pH-dependent association of chromogranin A with secretory vesicle membrane and a putative membrane binding region of chromogranin A

In Trauma Patients, the Occurrence of Early-Onset Nosocomial Infections is Associated With Increased Plasma Concentrations of Chromogranin A

In previously healthy persons suffering from acute illnesses, nosocomial infections (NIs) are frequent. Their prevalence suggests the existence of as yet unknown conditions that may promote care-related infection. This study assessed whether the measurement of plasma chromogranin A, a stress-related protein involved in innate defense, is related to NI risk, and whether any chromogranin A-derived fragment included in vasostatin-I displays immunosuppressive activities related to AP-1 or NF-kappa B downregulation. At the clinical level, trauma patients and healthy controls were recruited to be eligible. Clinical histories were recorded, and standard biological tests (including plasma chromogranin A) were performed. For 9 randomly chosen patients and 16 controls, the time-dependent concentrations of chromogranin A (CGA) were assessed twice a day over 66 h. The data show that trauma patients present a higher value of CGA concentration during 66 h in comparison with healthy controls. In addition, patients maintaining this significant increase in CGA readily develop NIs. We therefore studied the effects of chromogranin A-derived peptides on monocytes, focusing on transcription factors that play a central role in inflammation. In vitro assay demonstrated that a chromogranin A-derived fragment (CGA47-70) displays a significant inhibition of NF-kappa B and AP-1 transcriptional activities in these cells. In conclusion, the occurrence of NI in trauma patients is associated with significantly increased plasma CGA concentrations. Downregulation of the two transcription factors by CGA47-70 might induce early acquired immune defect after a serious medical stress.

Chromogranin A, the major lumenal protein in chromaffin granules, controls fusion pore expansion

Upon fusion of the secretory granule with the plasma membrane, small molecules are discharged through the immediately formed narrow fusion pore, but protein discharge awaits pore expansion. Recently, fusion pore expansion was found to be regulated by tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a protein present within the lumen of chromaffin granules in a subpopulation of chromaffin cells. Here, we further examined the influence of other lumenal proteins on fusion pore expansion, especially chromogranin A (CgA), the major and ubiquitous lumenal protein in chromaffin granules. Polarized TIRF microscopy demonstrated that the fusion pore curvature of granules containing CgA-EGFP was long lived, with curvature lifetimes comparable to those of tPA-EGFP-containing granules. This was surprising because fusion pore curvature durations of granules containing exogenous neuropeptide Y-EGFP (NPY-EGFP) are significantly shorter (80% lasting <1 s) than those containing CgA-EGFP, despite the anticipated expression of endogenous CgA. However, quantitative immunocytochemistry revealed that transiently expressed lumenal proteins, including NPY-EGFP, caused a down-regulation of endogenously expressed proteins, including CgA. Fusion pore curvature durations in nontransfected cells were significantly longer than those of granules containing overexpressed NPY but shorter than those associated with granules containing overexpressed tPA, CgA, or chromogranin B. Introduction of CgA to NPY-EGFP granules by coexpression converted the fusion pore from being transient to being longer lived, comparable to that found in nontransfected cells. These findings demonstrate that several endogenous chromaffin granule lumenal proteins are regulators of fusion pore expansion and that alteration of chromaffin granule contents affects fusion pore lifetimes. Importantly, the results indicate a new role for CgA. In addition to functioning as a prohormone, CgA plays an important role in controlling fusion pore expansion.

Muscle injury, impaired muscle function and insulin resistance in Chromogranin A-knockout mice

Chromogranin A (CgA) is widely expressed in endocrine and neuroendocrine tissues as well as in the central nervous system. We observed CgA expression (mRNA and protein) in the gastrocnemius (GAS) muscle and found that performance of CgA-deficient Chga-KO mice in treadmill exercise was impaired. Supplementation with CgA in Chga-KO mice restored exercise ability suggesting a novel role for endogenous CgA in skeletal muscle function. Chga-KO mice display (i) lack of exercise-induced stimulation of pAKT, pTBC1D1 and phospho-p38 kinase signaling, (ii) loss of GAS muscle mass, (iii) extensive formation of tubular aggregates (TA), (iv) disorganized cristae architecture in mitochondria, (v) increased expression of the inflammatory cytokines Tnfα, Il6 and Ifnγ, and fibrosis. The impaired maximum running speed and endurance in the treadmill exercise in Chga-KO mice correlated with decreased glucose uptake and glycolysis, defects in glucose oxidation and decreased mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase activity. The lack of adaptation to endurance training correlated with the lack of stimulation of p38MAPK that is known to mediate the response to tissue damage. As CgA sorts proteins to the regulated secretory pathway, we speculate that lack of CgA could cause misfolding of membrane proteins inducing aggregation of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes and formation of tubular aggregates that is observed in Chga-KO mice. In conclusion, CgA deficiency renders the muscle energy deficient, impairs performance in treadmill exercise and prevents regeneration after exercise-induced tissue damage.

