Glucose-induced phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) in isolated rat pancreatic islets

Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw extract stimulates insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells and improves insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw (V. fordii) is also known as the tung tree and its leaves and fruit are used as an oriental treatment for dyspepsia, edema, and skin diseases, which are known as diabetic complications.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we aimed to investigate the methanolic extract (VF5) of the leaves of V. fordii as an insulin secretagogue and its probable mechanism and verify the effect in HFD-fed mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The insulin secretagogue activity of different doses of VF5 (0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 μg/ml) was assessed using in vitro insulin secretion assay and confirmed the anti-diabetic effect in mice fed HFD for 4 weeks with different doses of VF5 (10, 20 and 50 mg/kg oral) for another 6 weeks. Glbenclamide (30 mg/kg, oral) was used as positive control drug. The possible mechanisms were evaluated by using Gö6983 (10 μM), U73122 (10 μM) and nifedipine (10 μM). The major constituents of VF5 were analyzed by UPLC-QToF-MS and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.

RESULTS

UPLC-QToF-MS and NMR spectroscopy analysis indicated that one of the main active components of VF5 was tigliane-diterpene esters. VF5 functioned as an insulin secretagogue and enhanced mitochondria respiration and insulin homeostasis. We confirmed that VF5 preserved the β-cell and reduced the β-cell expansion which caused by metabolic stress under HFD. The antidiabetic role of VF5 in HFD fed mice was assessed by glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT), fasting plasma insulin level, fasting blood glucose level, AKT signal in peripheral tissue in the absence of toxic effects. Mechanistically, insulinotropic effect of VF5 was mediated by activation of PKCα via intracellular Ca²⁺ influx and enhanced mitochondria function.

CONCLUSION

VF5 exhibits potent insulin secretagogue function and improves insulin sensitivity and protection of pancreatic β-cells from metabolic stress without toxicity. Taken together, our study suggests that VF5 could be potentially used for treating diabetes and metabolic diseases through improving β-cell function.

Expression of Protein Kinase C Isoforms in Pancreatic Islets and Liver of Male Goto-Kakizaki Rats, a Model of Type 2 Diabetes

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of protein kinases controlling protein phosphorylation and playing important roles in the regulation of metabolism. We have investigated expression levels of PKC isoforms in pancreatic islets and liver of diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats with and without insulin treatment to evaluate their association with glucose homeostasis. mRNA and protein expression levels of PKC isoforms were assessed in pancreatic islets and liver of Wistar rats and GK rats with or without insulin treatment. PKCα and PKCζ mRNA expressions were down-regulated in islets of GK compared with Wistar rats. PKCα and phosphorylated PKCα (p-PKCα) protein expressions were decreased in islets of GK compared with insulin-treated GK and Wistar rats. PKCζ protein expression in islets was reduced in GK and insulin-treated GK compared with Wistar rats, but p-PKCζ was decreased only in GK rats. Islet PKCε mRNA and protein expressions were lower in GK compared with insulin-treated GK and Wistar rats. In liver, PKCδ and PKCζ mRNA expressions were decreased in both GK and insulin-treated GK compared with Wistar rats. Hepatic PKCζ protein expression was diminished in both GK rats with and without insulin treatment compared with Wistar rats. Hepatic PKCε mRNA expression was down-regulated in insulin-treated GK compared with GK and Wistar rats. PKCα, PKCε, and p-PKCζ expressions were secondary to hyperglycaemia in GK rat islets. Hepatic PKCδ and PKCζ mRNA expressions were primarily linked to hyperglycaemia. Additionally, hepatic PKCε mRNA expression could be under control of insulin.

Myostatin inhibits proliferation and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse liver cells

Although myostatin functions primarily as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth and development, accumulating biological and epidemiological evidence indicates an important contributing role in liver disease. In this study, we demonstrate that myostatin suppresses the proliferation of mouse Hepa-1c1c7 murine-derived liver cells (50%; p < 0.001) in part by reducing the expression of the cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases that elicit G1-S phase transition of the cell cycle (p < 0.001). Furthermore, real-time PCR-based quantification of the long noncoding RNA metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (Malat1), recently identified as a myostatin-responsive transcript in skeletal muscle, revealed a significant downregulation (25% and 50%, respectively; p < 0.05) in the livers of myostatin-treated mice and liver cells. The importance of Malat1 in liver cell proliferation was confirmed via arrested liver cell proliferation (p < 0.05) in response to partial Malat1 siRNA-mediated knockdown. Myostatin also significantly blunted insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and Akt phosphorylation in liver cells while increasing the phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS), a protein that is essential for cancer cell proliferation and insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Together, these findings reveal a plausible mechanism by which circulating myostatin contributes to the diminished regenerative capacity of the liver and diseases characterized by liver insulin resistance.

Taurolithocholate-induced MRP2 retrieval involves MARCKS phosphorylation by protein kinase Cϵ in HUH-NTCP Cells

Taurolithocholate (TLC) acutely inhibits the biliary excretion of multidrug-resistant associated protein 2 (Mrp2) substrates by inducing Mrp2 retrieval from the canalicular membrane, whereas cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) increases plasma membrane (PM)-MRP2. The effect of TLC may be mediated via protein kinase Cϵ (PKCϵ). Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a membrane-bound F-actin crosslinking protein and is phosphorylated by PKCs. MARCKS phosphorylation has been implicated in endocytosis, and the underlying mechanism appears to be the detachment of phosphorylated myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (pMARCKS) from the membrane. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that TLC-induced MRP2 retrieval involves PKCϵ-mediated MARCKS phosphorylation. Studies were conducted in HuH7 cells stably transfected with sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (HuH-NTCP cells) and in rat hepatocytes. TLC increased PM-PKCϵ and decreased PM-MRP2 in both HuH-NTCP cells and hepatocytes. cAMP did not affect PM-PKCϵ and increased PM-MRP2 in these cells. In HuH-NTCP cells, dominant-negative (DN) PKCϵ reversed TLC-induced decreases in PM-MRP2 without affecting cAMP-induced increases in PM-MRP2. TLC, but not cAMP, increased MARCKS phosphorylation in HuH-NTCP cells and hepatocytes. TLC and phorbol myristate acetate increased cytosolic pMARCKS and decreased PM-MARCKS in HuH-NTCP cells. TLC failed to increase MARCKS phosphorylation in HuH-NTCP cells transfected with DN-PKCϵ, and this suggested PKCϵ-mediated phosphorylation of MARCKS by TLC. In HuH-NTCP cells transfected with phosphorylation-deficient MARCKS, TLC failed to increase MARCKS phosphorylation or decrease PM-MRP2.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that TLC-induced MRP2 retrieval involves TLC-mediated activation of PKCϵ followed by MARCKS phosphorylation and consequent detachment of MARCKS from the membrane.

