Mast cells possess distinct secretory granule subsets whose exocytosis is regulated by different SNARE isoforms

N Puri, PA Roche - Proceedings of the national academy of …, 2008 - National Acad Sciences
Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 2008National Acad Sciences
Mast cells degranulate and release the contents of intracellular secretory granules in
response to the cross-linking of FcεRI by multivalent antigens. These granules contain a
variety of biologically active inflammatory mediators; however, it is not clear whether these
granules are homogenous or whether there is heterogeneity within the secretory granule
population in mast cells. By using genetically altered mice lacking specific vesicle-
associated SNARE membrane fusion proteins, we found that VAMP-8-deficient mast cells …
Mast cells degranulate and release the contents of intracellular secretory granules in response to the cross-linking of FcεRI by multivalent antigens. These granules contain a variety of biologically active inflammatory mediators; however, it is not clear whether these granules are homogenous or whether there is heterogeneity within the secretory granule population in mast cells. By using genetically altered mice lacking specific vesicle-associated SNARE membrane fusion proteins, we found that VAMP-8-deficient mast cells exhibited defects in FcεRI-regulated exocytosis, whereas synaptobrevin 2- or VAMP-3-deficient mast cells did not. Surprisingly, the defect in secretion in VAMP-8-deficient mice was limited to the subpopulation of mast cell secretory granules containing serotonin and cathepsin D, whereas regulated exocytosis of secretory granules containing histamine and TNF-α was normal. Confocal microscopy confirmed that serotonin and histamine were present in distinct intracellular granules and that most serotonin-containing granules were VAMP-8-positive. Thus, this study demonstrates that mast cells do indeed possess distinct subsets of secretory granules and that these subsets use different SNARE isoforms for exocytosis.
National Acad Sciences