Synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) plays an essential role in exocytotic neurotransmitter release as a t-SNARE protein. SNAP-25 is phosphorylated at Ser(187) in a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent manner, but the mechanism for dephosphorylation has yet to be clarified. We investigated SNAP-25 dephosphorylation by comparing it to growth associated protein 43 (GAP-43), another PKC-dependent presynaptic phosphoprotein, in crude mouse brain synaptosome preparations. Phosphorylation levels for both SNAP-25 and GAP-43 increased significantly after treatment with PKC activator phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDB), and ionomycin treatment induced a striking reduction in a time-dependent manner. This dephosphorylation occurred only in the presence of extracellular Ca(2+), indicating involvement of a Ca(2+)-dependent phosphatase. Ca(2+)-dependent dephosphorylation was not suppressed by calcineurin/PP2B inhibitors such as FK506 and cyclosporine A. SNAP-25 dephosphorylation, however, was suppressed by calyculin A, a non-selective inhibitor of PP1 and PP2A, and okadaic acid selective for PP2A, but not by tautomycin selective for PP1. In contrast, none of these inhibitors suppressed GAP-43 dephosphorylation. PDB-induced SNAP-25 phosphorylation was enhanced by okadaic acid in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that PP2A participates in SNAP-25 dephosphorylation through Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent mechanisms but is not involved in GAP-43 dephosphorylation.