%A Milovanovic,Dragomir %A Jahn,Reinhard %D 2015 %J Frontiers in Physiology %C %F %G English %K SNARE Proteins,clustering,membrane domains,modularity of cluster formation,hydrophobic interaction,Ionic interaction %Q %R 10.3389/fphys.2015.00089 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2015-March-19 %9 Review %+ Prof Reinhard Jahn,Department of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry,Göttingen, Germany,rjahn@gwdg.de %# %! Organization and dynamics of SNARE proteins in the presynaptic membrane %* %< %T Organization and dynamics of SNARE proteins in the presynaptic membrane %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2015.00089 %V 6 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1664-042X %X Our view of the lateral organization of lipids and proteins in the plasma membrane has evolved substantially in the last few decades. It is widely accepted that many, if not all, plasma membrane proteins and lipids are organized in specific domains. These domains vary widely in size, composition, and stability, and they represent platforms governing diverse cell functions. The presynaptic plasma membrane is a well-studied example of a membrane which undergoes rearrangements, especially during exo- and endocytosis. Many proteins and lipids involved in presynaptic function are known, and major efforts have been made to understand their spatial organization and dynamics. Here, we focus on the mechanisms underlying the organization of SNAREs, the key proteins of the fusion machinery, in distinct domains, and we discuss the functional significance of these clusters.