Regulation of mucin secretion and inflammation in asthma: a role for MARCKS protein?

BACKGROUND

A major characteristic of asthmatic airways is an increase in mucin (the glycoprotein component of mucus) producing and secreting cells, which leads to increased mucin release that further clogs constricted airways and contributes markedly to airway obstruction and, in the most severe cases, to status asthmaticus. Asthmatic airways show both a hyperplasia and metaplasia of goblet cells, mucin-producing cells in the epithelium; hyperplasia refers to enhanced numbers of goblet cells in larger airways, while metaplasia refers to the appearance of these cells in smaller airways where they normally are not seen. With the number of mucin-producing and secreting cells increased, there is a coincident hypersecretion of mucin which characterizes asthma. On a cellular level, a major regulator of airway mucin secretion in both in vitro and in vivo studies has been shown to be MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate) protein, a ubiquitous substrate of protein kinase C (PKC).

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

In this review, properties of MARCKS and how the protein may regulate mucin secretion at a cellular level will be discussed. In addition, the roles of MARCKS in airway inflammation related to both influx of inflammatory cells into the lung and release of granules containing inflammatory mediators by these cells will be explored. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biochemistry of Asthma.

Physiologic implications of phosphoinositides and phospholipase C in the regulation of insulin secretion

The secretion of insulin from the pancreatic beta-cell must be commensurate to satisfy the insulin requirements of the organism. This cell has a great flexibility to meet these requirements which are increased not only by the ingestion of nutrients (increase of plasma glucose) but also by the sensitivity of target tissues to insulin as well. The insulin secretion is a complex biochemical event regulated by a host of potential second messenger molecules acting alone or in concert. These events include the cation calcium, which gains access to the beta-cell via the opening of voltage-regulated channels, cAMP and phosphoinositide-derived second messenger molecules, generated as a consequence of phospholipase C (PLC) activation. In this review, we focused on phosphoinositides, PLC/Phosphokinase C (PKC) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) cascade in the regulation of insulin secretion. We also described our studies on the mechanism of the beta-cell desensitization using perifused islets. It is suggested that a failure of the signaling events contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetes in which the beta-cell can no longer secrete the required amounts of insulin. It has been observed that chronic exposure to high glucose desensitizes the beta-cells to subsequent stimulation. We suggested that the failure of PLC activation can be attributed in the impairment of insulin secretion by chronic sustained glucose exposure. It may contribute to the vicious circle of impaired insulin secretion leading up to diabetes.

MARCKS regulation of mucin secretion by airway epithelium in vitro: interaction with chaperones

We have reported previously that myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a key regulatory molecule controlling mucin secretion by airway epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. The results of those studies supported a mechanism whereby MARCKS, upon phosphorylation by protein kinase C (PKC), translocates from plasma membrane to cytoplasm, where its binding to membranes of intracellular mucin granules is a key component of the secretory pathway. It remains unknown how MARCKS is targeted to and/or preferentially attaches to mucin granule membranes. We hypothesized that the chaperone cysteine string protein (CSP) may play an important role in this process. CSP was shown to associate with membranes of intracellular mucin granules in well-differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells in vitro, as determined by ultrastructural immunohistochemistry and Western blotting of isolated granule membranes. CSP in these cells complexed with MARCKS, as shown by co-immunoprecipitation. Given reported associations between CSP and a second chaperone, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), a role for HSP70 in the MARCKS-dependent secretory mechanism also was investigated. HSP70 appeared to form a trimeric complex with MARCKS and CSP associated with mucin granule membranes within airway epithelial cells. Transfection of the HBE1 human bronchial epithelial cell line with siRNAs targeting sequences of MARCKS, CSP, or HSP70 resulted, in each case, in significant knockdown of expression of these proteins and subsequent attenuation of mucin secretion. The results provide the first evidence that CSP and HSP70, and their interactions with MARCKS, are involved in mucin secretion.

Dexamethasone suppresses phospholipase C activation and insulin secretion from isolated rat islets

Dexamethasone inhibits insulin secretion from isolated islets. In the present experiments, possible underlying biochemical mechanisms responsible for defective secretion were explored. Dexamethasone (1 micromol/L) had no immediate deleterious effect on 15 mmol/L glucose-induced insulin release from perifused rat islets. However, a 3-hour preincubation period with 1 micromol/L dexamethasone resulted in parallel reductions in both the first (64%) and second phases (74%) of 15 mmol/L glucose-induced insulin secretion monitored during a dynamic perifusion. When measured after the perifusion, there were no differences in insulin content or in the capacity of control or dexamethasone-treated islets to use glucose. Dexamethasone (1 micromol/L) preexposure also reduced phorbol ester- and potassium-induced secretion. In additional experiments, islets were labeled for 3 hours with 3H-inositol in the presence or absence of 1 micromol/L dexamethasone. The steroid did not affect total 3H-inositol incorporation during the labeling period. However, the capacity of 15 mmol/L glucose, 30 mmol/L KCl, and 100 micromol/L carbachol to activate phospholipase C (PLC), monitored by the accumulation of labeled inositol phosphates, was significantly reduced in dexamethasone-pretreated islets. Inclusion of the nuclear glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486 (mifepristone, 10 micromol/L) abolished the adverse effects of dexamethasone on both glucose-induced inositol phosphate accumulation and insulin secretion. Quantitative Western blot analyses revealed that the islet contents of PLCdelta1, PLCbeta1, beta2, beta3, and protein kinase C alpha were unaffected by dexamethasone pretreatment. These findings demonstrate that dexamethasone pretreatment impairs insulin secretion via a genomic action and that impaired activation of the PLC/protein kinase C signaling system is involved in the evolution of its inhibitory effect on secretion.

