The presynaptic plasma membrane protein SNAP-25 (synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa) has been implicated as one of several neural-specific components that direct constitutive fusion mechanisms to the regulated vesicle trafficking and exocytosis of neurotransmitter release. There exist two alternatively spliced isoforms of SNAP-25, a and b, which differ in a putative membrane-interacting domain. We show that these two isoforms have distinct quantitative and anatomical patterns of expression during brain development, in neurons, and in neuroendocrine cells and that the proteins localize differently in neurites of transfected PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. These findings indicate that alternative isoforms of SNAP-25 may play distinct roles in vesicular fusion events required for membrane addition during axonal outgrowth and for release of neuromodulatory peptides and neurotransmitters.
