SNARE proteins are considered to be the core cellular machinery that provides the energy needed to drive the fusion of discrete phospholipid bilayers; membrane fusion facilitates a wide range of biological processes including neurotransmission, immune cell function, the secretory pathway, and autophagy. Each of these membrane fusion paradigms are orchestrated by a unique combination of SNAREs that provide reaction specificity. While the role of the SNARE proteins in membrane fusion is well established, a concert of other poorly characterized proteinaceous and lipidic factors tightly regulate these reactions to determine if and when two membranes fill fuse. Minor aberrations in these regulatory factors can cause severe disease.

Some membrane fusion paradigms of interest are: