Tiny Condensates, Mastering Synaptic Communication: Literature Interpretation of SNAP25 LLPS Mechanism
Combining the unique molecular structure of SNAP25—a large intrinsically disordered linker region between the two SNARE motifs, with cysteines in the linker region that can undergo palmitoylation modification—and previous experimental conclusions that Syntaxin-1 enhances SNAP25 palmitoylation, the authors proposed a complete scientific hypothesis: SNAP25 undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation through its disordered linker region, with palmitoylation modification and Syntaxin-1 jointly regulating condensate formation. The droplets produced by phase separation can recruit all SNARE components to promote ternary complex assembly. DEE pathogenic mutations disrupt phase separation and block the membrane fusion pathway, thereby completely filling the research gap in the mechanism of SNARE protein aggregation.