Topological arrangement of the intracellular membrane fusion machinery

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) form a four-helix coiled-coil bundle that juxtaposes two bilayers and drives a basal level of membrane fusion. The Sec1/Munc18 (SM) protein binds to its cognate SNARE bundle and accelerates the basal fusion reaction. The question of how the topological arrangement of the SNARE helices affects the reactivity of the fusion proteins remains unanswered. Here we address the problem for the first time in a reconstituted system containing both SNAREs and SM proteins. We find that to be fusogenic a SNARE topology must support both basal fusion and SM stimulation. Certain topological combinations of exocytic SNAREs result in basal fusion but cannot support SM stimulation, whereas other topologies support SM stimulation without inducing basal fusion. It is striking that of all the possible topological combinations of exocytic SNARE helices, only one induces efficient fusion. Our results suggest that the intracellular membrane fusion complex is designed to fuse bilayers according to one genetically programmed topology.