The Aspergillus nidulans syntaxin PepA(Pep12) is regulated by two Sec1/Munc-18 proteins to mediate fusion events at early endosomes, late endosomes and vacuoles.

Syntaxins are target-SNAREs that crucially contribute to determine membrane compartment identity. Three syntaxins, Tlg2p, Pep12p and Vam3p, organize the yeast endovacuolar system. Remarkably, filamentous fungi lack the equivalent of the yeast vacuolar syntaxin Vam3p, making unclear how these organisms regulate vacuole fusion. We show that the nearly essential Aspergillus nidulans syntaxin PepA(Pep12) , present in all endocytic compartments between early endosomes and vacuoles, shares features of Vam3p and Pep12p, and is capable of forming compositional equivalents of all known yeast endovacuolar SNARE bundles including that formed by yeast Vam3p for vacuolar fusion. Our data further indicate that regulation by two Sec1/Munc-18 proteins, Vps45 in early endosomes and Vps33 in early and late endosomes/vacuoles contributes to the wide domain of PepA(Pep12) action. The syntaxin TlgB(Tlg2) localizing to the TGN appears to mediate retrograde traffic connecting post-Golgi (sorting) endosomes with the TGN. TlgB(Tlg2) is dispensable for growth but becomes essential if the early Golgi syntaxin SedV(Sed5) is compromised, showing that the Golgi can function with a single syntaxin, SedV(Sed5) . Remarkably, its pattern of associations with endosomal SNAREs is consistent with SedV(Sed5) playing roles in retrograde pathway(s) connecting endocytic compartments downstream of the post-Golgi endosome with the Golgi, besides more conventional intra-Golgi roles.