Vesicular Ca(2+) mediates granule motion and exocytosis

Secretory vesicles of chromaffin cells are acidic organelles that maintain an increasing pH gradient towards the cytosol (5.5 vs. 7.3) that is mediated by V-ATPase activity. This gradient is primarily responsible for the accumulation of large concentrations of amines and Ca(2+), although the mechanisms mediating Ca(2+) uptake and release from granules, and the physiological relevance of these processes, remain unclear. The presence of a vesicular matrix appears to create a bi-compartmentalised medium in which the major fractions of solutes, including catecholamines, nucleotides and Ca(2+), are strongly associated with vesicle proteins, particularly chromogranins. This association appears to be favoured at acidic pH values. It has been demonstrated that disrupting the pH gradient of secretory vesicles reduces their rate of exocytosis and promotes the leakage of vesicular amines and Ca(2+), dramatically increasing the movement of secretory vesicles and triggering exocytosis. In this short review, we will discuss the data available that highlights the importance of pH in regulating the association between chromogranins, vesicular amines and Ca(2+). We will also address the potential role of vesicular Ca(2+) in two major processes in secretory cells, vesicle movement and exocytosis.

Pro-hormone secretogranin II regulates dense core secretory granule biogenesis in catecholaminergic cells

Processes underlying the formation of dense core secretory granules (DCGs) of neuroendocrine cells are poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that DCG biogenesis is dependent on the secretory protein secretogranin (Sg) II, a member of the granin family of pro-hormone cargo of DCGs in neuroendocrine cells. Depletion of SgII expression in PC12 cells leads to a decrease in both the number and size of DCGs and impairs DCG trafficking of other regulated hormones. Expression of SgII fusion proteins in a secretory-deficient PC12 variant rescues a regulated secretory pathway. SgII-containing dense core vesicles share morphological and physical properties with bona fide DCGs, are competent for regulated exocytosis, and maintain an acidic luminal pH through the V-type H(+)-translocating ATPase. The granulogenic activity of SgII requires a pH gradient along this secretory pathway. We conclude that SgII is a critical factor for the regulation of DCG biogenesis in neuroendocrine cells, mediating the formation of functional DCGs via its pH-dependent aggregation at the trans-Golgi network.

Formation of secretory granules by chromogranins

This review article covers the molecular mechanisms of secretory granule formation by chromogranin transfection. Recently, a few investigators have reported that the transfection of chromogranin A and B produces the structures of secretory granules. We used the GFP-chromogranin A transfection method to nonendocrine cells, COS-7 cells, which are not equipped with secretory granules. Despite the absence of endogenous secretory granules in nontransfected COS-7 cells, COS-7 cells transfected with chromogranin A contained granule-like structures in electron micrographs. The granules were composed of an outer limiting membrane with core structures that were interpreted as secretory granules. Human chromogranin A (CgA) labeled with 5-nm gold particles was present in several dense-core granules in our previous electron microscopy study. This review depicts the role of chromogranin A in the formation of secretory granules. It emphasizes the application of recently developed new technologies and the genesis of secretory granules.

Secretory granules in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Ca2+ signaling in the cytoplasm of neuroendocrine cells

Of all the intracellular organelles, secretory granules contain by far the highest calcium concentration; secretory granules of typical neuroendocrine chromaffin cells contain approximately 40 mM Ca(2+) and occupy approximately 20% cell volume, accounting for >60% of total cellular calcium. They also contain the majority of cellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)Rs) in addition to the presence of >2 mM of chromogranins A and B that function as high-capacity, low-affinity Ca(2+) storage proteins. Chromogranins A and B also interact with the IP(3)Rs and activate the IP(3)R/Ca(2+) channels. In experiments with both neuroendocrine PC12 and nonneuroendocrine NIH3T3 cells, in which the number of secretory granules present was changed by either suppression or induction of secretory granule formation, secretory granules were demonstrated to account for >70% of the IP(3)-induced Ca(2+) releases in the cytoplasm. Moreover, the IP(3) sensitivity of secretory granule IP(3)R/Ca(2+) channels is at least approximately 6- to 7-fold more sensitive than those of the endoplasmic reticulum, thus enabling secretory granules to release Ca(2+) ahead of the endoplasmic reticulum. Further, there is a direct correlation between the number of secretory granules and the IP(3) sensitivity of cytoplasmic IP(3)R/Ca(2+) channels and the increased ratio of IP(3)-induced cytoplasmic Ca(2+) release, highlighting the importance of secretory granules in the IP(3)-dependent Ca(2+) signaling. Given that secretory granules are present in all secretory cells, these results presage critical roles of secretory granules in the control of cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentrations in other secretory cells.-Yoo, S. H. Secretory granules in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Ca(2+) signaling in the cytoplasm of neuroendocrine cells.

