Key determinants of the dual clamp/activator function of Complexin

Abstract

Complexin determines magnitude and kinetics of synchronized secretion, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remained unclear. Here, we show that the hydrophobic face of the amphipathic helix at the C-terminus of Complexin II (CpxII, amino acids 115- 134) binds to fusion-promoting SNARE proteins, prevents premature secretion and allows vesicles to accumulate in a release-ready state. Specifically, we demonstrate that an unrelated amphipathic helix functionally substitutes for the CTD of CpxII and that amino acid substitutions on the hydrophobic side compromise the arrest of the prefusion intermediate. To facilitate synchronous vesicle fusion, the N-terminal domain (NTD) of CpxII (amino acids 1-27) specifically cooperates with synaptotagmin I, but not with synaptotagmin VII. Expression of CpxII rescues the slow release kinetics of the Ca2+- binding mutant SytI R233Q, whereas the N-terminally truncated variant of CpxII further delays it. These results indicate that the CpxII NTD regulates mechanisms which are governed by the forward rate of Ca2+ binding to SytI. Overall, our results shed new light on key molecular properties of CpxII that hinder premature exocytosis and accelerate synchronous exocytosis.