Myristoylated Alanine-rich C Kinase Substrate-mediated Neurotensin Release via Protein Kinase C-δ Downstream of the Rho/ROK Pathway

Myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) is a cellular substrate for protein kinase C (PKC). Recently, we have shown that PKC isoforms-alpha and -delta, as well as the Rho/Rho kinase (ROK) pathway, play a role in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-mediated secretion of the gut peptide neurotensin (NT) in the BON human endocrine cell line. Here, we demonstrate that activation of MARCKS protein is important for PMA- and bombesin (BBS)-mediated NT secretion in BON cells. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) to MARCKS significantly inhibited, whereas overexpression of wild-type MARCKS significantly increased PMA-mediated NT secretion. Endogenous MARCKS and green fluorescent protein-tagged wild-type MARCKS were translocated from membrane to cytosol upon PMA treatment, further confirming MARCKS activation. MARCKS phosphorylation was inhibited by PKC-delta siRNA, ROKalpha siRNA, and C3 toxin (a Rho protein inhibitor), suggesting that the PKC-delta and the Rho/ROK pathways are necessary for MARCKS activation. The phosphorylation of PKC-delta was inhibited by C3 toxin, demonstrating that the role of MARCKS in NT secretion was regulated by PKC-delta downstream of the Rho/ROK pathway. BON cell clones stably transfected with the receptor for gastrin releasing peptide, a physiologic stimulant of NT, and treated with BBS, the amphibian equivalent of gastrin releasing peptide, demonstrated a similar MARCKS phosphorylation as noted with PMA. BBS-mediated NT secretion was attenuated by MARCKS siRNA. Collectively, these findings provide evidence for novel signaling pathways, including the sequential regulation of MARCKS activity by Rho/ROK and PKC-delta proteins, in stimulated gut peptide secretion.

PKC alpha is activated but not required during glucose-induced insulin secretion from rat pancreatic islets

The role of protein kinase C (PKC) in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) is controversial. Using recombinant adenoviruses for overexpression of PKC alpha and PKC delta, in both wild-type (WT) and kinase-dead (KD) forms, we here demonstrate that activation of these two PKCs is neither necessary nor sufficient for GSIS from batch-incubated, rat pancreatic islets. In contrast, responses to the pharmacologic activator 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) were reciprocally modulated by overexpression of the PKC alpha WT or PKC alpha KD but not the corresponding PKC delta adenoviruses. The kinetics of the secretory response to glucose (monitored by perifusion) were not altered in either cultured islets overexpressing PKC alpha KD or freshly isolated islets stimulated in the presence of the conventional PKC (cPKC) inhibitor Go6976. However, the latter did inhibit the secretory response to TPA. Using phosphorylation state-specific antisera for consensus PKC phosphorylation sites, we also showed that (compared with TPA) glucose causes only a modest and transient functional activation of PKC (maximal at 2-5 min). However, glucose did promote a prolonged (15 min) phosphorylation of PKC substrates in the presence of the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid. Overall, the results demonstrate that glucose does stimulate PKC alpha in pancreatic islets but that this makes little overall contribution to GSIS.

GABA, taurine and learning: release of amino acids from slices of chick brain following filial imprinting

The intermediate and medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) is a forebrain region in the domestic chick that is a site of information storage for the learning process of imprinting. We enquired whether imprinting is associated with learning-related increases in calcium-dependent, potassium-stimulated release of neurotransmitter amino acids from the IMHV. Chicks were hatched and reared in darkness until 15-30 h after hatching. They then either remained in darkness or were trained for 2 h by exposure to an imprinting stimulus. One hour later, the chicks were given a preference test and a preference score was calculated from the results of this test, as a measure of imprinting. Chicks were killed 2 h after training. Slices from the left and right IMHV of trained and untrained chicks were superfused with Krebs' solution either with or without calcium and the superfusate assayed for arginine, aspartate, citrulline, GABA, glutamate, glycine and taurine using high-performance liquid chromatography. For calcium-containing superfusates from the left IMHV, preference score was significantly correlated with potassium-stimulated release of (i) GABA (r=0.51, 23 d.f., P=0.008) and (ii) taurine (r=0.77, 23 d.f., P<0.0001). There was no significant difference between the mean values of trained and untrained chicks for either compound. However, examination of the variance of the data indicated that release of both GABA and taurine increased as a result of learning. No significant correlation between preference score and release was found for any of the amino acids from the right IMHV, nor for control tissue from the left IMHV superfused with calcium-free solution. These results demonstrate that the learning process of imprinting is associated with increases in releasable pools of GABA and taurine and/or membrane excitability in the left IMHV.