Sorting of the neuroendocrine secretory protein Secretogranin II into the regulated secretory pathway: role of N- and C-terminal alpha-helical domains

Secretogranin II (SgII) belongs to the granin family of prohormones widely distributed in dense-core secretory granules (DCGs) of endocrine, neuroendocrine, and neuronal cells, including sympathoadrenal chromaffin cells. The mechanisms by which secretory proteins, and granins in particular, are sorted into the regulated secretory pathway are unsettled. We designed a strategy based on novel chimeric forms of human SgII fused to fluorescent (green fluorescent protein) or chemiluminescent (embryonic alkaline phosphatase) reporters to identify trafficking determinants mediating DCG targeting of SgII in sympathoadrenal cells. Three-dimensional deconvolution fluorescence microscopy and secretagogue-stimulated release studies demonstrate that SgII chimeras are correctly targeted to DCGs and released by exocytosis in PC12 and primary chromaffin cells. Results from a Golgi-retained mutant form of SgII suggest that sorting of SgII into DCGs depends on a saturable sorting machinery at the trans-Golgi/trans-Golgi network. Truncation analyses reveal the presence of DCG-targeting signals within both the N- and C-terminal regions of SgII, with the putative alpha-helix-containing SgII-(25-41) and SgII-(334-348) acting as sufficient, independent sorting domains. This study defines sequence features of SgII mediating vesicular targeting in sympathoadrenal cells and suggests a mechanism by which discrete domains of the molecule function in sorting, perhaps by virtue of a particular arrangement in tertiary structure and/or interaction with a specific component of the DCG membrane.

Secretory cargo composition affects polarized secretion in MDCK epithelial cells

Polarized epithelial cells secrete proteins at either the apical or basolateral cell surface. A number of non-epithelial secretory proteins also exhibit polarized secretion when they are expressed in polarized epithelial cells but it is difficult to predict where foreign proteins will be secreted in epithelial cells. The question is of interest since secretory epithelia are considered as target tissues for gene therapy protocols that aim to express therapeutic secretory proteins. In the parathyroid gland, parathyroid hormone is processed by furin and co-stored with chromogranin A in secretory granules. To test the secretion of these proteins in epithelial cells, they were expressed in MDCK cells. Chromogranin A and a secreted form of furin were secreted apically while parathyroid hormone was secreted 60% basolaterally. However, in the presence of chromogranin A, the secretion of parathyroid hormone was 65% apical, suggesting that chromogranin can act as a "sorting escort" (sorting chaperone) for parathyroid hormone. Conversely, apically secreted furin did not affect the sorting of parathyroid hormone. The apical secretion of chromogranin A was dependent on cholesterol, suggesting that this protein uses an established cellular sorting mechanism for apical secretion. However, this sorting does not involve the N-terminal membrane-binding domain of chromogranin A. These results suggest that foreign secretory proteins can be used as "sorting escorts" to direct secretory proteins to the apical secretory pathway without altering the primary structure of the secreted protein. Such a system may be of use in the targeted expression of secretory proteins from epithelial cells.

Granulogenesis in Non-neuroendocrine COS-7 Cells Induced by EGFP-tagged Chromogranin A Gene Transfection: Identical and Distinct Distribution of CgA and EGFP

We examined whether an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged chromogranin A (CgA) gene construct could serve as a marker protein to follow the synthesis of CgA and the process of granulogenesis in non-neuroendocrine (NE) cells. We transfected a CgA-EGFP expression vector into non-NE COS-7 cells and investigated the localization of a chimeric CgA-EGFP protein using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The fluorescent signal of CgA-EGFP was distributed granularly in the cytoplasm. An immunocytochemical study using anti-CgA antibody with a quantum dot (Qd)525 shows colocalization of fluorescent signal of chimeric CgA-EGFP and CgA-Qd525 signals in granular structures, particularly at the periphery of the cytoplasm. We interpreted granules that were immunoreactive to CgA in electron micrographs as secretory. Spectral analysis of EGFP fluorescence revealed distinct EGFP signals without CgA colocalization. This is the first report to show that a granular structure can be induced by transfecting the EGFP-tagged human CgA gene into non-NE cells. The EGFP-tagged CgA gene could be a useful tool to investigate processes of the regulatory pathway. A more precise analysis of the fluorescence signal of EGFP by combination with the Qd system or by spectral analysis with CLSM can provide insight into biological phenomena.

The granin family of uniquely acidic proteins of the diffuse neuroendocrine system: comparative and functional aspects

The chromogranins A (CgA) and B (CgB) and secretogranin II (SgII) constitute the main members of a family of uniquely acidic secretory proteins in elements of the diffuse neuroendocrine system. These genetically distinct proteins, CgA, CgB, SgII and the less well known secretogranins III-VII are collectively referred to as 'granins' and characterised by numerous pairs of basic amino acids as potential cleavage sites for processing by the co-stored prohormone converting enzymes PC 1/3 and PC2. This review is directed towards comparative and functional aspects of the granins with emphasis on their phylogenetically conserved sequences. Recent developments provide ample evidence of widely different effects and targets for the intact granins and their derived peptides, intracellularly in the directed trafficking of storage components during granule maturation and extracellularly in autocrine, paracrine and endocrine interactions. Most of the effects assigned to the granin derived peptides fit into patterns of direct or indirect inhibitory modulations of major functions. So far, peptides derived from CgA (vasostatins, chromacin, pancreastatin, WE-14, catestatin and parastatin), CgB (secretolytin) and SgII (secretoneurin) are the most likely candidates for granin-derived regulatory peptides, of postulated relevance not only for homeostatic processes, but also for tissue assembly and repair, inflammatory responses and the first line of defence against invading microorganisms.

