SNAP-23 is not essential for constitutive exocytosis in HeLa cells.

We applied the small interfering RNA (siRNA) technique and over-expression of a dominant-negative mutant to evaluate the role of SNAP-23, a non-neuronal isoform of SNAP-25, in constitutive exocytosis from HeLa cells. Although the protein level of SNAP-23 was reduced to less than 10% of the control value by siRNA directed against SNAP-23, exocytosis of SEAP (secreted alkaline phosphatase) was normal. Double knockdown of SNAP-23 and syntaxin-4 also failed to inhibit the secretion. Furthermore, over-expression of deltaC8-SNAP-23, a dominant-negative mutant of SNAP-23, did not abrogate SEAP secretion. These results suggest that SNAP-23 is not essential for constitutive exocytosis of SEAP.