Mechanisms and physiological significance of the cholinergic control of pancreatic beta-cell function

Acetylcholine (ACh), the major parasympathetic neurotransmitter, is released by intrapancreatic nerve endings during the preabsorptive and absorptive phases of feeding. In beta-cells, ACh binds to muscarinic M(3) receptors and exerts complex effects, which culminate in an increase of glucose (nutrient)-induced insulin secretion. Activation of PLC generates diacylglycerol. Activation of PLA(2) produces arachidonic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine. These phospholipid-derived messengers, particularly diacylglycerol, activate PKC, thereby increasing the efficiency of free cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) on exocytosis of insulin granules. IP3, also produced by PLC, causes a rapid elevation of [Ca(2+)](c) by mobilizing Ca(2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum; the resulting fall in Ca(2+) in the organelle produces a small capacitative Ca(2+) entry. ACh also depolarizes the plasma membrane of beta-cells by a Na(+)- dependent mechanism. When the plasma membrane is already depolarized by secretagogues such as glucose, this additional depolarization induces a sustained increase in [Ca(2+)](c). Surprisingly, ACh can also inhibit voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels and stimulate Ca(2+) efflux when [Ca(2+)](c) is elevated. However, under physiological conditions, the net effect of ACh on [Ca(2+)](c) is always positive. The insulinotropic effect of ACh results from two mechanisms: one involves a rise in [Ca(2+)](c) and the other involves a marked, PKC-mediated increase in the efficiency of Ca(2+) on exocytosis. The paper also discusses the mechanisms explaining the glucose dependence of the effects of ACh on insulin release.

Effects of protein kinase C inhibitors on insulin secretory responses from rodent pancreatic islets

The contribution of protein kinase C (PKC) to the regulation of insulin release from perifused islets was explored using staurosporine or Gö 6976 to inhibit the enzyme. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 500 nM) addition to rat islets resulted in a slowly rising insulin secretory response. While minimally effective alone, the addition of 500 nM forskolin together with PMA resulted in a synergistic secretory response. The conventional protein-kinase-C isoform inhibitor Gö 6976 (1 microM) completely abolished PMA-induced secretion. However, the combination of forskolin plus PMA significantly enhanced secretion from Gö 6976-treated islets. Similar to previous findings made with staurosporine, Gö 6976 (1 microM) enhanced the first phase and reduced the second phase of 20 mM glucose-induced secretion from rat islets. Additional studies were conducted comparing the secretory responses of perifused rat or mouse islets to glucose. Dramatic species differences to the hexose were observed. For example, 35-40 min after the onset of stimulation with 8, 10 or 20 mM glucose insulin release rates from mouse islets averaged 32+/-6, 84+/-27 or 131+/-17 pg/islet per minute, respectively. The responses from rat islets averaged 115+/-28, 561+/-112 or 800+/-46 pg/islet per minute at this time point. Islet insulin stores were comparable in both species. The addition of 5 microM carbachol, 500 nM forskolin or 20 mM KCl to mouse islets together with 20 mM glucose resulted in a dramatic augmentation of insulin output. The responses to carbachol or forskolin, but not KCl, were inhibited by 50 nM staurosporine. However, staurosporine (50 nM) reduced insulin secretion from rat islets stimulated with KCl plus 20 mM glucose. Gö 6976 potentiated 20 mM glucose-induced secretion from mouse islets. These studies demonstrate that 1 microM Gö 6976 completely abolishes PMA-induced release from rat islets and has a modest inhibitory effect on 20 mM glucose-induced secretion. Gö 6976 (1 microM) had no inhibitory effect on 20 mM glucose-induced release from mouse islets. These studies also confirm that staurosporine inhibits both PKC- and PKA-mediated events in islets and this lack of specificity may account for its more pronounced inhibition of release when compared to Gö 6976. Finally, significant species differences to PKC inhibitors exist between mouse and rat islets.

Defective stimulus-secretion coupling in islets of Psammomys obesus, an animal model for type 2 diabetes

Psammomys obesus is a model of type 2 diabetes that displays resistance to insulin and deranged beta-cell response to glucose. We examined the major signaling pathways for insulin release in P. obesus islets. Islets from hyperglycemic animals utilized twice as much glucose as islets from normoglycemic diabetes-prone or diabetes-resistant controls but exhibited similar rates of glucose oxidation. Fractional oxidation of glucose was constant in control islets over a range of concentrations, whereas islets from hyperglycemic P. obesus showed a decline at high glucose. The mitochondrial substrates alpha-ketoisocaproate and monomethyl succinate had no effect on insulin secretion in P. obesus islets. Basal insulin release in islets from diabetes-resistant P. obesus was unaffected by glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) or forskolin, whereas that of islets of the diabetic line was augmented by the drugs. GLP-1 and forskolin potentiated the insulin response to maximal (11.1 mmol/l) glucose in islets from all groups. The phorbol ester phorbol myristic acid (PMA) potentiated basal insulin release in islets from prediabetic animals, but not those from hyperglycemic or diabetes-resistant P. obesus. At the maximal stimulatory glucose concentration, PMA potentiated insulin response in islets from normoglycemic prediabetic and diabetes-resistant P. obesus but had no effect on islets from hyperglycemic P. obesus. Maintenance of islets from hyperglycemic P. obesus for 18 h in low (3.3 mmol/l) glucose in the presence of diazoxide (375 pmol/l) dramatically improved the insulin response to glucose and restored the responsiveness to PMA. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that hyperglycemia was associated with reduced expression of alpha-protein kinase C (PKC) and diminished translocation of lambda-PKC. In summary, we found that 1) P. obesus islets have low oxidative capacity, probably resulting in limited ability to generate ATP to initiate and drive the insulin secretion; 2) insulin response potentiated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase is intact in P. obesus islets, and increased sensitivity to GLP-1 or forskolin in the diabetic line may be secondary to increased sensitivity to glucose; and 3) islets of hyperglycemic P. obesus display reduced expression of alpha-PKC and diminished translocation of lambda-PKC associated with impaired response to PMA. We conclude that low beta-cell oxidative capacity coupled with impaired PKC-dependent signaling may contribute to the animals' poor adaptation to a high-energy diet.

Role of protein kinase C isoenzymes in fatty acid stimulation of insulin secretion

Although hyperlipidemia is frequently associated with hyperinsulinemia. the stimulation of insulin secretion by fatty acids in the in vitro studies has remained a matter of constant debate, partly because of the uncertainty about a clearly defined mechanism to explain such a direct effect. In this study, we used a pharmacologic approach to test the hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) signal-transduction pathway is involved in fatty acid-stimulated insulin secretion. Isolated rat islets were perifused with either palmitate (C(16:0)) or linoleate (C(18:2)) in the absence or presence of selective inhibitors of PKC isoenzymes. Our results suggest a role for Ca2+-independent PKC isoenzymes in the signal transduction of fatty acid-stimulated insulin secretion. The data imply that either the nonconventional and/or atypical isoforms of PKC are involved in the stimulation of insulin release induced by fatty acids.

Platelet secretion induced by phorbol esters stimulation is mediated through phosphorylation of MARCKS: a MARCKS-derived peptide blocks MARCKS phosphorylation and serotonin release without affecting pleckstrin phosphorylation*

Previous experiments suggest that actin disassembly, perhaps at a specific site, is required for platelet secretion. Platelet stimulation by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced pleckstrin phosphorylation, platelet aggregation, and secretion. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) is accompanied by inhibition of pleckstrin phosphorylation and serotonin secretion. Here, we demonstrate the presence of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), another PKC substrate, in platelets and its phosphorylation during PMA stimulation. MARCKS is known to bind actin and to cross-link actin filaments; the latter is inhibited by PKC-induced MARCKS phosphorylation. MARCKS phosphorylation and serotonin release from permeabilized platelets have the same time course and were blocked by a peptide (MPSD) with the amino acid sequence corresponding to the phosphorylation site domain of MARCKS. Pleckstrin and myosin light chain phosphorylation was not modified. A peptide (Ala-MPSD) in which the four serine residues of MPSD were substituted by alanines was ineffective. These results provide the first evidence that MARCKS may play a role in platelet secretion. Moreover, pleckstrin phosphorylation has a different time course than that of MARCKS or serotonin release and was not modified when MARCKS phosphorylation and serotonin release were inhibited, suggesting that pleckstrin is either not directly involved in secretion or that it might only be involved upstream in the cascade of events leading to exocytosis.

The regulation of neurotransmitter secretion by protein kinase C

The effect of protein kinase C (PKC) on the release of neurotransmitters from a number preparations, including sympathetic nerve endings, brain slices, synaptosomes, and neuronally derived cell lines, is considered. A comparison is drawn between effects of activation of PKC on neurotransmitter release from small synaptic vesicles and large dense-cored vesicles. The enhancement of neurotransmitter release is discussed in relation to the effect of PKC on: 1. Rearrangement of the F-actin-based cytoskeleton, including the possible role of MARCKS in this process, to allow access of large dense-cored vesicles to release sites on the plasma membrane. 2. Phosphorylation of key components in the SNAP/SNARE complex associated with the docking and fusion of vesicles at site of secretion. 3. Ion channel activity, particularly Ca2+ channels.

Activation of protein kinase C modulates alpha2-adrenergic signalling in rat pancreatic islets

Treatment of rat pancreatic islets with 4beta-phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA) caused a significant reduction in the ability of the alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist noradrenaline to inhibit glucose-induced insulin secretion. This effect was most evident when low concentrations of the catecholamine were used (less than 1 microM) and was lost when the noradrenaline concentration was increased to 10 microM. The effect was probably mediated by activation of protein kinase C, because the ability of PMA to desensitise islets to noradrenaline was prevented by a selective inhibitor of calcium-dependent isoforms of the enzyme, Gö6976. The response to PMA was reproduced when islet protein kinase C was activated by a receptor-mediated mechanism involving incubation with the muscarinic agonist carbachol. In parallel with desensitisation of the inhibitory control of insulin secretion by noradrenaline, PMA treatment also reduced the ability of a low concentration of noradrenaline (0.1 microM) to inhibit islet cAMP formation. The loss of sensitivity to catecholamine, induced by PMA in rat islets, was not caused by any change in the levels of alpha2-adrenoceptor expression or in their ligand-binding affinity. It was, however, associated with a marked increase in the extent of phosphorylation of members of the Gi/Go, family of pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins in PMA-treated islets. Immunoprecipitation of Gi alpha2 and Galpha o from 32P-labelled islets after treatment with PMA revealed that both G proteins are substrates for protein kinase C. Overall, the results indicate that activation of protein kinase C leads to phosphorylation of islet Gi and Go causing their uncoupling from alpha2-adrenoceptors. We propose that this mechanism may form an important component of a physiological system designed to limit the tendency for catecholamines to inhibit insulin secretion under conditions in which the parasympathetic innervation of the islets is activated.

Chronic exposure to TPA depletes PKC alpha and augments Ca-dependent insulin secretion from cultured rat islets

The insulin secretory responses of rat islets to glucose (15 mM), 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA; 500 nM), and potassium (30 mM) were determined from perifused islets cultured for 22-24 h in CMRL-1066 medium (control cultured) or islets cultured in the additional presence of 500 nM TPA. Islet content of protein kinase C alpha (PKC alpha) and serine and threonine phosphoprotein patterns were also monitored after the culture period. Compared with freshly isolated islets, culturing alone had no adverse effect on the capacity of TPA or 30 mM potassium to stimulate secretion or on the islet content of PKC alpha. In agreement with previous studies, culturing in TPA reduced the islet content of immunoreactive PKC alpha by > 95% and abolished the capacity of the phorbol ester to stimulate secretion during a subsequent dynamic perifusion. Culturing in TPA slightly improved the insulin secretory response to 15 mM glucose compared with control-cultured islets; however, sustained rates of 15 mM glucose-induced secretion from these islets were significantly less than the responses of freshly isolated islets. Islets cultured in TPA responded to 30 mM potassium with a markedly amplified insulin secretory response that was abolished by nitrendipine. Enhanced phosphorylation of several islet proteins was also observed in TPA-cultured islets compared with control-cultured islets. These findings demonstrate that culturing alone impairs glucose-induced secretion, a response that is improved but still subnormal compared with freshly isolated islet responses, if TPA is included in the culture medium. Sustained phosphorylation of several islet proteins in TPA-cultured islets may account, at least in part, for augmented calcium-dependent secretion.

