The platelet actin cytoskeleton associates with SNAREs and participates in alpha-granule secretion

Munc18b/STXBP2 is required for platelet secretion

Platelets are vital for hemostasis because they release their granule contents in response to vascular damage. Platelet exocytosis is mediated by soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs), whose interactions are governed by regulators, eg, Sec/Munc18 proteins. These proteins chaperone syntaxin t-SNAREs and are required for exocytosis. Platelets contain 3 Munc18 isoforms: Munc18a, Munc18b, and Munc18c. We report that Munc18b is the major isoform and is required for platelet secretion. Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 5 (FHL5) is caused by defects in the Munc18b/STXBP2 gene. We confirm a previous report showing that platelets from FHL5 patients have defective secretion. Serotonin, ADP/ATP, and platelet factor 4 release was profoundly affected in the 2 biallelic patients and partially in a heterozygous patient. Release of lysosomal contents was only affected in the biallelic platelets. Platelets from the FHL5 biallelic patients showed decreased Munc18b and syntaxin-11 levels were significantly reduced; other syntaxins were unaffected. Munc18b formed complexes with syntaxin-11, SNAP-23, and vesicle-associated membrane protein-8 in human platelets. Other potential secretion regulators, Munc13-4 and Rab27, were also found associated. These data demonstrate a key role for Munc18b, perhaps as a limiting factor, in platelet exocytosis and suggest that it regulates syntaxin-11.

Gelsolin associates with the N terminus of syntaxin 4 to regulate insulin granule exocytosis

The plasma membrane soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE) protein syntaxin (Syn)4 is required for biphasic insulin secretion, although how it regulates each phase remains unclear. In a screen to identify new Syn4-interacting factors, the calcium-activated F-actin-severing protein gelsolin was revealed. Gelsolin has been previously implicated as a positive effector of insulin secretion, although a molecular mechanism to underlie this function is lacking. Toward this, our in vitro binding studies showed the Syn4-gelsolin interaction to be direct and mediated by the N-terminal Ha domain (amino acid residues 39-70) of Syn4. Syn4-gelsolin complexes formed under basal conditions and dissociated upon acute glucose or KCl stimulation; nifedipine blocked dissociation. The dissociating action of secretagogues could be mimicked by expression of the N-terminal Ha domain of Syn4 fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) (GFP-39-70). Furthermore, GFP-39-70 expression in isolated mouse islet and clonal MIN6 β-cells initiated insulin release in the absence of appropriate stimuli. Consistent with this, the inhibitory GFP-39-70 peptide also initiated Syn4 activation in the absence of stimuli. Moreover, although MIN6 β-cells expressing the GFP-39-70 peptide maintained normal calcium influx in response to KCl, KCl-stimulated insulin secretion and the triggering pathway of insulin secretion were significantly impaired. Taken together, these data support a mechanistic model for gelsolin's role in insulin exocytosis: gelsolin clamps unsolicited soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE)-regulated exocytosis through direct association with Syn4 in the absence of appropriate stimuli, which is relieved upon stimulus-induced calcium influx to activate gelsolin and induce its dissociation from Syn4 to facilitate insulin exocytosis.

Cytoskeletal F-actin, not the circumferential coil of microtubules, regulates platelet dense-body granule secretion

Cytoskeletal F-actin assembly and microtubule reorganization are principal cellular events responsible for activation-induced platelet shape change; however, their roles in regulating platelet secretion have remained controversial. Herein, label-free microelectrochemistry techniques and pharmacological approaches are used to probe the role of F-actin and the microtubule in platelet dense-body secretion. Altered microtubule integrity via exposure to paclitaxel or vincristine had no effect on serotonin release in platelet suspensions. Disruption of F-actin by cytochalasin D (CytoD) or latrunculin A (LatA) substantially enhanced the rate of serotonin release, while inhibition of the F-actin-dependent platelet motor protein myosin IIA by blebbistatin had no effect. CytoD-treated platelets also showed enhanced serotonin quantal secretion rate. These results clearly indicate that F-actin, but not the microtubule, regulates platelet dense-body secretion and does so by serving as a physical barrier. This study also demonstrates the promise of microelectrochemistry for giving important insight into platelet quantal secretion mechanisms in future studies.

Natural killer cell lytic granule secretion occurs through a pervasive actin network at the immune synapse

Accumulation of filamentous actin (F-actin) at the immunological synapse (IS) is a prerequisite for the cytotoxic function of natural killer (NK) cells. Subsequent to reorganization of the actin network, lytic granules polarize to the IS where their contents are secreted directly toward a target cell, providing critical access to host defense. There has been limited investigation into the relationship between the actin network and degranulation. Thus, we have evaluated the actin network and secretion using microscopy techniques that provide unprecedented resolution and/or functional insight. We show that the actin network extends throughout the IS and that degranulation occurs in areas where there is actin, albeit in sub-micron relatively hypodense regions. Therefore we propose that granules reach the plasma membrane in clearances in the network that are appropriately sized to minimally accommodate a granule and allow it to interact with the filaments. Our data support a model whereby lytic granules and the actin network are intimately associated during the secretion process and broadly suggest a mechanism for the secretion of large organelles in the context of a cortical actin barrier.