The function of the brain, memory and learning and behavior is critically dependent on nerve cells to transmit, process and store information. To fulfill these tasks neurons possess unique structures - extensions of their cell body (dendrites and axons)- that terminate (synapse) on other cells to allow electrical and chemical communication between them. These synaptic junctions are the localized sites where neurotransmitters are stored, released, synthesized and recycled. The characterization of the molecular and chemical components of the synapse such as the protein SNAP-25, is an important goal of research in the understanding of the nervous system. SNAP-25 is a prominent protein found in nerve terminals of the mature nervous system only and seems to be preserved up through the animal kingdom suggesting that it has important nervous system function.