Immunocytochemical localization of secretogranin III in the endocrine pancreas of male rats

Secretogranin III (SgIII), a member of the granin protein family, is expressed specifically in neuronal and endocrine cells. To examine the precise localization of SgIII in the endocrine pancreas, pancreatic tissues of rats were analyzed immunocytochemically with a polyclonal anti-serum raised against rat SgIII. By light microscopy of semithin sections, the immunoreactivity for SgIII was readily detected in pancreatic A- and B-cells, faintly so in D-cells, and not at all in the exocrine pancreas. By immunoelectron microscopy, immunogold particles indicative of SgIII were observed in the peripheral regions of secretory granules, and universally in the pancreatic endocrine cells. Morphometrical analyses indicated that SgIII is most preferentially localized in the periphery of the secretory granule among granins. These findings suggest that SgIII is closely associated with the secretory granule membrane, serving to anchor the aggregates of other soluble constituents to the membrane.

Biosynthesis and alternate targeting of the lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsin L

Upregulation of cathepsin L expression, whether during development or cell transformation, or mediated by ectopic expression from a plasmid, alters the targeting of the protease and thus its physiological function. Upregulated procathepsin L is targeted to small dense core vesicles and to the dense cores of multivesicular bodies, as well as to lysosomes and to the plasma membrane for selective secretion. The multivesicular vesicles resemble secretory lysosomes characterized in specialized cell types in that they are endosomes that stably store an upregulated protein and they possess the tetraspanin CD63. Morphologically the multivesicular endosomes also resemble late endosomes, but they store procathepsin L, not the active protease, and they are not the major site for LAMP-1 accumulation. Distinction between the lysosomal proenzyme and active protease thus identifies two populations of multivesicular endosomes in fibroblasts, one a storage compartment and one an enzymatically active compartment. A distinctive targeting pathway using aggregation is utilized to enrich the storage endosomes with a particular lysosomal protease that can potentially activate and be secreted.

Chromogranin B-induced secretory granule biogenesis: comparison with the similar role of chromogranin A

The two major proteins of secretory granules of secretory cells, chromogranins A (CGA) and B (CGB), have previously been proposed to play key roles in secretory granule biogenesis. Recently, CGA was reported to play an on/off switch role for secretory granule biogenesis. In the present study we found CGB being more effective than CGA in inducing secretory granule formation in non-neuroendocrine NIH3T3 and COS-7 cells. The mean number of dense core granules formed/cell of CGA-transfected NIH3T3 cells was 2.51, whereas that of CGB-transfected cells was 4.02, indicating the formation of 60% more granules in the CGB-transfected cells. Similarly, there were 55% more dense core granules formed in the CGB-transfected COS-7 cells than in the CGA-transfected cells. Moreover, transfection of CGA- and CGB-short interfering RNA (siRNA) into neuroendocrine PC12 cells not only decreased the amount of CGA and CGB expressed but also reduced the number of secretory granules by 41 and 78%, respectively, further suggesting the importance of CGB expression in secretory granule formation.

Immunocytochemical localization of secretogranin III in the anterior lobe of male rat pituitary glands

Secretogranin III (SgIII) is one of the acidic secretory proteins, designated as granins, which are specifically expressed in neuronal and endocrine cells. To clarify its precise distribution in the anterior lobe of the rat pituitary gland, we raised a polyclonal antiserum against rat SgIII for immunocytochemical analyses. By immunohistochemistry using semithin sections, positive signals for SgIII were detected intensely in mammotropes and thyrotropes, moderately in gonadotropes and corticotropes, but not in somatotropes. The distribution pattern of SgIII in the pituitary gland was similar to that of chromogranin B (CgB), also of the granin protein family, suggesting that the expressions of these two granins are regulated by common mechanisms. The localization of SgIII in endocrine cells was confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy. In particular, secretory granules of mammotropes and thyrotropes were densely and preferentially co-labeled for SgIII and CgB in their periphery. Moreover, positive signals for SgIII were occasionally found in cells containing both prolactin and TSH in secretory granules. These lines of evidence suggest that SgIII and CgB are closely associated with the secretory granule membrane and that this membrane association might contribute to gathering and anchoring of other soluble constituents to the secretory granule membrane.

Identification of a novel sorting determinant for the regulated pathway in the secretory protein chromogranin A

Chromogranin A (CgA) is the index member of the chromogranin/secretogranin (or 'granin') family of regulated secretory proteins that are ubiquitously distributed in amine- and peptide-containing secretory granules of endocrine, neuroendocrine and neuronal cells. Because of their abundance and such widespread occurrence, granins have often been used as prototype proteins to elucidate mechanisms of protein targeting into dense-core secretory granules. In this study, we used a series of full-length, point mutant or truncated CgA-green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimeras to explore routing of CgA in neuroendocrine PC12 cells. Using sucrose gradient fractionation and 3D deconvolution microscopy to determine the subcellular localization of the GFP chimeras, as well as secretagogue-stimulated release, the present study establishes that a CgA-GFP fusion protein expressed in neuroendocrine PC12 cells is trafficked to the dense core secretory granule and thereby sorted to the regulated pathway for exocytosis. We show that information necessary for such trafficking is contained within the N-terminal but not the C-terminal region of CgA. We find that CgA's conserved N-terminal hydrophobic Cys(17)-Cys(38) loop structure may not be sufficient for sorting of CgA into dense-core secretory granules, nor is its stabilization by a disulfide bond necessary for such sorting. Moreover, our data reveal for the first time that the CgA(77-115) domain of the mature protein may be necessary (though perhaps not sufficient) for trafficking CgA into the regulated pathway of secretion.

