NSF-mediated disssembly of SNARE complexes

精确的膜运输对于细胞功能至关重要，从细胞内蛋白质运输到靶向分泌和神经递质释放。本研究计划的主要目的是了解如何实现这一规定。具体来说，我们正在研究膜融合机制的关键组成部分，atp酶n -乙基马来酰亚胺敏感因子（NSF）的功能。这种调节在大脑中非常重要，因为它控制着神经递质的释放。膜融合是由囊泡和靶膜上SNARE蛋白之间形成的线圈状复合物驱动的，NSF被认为调节它们的组装和拆卸。NSF如何实现这些功能尚不清楚，尽管最近的研究表明NSF通过解开陷阱来解开它们。

Precise membrane traffic is essential for cellular functions ranging from intracellular protein transport to targeted secretion and neurotransmitter release. The major aim of this research program is to understand how this regulation is achieved. Specifically, we are investigating the function of a pivotal component of the membrane fusion machinery, the ATPase N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF). This regulation is extremely important in the brain as it controls neurotransmitter release. Membrane fusion is driven by the formation of coiled-coil complexes between SNARE proteins on vesicles and target membranes, and NSF is thought to regulate their assembly and disassembly. How NSF carries out these functions remains unclear although recent studies have suggested that NSF unwinds the SNAREs by untwisting them.