What is the Role of SNARE Proteins in Neurotransmission?
In the nervous system, SNARE proteins are crucial for the release of neurotransmitters. Synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitters use v-SNAREs to dock and fuse with the presynaptic membrane, which contains t-SNAREs. This fusion event releases neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft, propagating the nerve impulse to the next neuron. Key SNARE proteins involved in this process include Synaptobrevin, Syntaxin, and SNAP-25.