The lumenal domain of the integral membrane protein phogrin mediates targeting to secretory granules

Phogrin, a transmembrane glycoprotein of neuroendocrine cells, is localized to dense-core secretory granules. We have investigated the subcellular targeting of phogrin by analyzing the sorting of a series of deletion mutants to the regulated pathway of secretion in AtT20 cells. The lumenal domain as a soluble protein was efficiently routed to granules, based on a combination of morphological analysis and secretion studies. Sorting was not dependent on a candidate targeting signal consisting of an N-terminal conserved cysteine-rich motif. Both the pro-region and the lumenal domain of mature, post-translationally processed phogrin independently reached the granule, although the pro-region was sorted more efficiently. Once within the regulated secretory pathway, all phogrin lumenal domain proteins were stored in functional granules for extended periods of time. Thus, phogrin possesses several domains contributing to its targeting to the secretory granule. Our findings support a model of granule biogenesis where proteins are sorted on the basis of their biochemical properties rather than via signal-dependent binding to a targeting receptor. Sorting of integral membrane proteins mediated by the lumenal domain may ensure that functionally important transmembrane molecules are included in the forming granule.

Interaction of chromogranin B and the near N-terminal region of chromogranin B with an intraluminal loop peptide of the inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate receptor

Given the interaction of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP(3)R) with chromogranins A (CGA) and B (CGB), two major Ca(2+) storage proteins of secretory granules that have been shown to be IP(3)-sensitive intracellular Ca(2+) store of neuroendocrine cells, we have investigated the potential interaction of the intraluminal loop regions of the IP(3)R with both intact CGB and the conserved near N-terminal region of CGB. The interaction studies carried out with CGB and glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins of intraluminal loop regions of bovine type 1 IP(3)R showed that CGB interacts with intraluminal loop 3-2 (the second loop formed between transmembrane regions 5 and 6) of the IP(3)R at both pH 5.5 and 7.5. Analytical ultracentrifugation studies also indicated that CGB interacts with the same intraluminal loop region of the IP(3)R and the interaction was much stronger than that between CGA and the loop. Moreover, the conserved near N-terminal region of CGB also interacted with the intraluminal loop region of the IP(3)R. The CGB interaction with the IP(3)R intraluminal loop peptide at pH 7.5 showed a DeltaG(0) value of -8.1 kcal/mol at 37 degrees C for a 1:1 stoichiometry, indicating a K(d) of approximately 1.9 micrometer. These results give insight into the molecular organization of the IP(3)-sensitive Ca(2+) store.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor/Ca2+ channel modulatory role of chromogranin A, a Ca2+ storage protein of secretory granules

The secretory granules of neuroendocrine cells, which contain large amounts of Ca(2+) and chromogranins, have been demonstrated to release Ca(2+) in response to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)), indicating the IP(3)-sensitive intracellular Ca(2+) store role of secretory granules. In our previous study, chromogranin A (CGA) was shown to interact with several secretory granule membrane proteins, including the IP(3) receptor (IP(3)R), at the intravesicular pH 5.5 (Yoo, S. H. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 12001-12006). To examine the functional aspect of this coupling, we measured the IP(3)-mediated Ca(2+) release property of the IP(3)R reconstituted into liposomes in the presence and absence of CGA. Presence of CGA in the IP(3)R-reconstituted liposome significantly enhanced the IP(3)-mediated Ca(2+) release from the liposomes. Moreover, the number of IP(3) bound to the reconstituted IP(3)R increased. The fluorescence energy transfer and IP(3)R Trp fluorescence quenching studies indicated that the structure of reconstituted IP(3)R becomes more ordered and exposed in the presence of CGA, suggesting that the coupled CGA in the liposome caused structural changes of the IP(3)R, changing it to a structure that is better suited to IP(3) binding and subsequent Ca(2+) release. These results appear to underscore the physiological significance of IP(3)R-CGA coupling in the secretory granules.

Coupling of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor and chromogranins A and B in secretory granules

The secretory granules of neuroendocrine cells which contain large amounts of Ca(2+) and chromogranins have been demonstrated to release Ca(2+) in response to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)). Moreover, chromogranin A (CGA) has been shown to interact with several secretory granule membrane proteins, including the IP(3) receptor (IP(3)R). To determine whether the IP(3)Rs interact directly with chromogranins A and B (CGB), two major proteins of the secretory granules, we have used purified IP(3)R from bovine cerebellum in the interaction study with CGA and CGB, and have shown that chromogranins A and B directly interact with the IP(3)R at the intravesicular pH 5.5. Immunogold cytochemical study using the IP(3)R and CGA antibodies indicated that IP(3)R-labeled gold particles were localized in the periphery of the secretory granules, indicating the presence of the IP(3)Rs on the secretory granule membrane. To determine whether the IP(3)R and chromogranins A and B are physically linked in the cells, bovine type 1 IP(3)R (IP(3)R-1) and CGA or CGB are co-transfected into COS-7 cells and co-immunoprecipitation was carried out. Immunoprecipitation of the cell extracts demonstrated the presence of CGA-IP(3)R-1 and CGB-IP(3)R-1 complexes, respectively, indicating the complex formation between the IP(3)R and chromogranins A and B in native state.

