At a synapse, the synaptic vesicle protein cysteine-string protein-a (CSPa) functions as a co-chaperone for the SNARE protein SNAP-25. Knockout (KO) of CSPa causes fulminant neurodegeneration that is rescued by a-synuclein overexpression. The CSPa KO decreases SNAP-25 levels and impairs SNARE-complex assembly; only the latter but not the former is reversed by a-synuclein. Thus, the question ari...

Previously we reported that SNAP-25, synaptobrevin II, and syntaxin I, the intracellular substrates of botulinum toxin originally identified in nontarget tissues, were present in a recognized mammalian target tissue, the mouse hemidiaphragm. Furthermore, we reported that SNAP-25, syntaxin I, and synaptobrevin II were cleaved by incubation of the intact hemidiaphragm in botulinum serotypes A, C,...

Among carnivorous plants, Darwin was particularly fascinated by the speed and sensitivity of snap-traps in Dionaea and Aldrovanda. Recent molecular work confirms Darwin's conjecture that these monotypic taxa are sister to Drosera, meaning that snap-traps evolved from a 'flypaper' trap. Transitions include tentacles being modified into trigger hairs and marginal 'teeth', the loss of sticky tenta...

We introduce a new snapping technique, Oh Snap, designed specifically for users of direct touch interfaces. Oh Snap allows users to easily align digital objects with lines or other objects using 1-D or 2-D translation or rotation. Our technique addresses two major drawbacks of existing snapping techniques: they either cause objects to “jump” to snap locations, preventing placement very close to...

In addition to its primary role as a fundamental component of the SNARE complex, SNAP-25 also modulates voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in various overexpression systems. Although these studies suggest a potential negative regulatory role of SNAP-25 on VGCC activity, the effects of endogenous SNAP-25 on native VGCC function in neurons are unclear. In the present study, we investigated th...

The SNARE proteins are essential components of the intracellular fusion machinery. It is thought that they form a tight four-helix complex between membranes, in effect initiating fusion. Most SNAREs contain a single coiled-coil region, referred to as the SNARE motif, directly adjacent to a single transmembrane domain. The neuronal SNARE SNAP-25 defines a subfamily of SNARE proteins with two SNA...

Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) programs incentivize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase more fruits and vegetables. The Washington State Department of Health developed these maps of the state to 1) assess the geographic distribution of farmer’s markets with FINI programs in relation to areas with high SNAP populations (>20% of households partici...

Fluorescence in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region is suitable for in vivo imaging due to its reduced background and high penetration capability compared to visible fluorescence. SNAP(f) is a fast-labeling variant of SNAP-tag that reacts with a fluorescent dye-conjugated benzylguanine (BG) substrate, leading to covalent attachment of the fluorescent dye to the SNAP(f). This property makes ...

We present SNAP (Safe and Nimble Active Packets), a new scheme for programmable (or active) packets centered around a new lowlevel packet language. Unlike previous active packet approaches, SNAP is practical: namely, adding significant flexibility over IP without compromising safety and security or efficiency. In this paper we show how to compile from the well-known active packet language PLAN ...