Vasopressin-induced activation of protein kinase C in renal epithelial cells

Recent studies indicate that the actions of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and other agonists that stimulate electrogenic sodium transport in renal epithelial A6 cells are linked to a Ca(2+)-mobilizing signal transduction mechanism that involves generation of inositol trisphosphate. Since diacylglycerol is the other product in this pathway, studies were performed to determine the possible role of PKC in the stimulation of sodium transport. AVP induced a biphasic increase in diacylglycerol generation, characterized by an initial rapid rise and then a sustained elevation, and PKC activation, reflected by phosphorylation of a specific 80 kDa myristoylated alanine-rich PKC substrate (MARCKS). To determine the PKC isoform(s) involved in this process, immunoblot analysis was performed using antisera that recognize both classical PKC isoforms, XPKC-I and XPCK-II, cloned from Xenopus oocytes. The transcripts of both isoforms were expressed in the A6 cell. Since protein recognized by antisera was translocated from cytosol to the particulate fraction after exposure to AVP, one or both isoforms were activated in the A6 cell. Further studies showed that cyclohexyladenosine and insulin, additional agonists of sodium transport in A6 cells, also stimulated phosphorylation of MARCKS. These results argue that Ca(2+)-dependent PKC is involved in the action of AVP, and that of other agonists, which stimulate sodium transport.

Micellar lipoproteins as the possible storage and translocation form of intracellular diacylglycerol

Previous work indicated that diacylglycerol (DG) molecules translocate across the cytoplasm of mammalian cells, a process relevant to the signalling role of this lipid as protein kinase C activator. Here we investigated the possible mechanism underlying DG translocation. We examined the interaction between 1,2-di-[1-14C]oleoyl-sn-glycerol and rat liver cytosol (rlc) using assays based on Lipidex-1000 and on coelution on Sepharose CL 6B. We measured high DG binding activity and found that it resides in cytosolic proteins and not in cytosolic lipids. Chromatography of rlc proteins on Sepharose CL 6B showed profiles in which the activity measured by either method coincided. Further, we showed that the DG-rlc protein interaction results in the stabilization of DG in a micellar form, eluting in the void volume of Sepharose CL 6B. Such stabilized micelles are reminiscent of insect lipophorins and may represent a new, thus far unrecognized, mode of lipid transport within living cells.

Regulation of insulin secretion by phospholipase C

Biphasic insulin secretion in response to a sustained glucose stimulus occurs when rat or human islets are exposed to high levels of the hexose. A transient burst of hormone secretion is followed by a rising and sustained secretory response that, in the perfused rat pancreas, is 25- to 75-fold greater than prestimulatory insulin release rates. This insulin secretory response is paralleled by a significant five- to sixfold increase in the phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated hydrolysis of islet phosphoinositide (PI) pools by high glucose. In contrast, mouse islets, when stimulated under comparable conditions with high glucose, display a second-phase response that is flat and only slightly (two- to threefold) greater than prestimulatory release rates. The minimal second-phase insulin secretory response to high glucose is accompanied by the minimal activation of PLC in mouse islets as well. However, stimulation of mouse islets with the protein kinase C (PKC) activator tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) or the muscarinic agonist carbachol, which significantly activates an isozyme of PLC distinct from that activated by high glucose, induces a rising and sustained second-phase insulin secretory response. When previously exposed to high glucose, both rat and human islets respond to subsequent restimulation with an amplified insulin secretory response. They display priming, sensitization, or time-dependent potentiation. In contrast, mouse islets primed under similar conditions with high glucose fail to display this amplified insulin secretory response on restimulation. Mouse islets can, however, be primed by brief exposure to either TPA or carbachol. Finally, whereas rat islets are desensitized by chronic exposure to high glucose, mouse islet insulin secretory responses are relatively immune to this adverse effect of the hexose. These and other findings are discussed in relationship to the role being played by agonist-induced increases in the PLC-mediated hydrolysis of islet phosphoinositide pools and the activation of PKC in these species-specific insulin secretory response patterns.

A myristoylated pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitor of protein kinase C: effects on glucose- and carbachol-induced insulin secretion

We have used synthetic pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) to re-examine the role of conventional isoforms of PKC in the insulin secretory response of intact rat islets of Langerhans to glucose and to the cholinergic agonist carbachol (CCh). One peptide was modified by N-terminal myristoylation (PKC-myr20-28) to allow its use in intact beta-cells. Maximal inhibition of PKC activity in vitro required 10-fold less of this peptide (PKC-myr20-28) than of its non-myristoylated analogue. The maximum inhibitory concentration of PKC-myr20-28 had little effect on islet protein kinase A or Ca2+/calmodulin kinase activities. PKC-myr20-28 (25-100 microM) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced insulin secretion from intact rat islets but non-myristoylated peptides had little effect on the secretory response to PMA. A concentration of PKC-myr20-28 (100 microM) which maximally inhibited PMA-induced insulin secretion, also inhibited the secretory response to CCh, but did not affect glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from intact islets. These results indicate that myristoylation of pseudosubstrate peptides increases their potency as inhibitors and that PKC-myr20-28 is a selective and cell-permeant inhibitor of PMA-sensitive isoforms of PKC. They also suggest that the activation of PMA-sensitive PKC isoforms mediates the stimulatory effects of CCh, but is not obligatory for glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells.

