We have previously proposed that complexin cross-links multiple pre-fusion SNARE complexes via a trans interaction to function as a clamp on SNARE-mediated neurotransmitter release. A recent NMR study was unable to detect the trans clamping interaction of complexin and therefore questioned the previous interpretation of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer and isothermal titration calorimetry data on which the trans clamping model was originally based. Here we present new biochemical data that underscore the validity of our previous interpretation and the continued relevancy of the trans insertion model for complexin clamping.

Ligands such as insulin, epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and nerve growth factor (NGF) initiate signals at the cell membrane by binding to receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Along with G-protein-coupled receptors, RTKs are the main platforms for transducing extracellular signals into intracellular signals. Studying RTK signaling has been a challenge, however, due to the multiple signaling pathways to which RTKs typically are coupled, including MAP/ERK, PLCγ, and Class 1A phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K). The multi-pronged RTK signaling has been a barrier to isolating the effects of any one downstream pathway. Here, we used optogenetic activation of PI3K to decouple its activation from other RTK signaling pathways. In this context, we used genetic code expansion to introduce a click chemistry noncanonical amino acid into the extracellular side of membrane proteins. Applying a cell-impermeant click chemistry fluorophore allowed us to visualize delivery of membrane proteins to the plasma membrane in real time. Using these approaches, we demonstrate that activation of PI3K, without activating other pathways downstream of RTK signaling, is sufficient to traffic the TRPV1 ion channels and insulin receptors to the plasma membrane.