β-SNAP Background Information
Syntaxins were originally thought to be docking proteins, but have more recently been categorized as anchoring proteins that anchor themselves to the cytoplasmic surfaces of cellular membranes. Syntaxins have been shown to bind to various proteins involved in exocytosis, including VAMPs (vesicle-associated membrane proteins), NSF (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor), SNAP 25 (synaptosomal-associated protein of 25kDa), SNAPs (soluble NSF attachment proteins) and synaptotagmin. VAMPs (also designated synaptobrevins), including VAMP-1 and VAMP-2, and synaptotagmin, a protein that may function as an inhibitor of exocytosis, are vesicular proteins. SNAPs, including å-SNAP, ∫-SNAP and ©-SNAP, are cytoplasmic proteins that bind to a membrane receptor complex composed of VAMP, SNAP 25 and syntaxin. While å-SNAP and ©-SNAP, are found in a wide range of tissues, ∫-SNAP is expressed only in the brain. The gene encoding ∫-SNAP is localized to chromosome 20p11.21.