Basic mechanisms of secretion: sorting into the regulated secretory pathway

Targeting proteins to their correct cellular location is crucial for their biological function. In neuroendocrine cells, proteins can be secreted by either the constitutive or the regulated secretory pathways but the mechanism(s) whereby proteins are sorted into either pathway is unclear. In this review we discuss the possibility that sorting is either an active process occurring at the level of the trans-Golgi network, or that sorting occurs passively in the immature granules. The possible involvement of protein-lipid interactions in the sorting process is also raised.

Key words: lipid rafts, regulated secretory pathway, secretion, sorting receptors, sorting signals, trans-Golgi network.

Signal-mediated sorting of neuropeptides and prohormones: secretory granule biogenesis revisited

Neuropeptides and hormones, in contrast to constitutive secretory proteins, are sorted to and stored in secretory granules and released upon a stimulus. During the last two decades, signals and mechanisms involved in their sorting to the regulated pathway of protein secretion have been addressed in numerous studies. Taken together these studies revealed three important features of regulated secretory proteins: aggregation, sorting signal motifs and membrane binding. Here we try to dissect the sorting process with regard to these features and discuss their relevance in the context of current sorting models. We especially address the question where in the secretory pathway sorting takes place and discuss a possible role of sorting receptors.

Disruption of disulfide bonds exhibits differential effects on trafficking of regulated secretory proteins

For several secretory proteins, it has been hypothesized that disulfide-bonded loop structures are required for sorting to secretory granules. To explore this hypothesis, we employed dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment in live pancreatic islets, as well as in PC-12 and GH(4)C(1) cells. In islets, disulfide reduction in the distal secretory pathway did not increase constitutive or constitutive-like secretion of proinsulin (or insulin). In PC-12 cells, DTT treatment caused a dramatic increase in unstimulated secretion of newly synthesized chromogranin B (CgB), presumably as a consequence of reducing the single conserved chromogranin disulfide bond (E. Chanat, U. Weiss, W. B. Huttner, and S. A. Tooze. EMBO J. 12: 2159-2168, 1993). However, in GH(4)C(1) cells that also synthesize CgB endogenously, DTT treatment reduced newly synthesized prolactin and blocked its export, whereas newly synthesized CgB was routed normally to secretory granules. Moreover, on transient expression in GH(4)C(1) cells, CgA and a CgA mutant lacking the conserved disulfide bond showed comparable multimeric aggregation properties and targeting to secretory granules, as measured by stimulated secretion assays. Thus the conformational perturbation of regulated secretory proteins caused by disulfide disruption leads to consequences in protein trafficking that are both protein and cell type dependent.

Sorting and storage during secretory granule biogenesis: looking backward and looking forward

Secretory granules are specialized intracellular organelles that serve as a storage pool for selected secretory products. The exocytosis of secretory granules is markedly amplified under physiologically stimulated conditions. While granules have been recognized as post-Golgi carriers for almost 40 years, the molecular mechanisms involved in their formation from the trans-Golgi network are only beginning to be defined. This review summarizes and evaluates current information about how secretory proteins are thought to be sorted for the regulated secretory pathway and how these activities are positioned with respect to other post-Golgi sorting events that must occur in parallel. In the first half of the review, the emerging role of immature secretory granules in protein sorting is highlighted. The second half of the review summarizes what is known about the composition of granule membranes. The numerous similarities and relatively limited differences identified between granule membranes and other vesicular carriers that convey products to and from the plasmalemma, serve as a basis for examining how granule membrane composition might be established and how its unique functions interface with general post-Golgi membrane traffic. Studies of granule formation in vitro offer additional new insights, but also important challenges for future efforts to understand how regulated secretory pathways are constructed and maintained.

Interaction between an intraluminal loop peptide of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor and the near N-terminal peptide of chromogranin A

The near N-terminal region of chromogranin A (CGA) has been shown to be the secretory vesicle membrane binding region, and tetrameric chromogranin A has been demonstrated to bind four molecules of an intraluminal loop peptide of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor. It was therefore necessary to determine whether the conserved near N-terminal region of CGA interacts with the intraluminal loop region of the IP3 receptor. In the present study, we found that the proposed anchor region of CGA, the conserved near N-terminal region, does indeed interact with the intraluminal loop region of the IP3 receptor at the intravesicular pH of 5.5, further strengthening the case for the potential interaction between tetrameric chromogranins and tetrameric IP3 receptors in the cell.

