Vti1a

A SNARE protein involved in the trans-Golgi network trafficking

General Information

Vti1a and Vti1b are mammalian SNARE proteins which have been identified as homologs of the yeast Vtip protein which is part of several SNARE complexes involved in transport.
Vti1a interacts with the cis-Golgi t-SNARE syntaxin 5 and the trans-Golgi network SNAREs syntaxin 6, syntaxin 16 and vamp 4.
Recently a brain-specific splice variant of Vti1a has been described. This Vti1a-β protein is associated with small synaptic vesicles, clathrin coated vesicles and endosomes. It is part of a SNARE complex different from the synaptic exocytotic compex since it does not co-immunoprecipitate with syntaxin 1 or SNAP 25. It is composed of syntaxin 6, syntaxin 16, vamp 4 and Vti1a-β which may play a role in biogenesis and/or recycling of synaptic vesicles. Nevertheless it behaves like a typical SNARE complex and can bind NSF and α/β-SNAP.