Protein kinase C in beta-cells: expression of multiple isoforms and involvement in cholinergic stimulation of insulin secretion

The mammalian protein kinase C (PKC) family consists of at least 11 distinct isotypes with marked differences in tissue distribution, localization, cofactor dependence and substrate specificity. Evidence exists for the expression of some of the PKC isoforms in pancreatic beta-cells but no comprehensive analysis of all the known PKC types has been accomplished. To assess the functional relevance of phosphorylation by PKC in the mechanism of insulin secretion we firstly investigated the expression of PKC isoforms in pancreatic beta-cells. The combination of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Northern analysis and immunoblotting demonstrated the expression of PKC-alpha, beta II, epsilon, zeta, lambda and mu in MIN6 beta-cells. PKC-mu has not previously been detected in beta-cells. Expression of PKC-delta was also observed at the mRNA level; however, the protein could not be detected by Western blotting in MIN6 cells but was readily observed in RINm5F beta-cells. In short-term incubations, insulin release from MIN6 cells was augmented by 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), by carbachol, and by 40 mM K+. Culture of MIN6 cells overnight with TPA resulted in down-regulation of PKC-alpha (totally) and epsilon (partially), without significant change in the other isoforms. In such TPA-treated cells, the secretory response to TPA and to carbachol was abolished but not that elicited by high K+. It is suggested that PKC-alpha and/or epsilon may play a role in cholinergic potentiation of insulin secretion.

Inhibition of the phosphorylation of a myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate by methyl methanesulfonate in cultured NIH 3T3 cells

The effect of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) on the phosphorylation of an acidic 80-kDa myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) protein was investigated in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. An alkylating agent, MMS inhibited protein kinase C activity and the phosphorylation of MARCKS. MMS treatment also lowered the cellular amounts of second messengers of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol. Data suggest that MMS decreased the phosphorylation of phospholipase C, a protein whose activity is influenced by its phosphorylation state. We present here the first report that MMS intervenes in a signal cascade by inhibiting the phosphorylation of phospholipase C, which in turn leads to the inactivation of protein kinase C and the subsequent inhibition of MARCKS phosphorylation.

Diacylglycerol hydrolysis to arachidonic acid is necessary for insulin secretion from isolated pancreatic islets: sequential actions of diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol lipases

Arachidonic acid has been implicated as a second messenger in insulin secretion on the basis of (1) mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum of islets and (2) amplification of voltage-dependent Ca2+ entry. The insulin secretagogues D-glucose and the muscarinic agonist carbachol both increase unesterified arachidonic acid accumulation in isolated islets. We now show that diacylglycerol, a product of phospholipase C action, is a major source of free arachidonic acid in islets. Diacylglycerol hydrolysis in islets occurs through a two-step process. In the first step, the sn-1 bond of 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl-sn-glycerol is hydrolyzed by a diacylglycerol lipase, giving rise to 2-arachidonyl-sn-glycerol. Next, the sn-2 bond of 2-arachidonyl-sn-glycerol is hydrolyzed by a monoacylglycerol lipase, which is the rate-limiting step, releasing unesterified arachidonic acid. Both diacylglycerol lipase and monoacylglycerol lipase are highly enriched in the plasma membrane of beta-cells. Diacylglycerol lipase activity in islet homogenates is selectively inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the compound RHC-80267, a specific diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor. RHC-80267 inhibits glucose- and carbachol-induced insulin release from intact islets in a dose-dependent manner that parallels its inhibition of diacylglycerol lipase activity. Importantly, RHC-80267, at concentrations that almost completely inhibit diacylglycerol lipase activity and glucose- and carbachol-induced insulin secretion by islets, markedly inhibits glucose- and carbachol-induced increases in islet arachidonic acid levels, as measured by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection of its pentafluorobenzyl esters. RHC-80267 did not significantly affect islet glucose oxidation, phospholipase C, monoacylglycerol lipase, or phospholipase A2. Since glucose and carbachol are known to stimulate phospholipase C, our observations indicate that diacylglycerol is an important source of arachidonic acid and other free fatty acids in islets. Furthermore, production of arachidonic acid from the hydrolysis of diacylglycerol is essential for glucose- and carbachol-induced insulin secretion.

Involvement of protein kinase C and arachidonate signaling pathways in the alteration of proliferative response of senescent IMR-90 human fibroblasts

The proliferative response of IMR-90 fibroblasts at low and high population doubling level (PDL) to protein kinase C activation has been investigated to clarify whether the reduced mitogenic responsiveness of senescent cells can be ascribed to an alteration in protein kinase C signal transduction pathway. The results show that the signaling pathway leading to DNA synthesis through protein kinase C activation, appears to be modified in senescent IMR-90 human fibroblasts. High PDL fibroblasts exhibit a different sensitivity to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and dioctanoylglycerol (diC8); high glucose reduced responsiveness to PMA only in these cells. In addition, high PDL fibroblasts are characterized by an increase in diacylglycerol (DAG) cellular mass that could contribute to the different regulatory properties of the signaling pathway. On the other hand, the ability of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin to strikingly improve the proliferative response of high PDL cells to PMA indicates that an altered overall metabolism of arachidonate may represent a crucial step in the reduced mitogenic response involving protein kinase C activation.

Effects of protein kinase C and cytosolic Ca2+ on exocytosis in the isolated perfused rat liver

Both protein kinase C and cytosolic Ca2+ are involved in the regulation of exocytosis in a number of cell types. However, the relative importance of each of these for apical exocytosis in the hepatocyte is unknown. To investigate this, we studied the effects of protein kinase C and Ca2+ agonists on horseradish peroxidase excretion in the isolated perfused rat liver. Vasopressin increased both horseradish peroxidase concentration and net horseradish peroxidase excretion in bile, and these effects were abolished by the protein kinase C inhibitor H-7. The protein kinase C activator phorbol dibutyrate also increased both net excretion and the concentration of biliary horseradish peroxidase. In contrast, the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and the Ca2+ mobilizing agent 2,5'-di(tertbutyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone both had minimal effects on horseradish peroxidase concentration and inhibited the rate of horseradish peroxidase excretion. These results suggest that protein kinase C stimulates apical exocytosis in the hepatocyte, whereas increased Cai2+ per se does not influence exocytosis and inhibits excretion only transiently by reducing bile flow.