Expression of the chromogranin A-derived peptides pancreastatin and WE14 in rat stomach ECL cells

The ECL cells constitute the predominant endocrine cell population in the mucosa of the acid-secreting part of the stomach (fundus). They are rich in chromogranin A (CGA), histamine and histidine decarboxylase (HDC). They secrete CGA-derived peptides and histamine in response to gastrin. The objective of this investigation was to examine the expression of pancreastatin (rat CGA266-314) and WE14 (rat CGA343-356) in rat stomach ECL cells. The distribution and cellular localisation of pancreastatin- and WE14-like immunoreactivities (LI) were analysed by radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry with antibodies against pancreastatin, WE14 and HDC. The effect of food deprivation on circulating pancreastatin-LI was examined in intact rats and after gastrectomy or fundectomy. Rats received gastrin-17 (5 nmol/kg/h) by continuous intravenous infusion or omeprazole (400 micromol/kg) once daily by the oral route, to induce hypergastrinemia. CGA-derived peptides in the ECL cells were characterised by gel permeation chromatography. The expression of CGA mRNA was examined by Northern blot analysis. Among all of the endocrine cells in the body, the ECL cell population was the richest in pancreastatin-LI, containing 20-25% of the total body content. Food deprivation and/or surgical removal of the ECL cells lowered the level of pancreastatin-LI in serum by about 80%. Activation of the ECL cells by gastrin infusion or omeprazole treatment raised the serum level of pancreastatin-LI, lowered the concentrations of pancreastatin- and WE14-LI in the ECL cells and increased the CGA mRNA concentration. Chromatographic analysis of the various CGA immunoreactive components in the ECL cells of normal and hypergastrinemic rats suggested that these cells respond to gastrin with a preferential release of the low-molecular-mass forms.

Differential sorting of lysosomal enzymes out of the regulated secretory pathway in pancreatic beta-cells

In cells specialized for secretory granule exocytosis, lysosomal hydrolases may enter the regulated secretory pathway. Using mouse pancreatic islets and the INS-1 beta-cell line as models, we have compared the itineraries of procathepsins L and B, two closely related members of the papain superfamily known to exhibit low and high affinity for mannose-6-phosphate receptors (MPRs), respectively. Interestingly, shortly after pulse labeling INS cells, a substantial fraction of both proenzymes exhibit regulated exocytosis. After several hours, much procathepsin L remains as precursor in a compartment that persists in its ability to undergo regulated exocytosis in parallel with insulin, while procathepsin B is efficiently converted to the mature form and can no longer be secreted. However, in islets from transgenic mice devoid of cation-dependent MPRs, the modest fraction of procathepsin B normally remaining within mature secretory granules is increased approximately fourfold. In normal mouse islets, immunoelectron microscopy established that both cathepsins are present in immature beta-granules, while immunolabeling for cathepsin L, but not B, persists in mature beta-granules. By contrast, in islets from normal male Sprague-Dawley rats, much of the proenzyme sorting appears to occur earlier, significantly diminishing the stimulus-dependent release of procathepsin B. Evidently, in the context of different systems, MPR-mediated sorting of lysosomal proenzymes occurs to a variable extent within the trans-Golgi network and is continued, as needed, within immature secretory granules. Lysosomal proenzymes that fail to be sorted at both sites remain as residents of mature secretory granules.

Identification of the secretory vesicle membrane binding region of chromogranin B

In the past a synthetic peptide representing the conserved near N-terminal region of chromogranin B (CGB) (residues 17-36) has been shown to interact with the vesicle membrane. Hence, it was necessary to confirm this observation with CGB deletion proteins. In order to address this need and to confirm the published sequence of CGB, we cloned a CGB gene and produced various CGB deletion proteins. The recombinant CGB protein lacking the first 15 (rCGB 16-626) or 16 amino acid residues (rCGB 17-626) bound to the vesicle membrane as well as the full-length CGB. However, rCGB 49-626, lacking the conserved near N-terminal region, failed to interact with the vesicle membrane, indicating an anchor role for the conserved near the N-terminal region.

Effects of pH and Ca2+ on heterodimer and heterotetramer formation by chromogranin A and chromogranin B

The two major proteins of the secretory vesicles of neuroendocrine cells, chromogranin A (CGA) and chromogranin B (CGB), have been shown to undergo pH- and Ca2+-dependent conformational changes and aggregation and have been suggested to play essential roles during secretory vesicle biogenesis in the trans-Golgi network. CGA has been shown to exist primarily in a tetrameric state at pH 5.5 and primarily in a dimeric state at pH 7.5, and CGB has been shown to exist in a monomeric state at both pH 5.5 and pH 7.5. Using purified CGA and CGB, it recently has been shown that CGA interacts with CGB at pH 5.5 (Yoo, S. H.(1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 1558-1565). In expanding this investigation, we have studied the temperature dependence of the pH-dependent interaction of CGA and CGB by analytical ultracentrifugation and found that two molecules of CGA bound to two molecules of CGB at pH 5.5 with DeltaG0 values of -43.6 kcal/mol in the absence of Ca2+ at 37 degrees C and -40.3 kcal/mol in the presence of 0.1 mM Ca2+. However, one molecule of CGA bound to one molecule of CGB at pH 7.5 with DeltaG0 values of -13.6 kcal/mol in the absence of Ca2+ at 37 degrees C. The magnitude of DeltaG0 values increased with increasing temperatures at both pH values. However, the values for enthalpy and entropy changes decreased with increasing temperatures in both pH levels, suggesting formation of more ordered structures. In the absence of Ca2+ at pH 5. 5, the heterotetramerization reaction at 37 degrees C was entropically driven, whereas in the presence of Ca2+ (0.1 mM) the heterotetramerization was virtually an enthalpic reaction. On the other hand, the heterodimer formation in the absence of Ca2+ at pH 7. 5 showed large negative enthalpy and entropy changes at 37 degrees C, indicating an enthalpic interaction compensated by entropic changes. In view of the interaction of tetrameric CGA with tetrameric inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor and the existence of heterotetrameric IP3 receptor in the cell, the heterotetramer formation by CGA and CGB not only raises the possibility of interaction between the heterotetrameric chromogranin and heterotetrameric IP3 receptor but also appears to reflect their important roles in the cell.

