distribution on intracellular membranes and is also enriched in synaptic vesicle fractions. In vitro, SNAP-47 substituted for SNAP-25 in SNARE complex formation with the neuronal SNAREs syntaxin 1a and synaptobrevin 2, and it also substituted for SNAP-25 in proteoliposome fusion.