Protein phosphorylation and beta-cell function

The central role of reversible protein phosphorylation in regulation of beta-cell function is reviewed and the properties of the protein kinases so far defined in beta cells are summarised. The key effect of Ca2+ to initiate insulin secretion involves activation of a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. Potentiation of secretion by agents activating protein kinase A or C appears to involve an increase in the sensitivity of the secretory system to intracellular Ca2+. The effects of MgATP on the binding of [3H]-glibenclamide to the beta-cell sulphonylurea receptor suggest that the properties of this receptor, which controls the activity of ATP-sensitive K-channels, are modulated by phosphorylation. The identity of the kinases and phosphatases responsible is not known but the presence in beta-cell membranes of various kinases not dependent on Ca2+ or cyclic AMP, and including tyrosine kinase, is documented, together with the presence of both Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent protein phosphatases. Protein phosphorylation is also involved in regulation of beta-cell Ca2+ fluxes and evidence is presented that protein kinase C activation inhibits Ca2+ signalling by reducing influx of Ca2+ into the beta cell. The identity of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity in beta cells is discussed. Comparison of its properties towards substrates and inhibitors with those of brain Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II suggests that the beta-cell enzyme may be similar or identical to the brain enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Activation of calcium and calmodulin dependent protein kinase II during stimulation of insulin secretion

Pancreatic islets contain an alloxan sensitive, calcium and calmodulin dependent protein kinase (CaM-PK) which may play an important part in the cellular control of insulin secretion. We have studied this activity in islets and the insulin secreting tumor cell line RINm5f with particular interest in the changes in kinase activity that accompany stimulation of secretion. Initial experiments showed that the CaM-PK activity enriched in microsomal preparations from RIN cells was similar to the islet cell kinase in terms of apparent endogenous substrates, Ca2+ and calmodulin dependence, and inactivation by alloxan. For studies of protein substrate specificity, tumor cell CaM-PK was isolated from other kinase activities and substantially purified by affinity chromatography with calmodulin-agarose. The major protein substrates of CaM-PK (54 kD and 57 kD) co-purified with the kinase activity, representing autophosphorylation of subunits of the enzyme. Exogenous substrates phosphorylated by these preparations included microtubule-associated protein 2, synapsin, and glycogen synthase; this pattern of substrate utilization identified the kinase as the Type II multifunctional kinase which has been extensively characterized in brain. A polyclonal antibody to rat brain CaM-PK II was employed to immunoprecipitate the kinase from RINm5f cells incubated with secretagogues to measure the effect of stimulation of secretion on autophosphorylation of CaM-PK (which reflects kinase activation). D-Glyceraldehyde (22 mM) and depolarizing concentrations of potassium increased autophosphorylation and insulin secretion in a parallel fashion. Potassium stimulated autophosphorylation was dose dependent and saturable, and was increased to near maximal levels at times as short as 1 min. These studies demonstrate that pancreatic islets and RINm5f cells contain a Type II CaM-PK which is activated during the secretion process.

Changes in annexin I and II levels during the postnatal development of rat pancreatic islets

The expression patterns and the dynamic changes in content of both annexin I and annexin II in the rat pancreatic islets during postnatal development were investigated by both western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical methods clearly demonstrated the presence of annexins I and II exclusively in pancreatic islets, while exocrine tissues were not stained by anti-annexin antibodies. Pancreatic islets were diffusely stained with no specific differences in distribution between different cell types. The expression of annexin I in pancreatic islets gradually increased with postnatal development. A developmental study of annexins I and II by western blot analysis essentially supported the results obtained by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the increasing expression of two protein tyrosine kinases, epidermal growth factor-receptor/kinase and pp60src, which phosphorylate annexin I and annexin II, respectively, and of protein kinase C, which phosphorylates both proteins, was also shown during postnatal development in rat pancreatic islets. Thus, a relationship between the expression of annexins I and II and the maturation of islet cell function is suggested.

U-73122 does not specifically inhibit phospholipase C in rat pancreatic islets and insulin-secreting beta-cell lines

Phospholipase C is activated in insulin secretion by islets of Langerhans and insulin-secreting beta-cells such as RINm5F and beta-TC3. We have examined the effects of the aminosteroid U-73122, a phospholipase C inhibitor, on insulin secretion and phospholipase C activation. U-73122 slightly inhibited glucose-induced insulin secretion from islets, but this effect was not specific since the structural "inactive" analogue U-73343 also inhibited insulin secretion. Likewise, in RINm5F cells, U-73122 did not inhibit glyceraldehyde-induced insulin secretion. Phospholipase C activity was assessed as the accumulation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) measured with a competitive binding assay: U-73122 failed to inhibit glucose-induced increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3. Similarly, when the effects of U-73122 and U-73343 were measured on [3H]phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis of islets, both compounds caused a slight, non-specific inhibition of phospholipase C activity. These observations suggest that U-73122 does not specifically inhibit phospholipase C in insulin-secreting cells.

Storage and release of neurotransmitters

Because synaptic vesicles and secretory granules are simple in composition and easy to purify, many of their protein components have been identified and often sequenced. Attempts are underway to link the small number of membrane proteins to the small number of functions the vesicles perform. The discovery of sequence homologies has helped greatly with this. In addition, techniques that have begun to prove successful involve microinjection, identification of proteins that bind synaptic vesicle proteins, DNA transfection into cells and oocytes, and more recently, in vitro reconstitution of exocytosis, endocytosis, and vesicle biogenesis. Advances in the latter areas have been strongly influenced by the breakthroughs in our knowledge of membrane traffic in nonneuronal cells. The budding reactions involved in making synaptic vesicles and secretory granules resemble in many ways the generation of carrier vesicles from the ER and the Golgi complex. Finally, exocytosis in neurons may closely resemble fusion of carrier vesicles with target organelles in nonneuronal cells, using complexes of peripheral membrane proteins, GTP hydrolysis, and integral membrane proteins with fusogenic domains. The usefulness of in vitro reconstitution, reverse genetics, and the parallels with better understood systems compensates in part for a major weakness in the field, namely the difficulty in obtaining viable mutants that are defective in the storage and release of secretory vesicle content.