Binary interactions of the SNARE proteins syntaxin-4, SNAP23, and VAMP-2 and their regulation by phosphorylation

The SNARE hypothesis proposes that synaptic vesicles dock at presynaptic membranes via interactions among the vesicular, integral membrane proteins VAMP (vesicle-associated membrane protein) and synaptotagmin and the target membrane proteins SNAP25 (synaptosome-associated protein with an M-r of 25 kDa) and syntaxin-1. Non-neuronal cells express isoforms of these proteins, believed to mediate secretory vesicle docking and/or fusion. Secretion in neuronal and non-neuronal systems differs in time course, Ca2+ dependence, and regulatory input. It is not known whether the non-neuronal protein isoforms form complexes akin to those of their neuronal counterparts. In this study, we defined the binding characteristics of three SNARE proteins: SNAP23, VAMP-2, and syntaxin-4. Binary, saturable interactions among all three partners (VAMP-2-syntaxin-4 VAMP-2-SNAP23, and SNAP23-syntaxin-4) were measured in vitro. Unlike its neuronal counterpart, SNAP23 did not potentiate VAMP-2 binding to its putative t-SNARE partner, syntaxin-4. The susceptibility of SNARE proteins to phosphorylation by exogenous kinases and their impact on binary interactions were explored. Syntaxin-4 was efficiently phosphorylated by casein kinase II (CKII) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) (incorporating 0.8 and 3.9 mol of phosphate/mol of syntaxin-4, respectively), while syntaxin-1 was only strongly phosphorylated by CKII. Each of the syntaxin isoforms was weakly phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) (<0.05 mol of phosphate/mol of syntaxin-4). Importantly, PKA but not casein kinase II phosphorylation of syntaxin-4 disrupted its binding to SNAP23. We hypothesize that PKA may modulate syntaxin-4-dependent SNARE complex formation to regulate exocytosis in non-neuronal cells.