Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States; School of Biology/Chemistry, Univeristät Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
Frederic Pincet
Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States; Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, UMR CNRS 8550 Associée aux Unive, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
James E Rothman
Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
Karin M Reinisch
Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
We have previously proposed that complexin cross-links multiple pre-fusion SNARE complexes via a trans interaction to function as a clamp on SNARE-mediated neurotransmitter release. A recent NMR study was unable to detect the trans clamping interaction of complexin and therefore questioned the previous interpretation of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer and isothermal titration calorimetry data on which the trans clamping model was originally based. Here we present new biochemical data that underscore the validity of our previous interpretation and the continued relevancy of the trans insertion model for complexin clamping.