Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41166419›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

Synaptobrevin-2 disease variants reveal spatial constraints within the presynaptic active zone.

Natalie J Guzikowski, Elena D Bagatelas, Ok-Ho Shin, Yousuf A Khan, Luis Esquivies, Baris Alten, Axel T Brunger, Ege T Kavalali

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Lithium as a therapeutic strategy for SNAP25 encephalopathies via modulation of homeostatic plasticity.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Natalie J GuzikowskiDepartment of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240-7933.
Elena D BagatelasDepartment of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240-7933.
Ok-Ho ShinDepartment of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240-7933.
Yousuf A KhanDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.
Luis EsquiviesDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.ORCID 0000-0002-1750-6775
Baris AltenDepartment of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240-7933.ORCID 0000-0003-1842-7099
Axel T BrungerDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.ORCID 0000-0001-5121-2036
Ege T KavalaliDepartment of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240-7933.ORCID 0000-0003-1777-227X

Funding

Overall: Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at VanderbiltP50HD103537 · NICHD · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI Lea K Davis · 2020 to 2026
$10.3M
STRUCTURE OF PROTEINS INVOLVED IN SYNAPTIC EXOCYTOSISR01MH063105 · NIMH · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI BRUNGER, AXEL T · 2000 to 2025
$4.7M
Single molecule studies of SNARE-induced vesicle fusionR37MH063105 · NIMH · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI BRUNGER, AXEL T · 2011 to 2020
$4.7M
Role of SNARE Interactions in Central Synapse FunctionR01NS134128 · NINDS · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI Ege T Kavalali · 2024 to 2026
$1.3M
Elucidation of Nanostructure and Function of Spontaneous GABAergic Transmission at the Inhibitory SynapseF31MH132197 · NIMH · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI GUZIKOWSKI, NATALIE · 2023 to 2024
$67k
HHS | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) MH063105HHS | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) MH132197HHS | NIH | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) NS134128NICHD NIH HHS P50 HD103537NIMH NIH HHS F31 MH132197NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH063105NIMH NIH HHS R37 MH063105NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS134128
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins drive synaptic transmission in a temporally and spatially precise manner. Recent studies have identified several disease-causing SNARE variants that give rise to developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, defined as SNAREopathies. Here, we investigated nine synaptobrevin-2 (VAMP2) disease-causing variants and uncovered their specific SNARE complex affinity, stability, and conformational deficits that drive dysregulated neurotransmission. The neurotransmission deficits we observed parallel the symptomatic heterogeneity of the patients, with some variants displaying a disproportionate augmentation of spontaneous neurotransmitter release. When we examined the spatial organization of this excessive spontaneous release at nanoscale, we found that SNARE complexes composed of these variants formed exclusively outside of RIM scaffolding, revealing a preserved exclusion zone sparing evoked release from pathophysiology. Taken together with the phenotypes of previously reported disease-causing SNARE variants, these findings reveal shared patterns of aberrant neurotransmission across different SNAREs, highlighting the necessity for a functional classification of SNAREopathies to develop therapeutic interventions. The use of clinically relevant genetic manipulations to challenge the synapse provides mechanistic insight into rare diseases while simultaneously revealing fundamental aspects of synaptic physiology.

Indexed as

Presynaptic TerminalsVesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 2AnimalsFemaleHumansMaleSNARE ProteinsSynapsesSynaptic TransmissionSNARE ProteinsVAMP2 protein, humanVesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 2active zonespontaneous neurotransmissionsynaptobrevin-2

Identifiers

PMID41166419
PMCPMC12595502

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.