SNARE proteins are integral to intracellular vesicular trafficking, which in turn is the process underlying the regulated expression of substrate transporters such as the
glucose transporter GLUT4 at the cell surface of
insulin target tissues. Impaired
insulin stimulated GLUT4 trafficking is associated with reduced cardiac function in many disease states, most notably diabetes. Despite this, our understanding of the expression and regulation of
SNARE proteins in cardiac tissue and how these may change in diabetes is limited. Here we characterize the array of
SNARE proteins expressed in cardiac tissue, and quantify the levels of expression of
VAMP2, SNAP23, and Syntaxin4-key
proteins involved in
insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. We examined
SNARE protein levels in cardiac tissue from two rodent models of
insulin resistance, db/db mice and high-fat fed mice, and show alterations in patterns of expression are evident. Such changes may have implications for cardiac function.