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Related Concept Videos

SNAREs and Membrane Fusion01:43

SNAREs and Membrane Fusion

Once a transport vesicle has recognized its target organelle, the vesicular membrane needs to fuse with the target membrane to unload the cargo. Transmembrane proteins called SNAREs present on organelle membranes and their vesicles, mediate vesicle fusion.
SNAREs exist in pairs that symmetrically interact and catalyze the fusion of the lipid bilayers in vesicle and target organelle. v-SNARE in the vesicle membrane are single polypeptide chains that bind to a complementary t-SNARE, composed of 2...
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation01:39

Mechanism of Filopodia Formation

Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy
10:58

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy

Published on: August 24, 2016

Pulling force generated by interacting SNAREs facilitates membrane hemifusion.

Midhat H Abdulreda1, Akhil Bhalla, Felix Rico

  • 1University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Physiology & Biophysics Department, 1600 NW 10th Ave., Miami, FL 33136, USA.

Integrative Biology : Quantitative Biosciences From Nano to Macro
|December 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein (SNAP) receptors (SNAREs) drive membrane fusion. This study shows SNAREs

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy
10:58

SNARE-mediated Fusion of Single Proteoliposomes with Tethered Supported Bilayers in a Microfluidic Flow Cell Monitored by Polarized TIRF Microscopy

Published on: August 24, 2016

Analysis of SNARE-mediated Membrane Fusion Using an Enzymatic Cell Fusion Assay
09:19

Analysis of SNARE-mediated Membrane Fusion Using an Enzymatic Cell Fusion Assay

Published on: October 19, 2012

High-Speed Magnetic Tweezers for Nanomechanical Measurements on Force-Sensitive Elements
08:50

High-Speed Magnetic Tweezers for Nanomechanical Measurements on Force-Sensitive Elements

Published on: May 12, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Membrane fusion is essential for biological processes.
  • Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein (SNAP) receptors (SNAREs) are key proteins mediating membrane fusion.
  • The precise mechanism of SNARE-mediated fusion is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of pulling force generated by SNAREs in membrane fusion.
  • To determine the mechanical properties of SNARE complex interactions.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of SNARE-mediated hemifusion.

Main Methods:

  • Atomic force microscope (AFM) spectroscopy was employed.
  • Single molecule force measurements were used to determine SNARE binding strength.
  • AFM compression force measurements assessed hemifusion efficiency.

Main Results:

  • The forced unbinding of trans-SNARE complexes involves two activation barriers: an inner and an outer barrier.
  • Truncating SNAP-25 or VAMP 2 reduced the inner barrier's slope and SNARE complex pulling strength.
  • Truncated SNAREs were less efficient in facilitating hemifusion compared to native SNAREs.

Conclusions:

  • The inner activation barrier governs SNARE complex binding strength.
  • SNARE-generated pulling force reduces the hemifusion barrier, promoting membrane fusion.
  • This reveals a mechanism coupling SNARE mechanical properties to membrane fusion efficiency.