Secretory granule content proteins and the luminal domains of granule membrane proteins aggregate in vitro at mildly acidic pH

A major unresolved issue in the field of secretory granule biogenesis is the extent to which the aggregation of granule content proteins is responsible for the sorting of regulated from constitutively secreted proteins. The aggregation process is postulated to take place in the trans-Golgi network and immature secretory granules as the proteins encounter mildly acidic pH and high calcium concentrations. We have developed in vitro assays that reconstitute the precipitation out of solution of secretory granule content proteins of anterior pituitary gland and adrenal medulla. In the assays, all of the major granule content polypeptides form a precipitate as the pH is titrated below 6.5, and this precipitate can be recovered in the pellet fraction after centrifugation. Addition of calcium is required for the aggregation of chromaffin granule content. In contrast to the proteins secreted by the regulated pathway, the constitutively secreted proteins IgG, albumin, and angiotensinogen, when added to the assays, remain predominantly in the supernatant. Among the individual proteins tested, prolactin is found to aggregate homophilically under these conditions and can drive the co-aggregation of other proteins, such as the chromogranins. Soluble forms of granule membrane proteins, including dopamine beta-hydroxylase and peptidyl glycine alpha-amidating enzyme also co-aggregated with granule content proteins. The results are consistent with the idea that spontaneous aggregation of proteins occurring under ionic conditions similar to those at the sites of granule formation is a property restricted to those proteins packaged in secretory granules. In addition, the association of luminal domains of membrane proteins with content proteins in vitro raises the possibility that analogous interactions between membrane-bound and content proteins also occur during granule formation in intact cells.

pH- and Ca(2+)-induced conformational change and aggregation of chromogranin B. Comparison with chromogranin A and implication in secretory vesicle biogenesis

Chromogranins A and B have been known to undergo pH- and Ca(2+)-dependent aggregation, and this property is considered essential for the proper sorting of the vesicular matrix proteins. In the present study, purified native chromogranin B (CGB) from bovine adrenal medulla was used to study the pH- and Ca(2+)-dependent conformational changes and aggregation property. Similar to chromogranin A (CGA), which had been shown to undergo pH- and Ca(2+)-dependent conformational changes and to be composed of 60-65% random coil with 25-40% alpha-helicity, chromogranin B was also shown to consist of 65-70% random coil, 15-25% alpha-helix, and 10-15% beta-sheet structures. The high percentage of random coil suggests that CGB behaves hydrodynamically as an asymmetric molecule, thus explaining its anomalous migration on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Further, CGB eluted from a gel filtration column in the volume indicative of a globular protein with molecular weight of approximately 200,000 at both the intravesicular pH of 5.5 and a near physiological pH of 7.5. Considering that dimeric CGA eluted from a gel filtration column in the position suggestive of a 300-kDa protein, this result indicated that CGB exists in a monomeric state at both pH levels. Like CGA, which exhibited greater aggregation at pH 5.5 than at pH 7.5 upon Ca2+ binding, CGB also aggregated much more readily at pH 5.5 than at pH 7.5. However, there was a marked difference in the aggregation properties of CGA and CGB with regard to their sensitivity to Ca2+: CGB was at least 2 orders of magnitude more sensitive to Ca2+ than CGA. This suggested that, in spite of the low concentration of CGB (approximately one-tenth that of CGA) in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, CGB would start to aggregate well ahead of CGA in the trans-Golgi network. In view of the proposed importance of the pH- and Ca(2+)-induced chromogranin aggregation in vesicle biogenesis, the extreme sensitivity of CGB aggregation to Ca2+ appears to underline the potential importance of CGB aggregation in the early stages of vesicle biogenesis.

An N-terminal hydrophobic peak is the sorting signal of regulated secretory proteins

Endocrine and exocrine cells each contain a regulated and constitutive secretory pathway. The presence of two distinct secretory pathways in the same cell type requires a sorting step to direct secretory proteins to the correct pathway. It is thought that regulated secretory proteins contain a specific sorting signal. However, this signal has not been identified. Amino acid sequence comparisons have not revealed any significant similarity between different regulated secretory proteins, suggesting that the sorting signal does not consist of a conserved primary sequence. In the present report, we have analyzed the predicted secondary structures of regulated secretory proteins and identified an N-terminal hydrophobic peak (NHP) which is located approximately from amino acids 9-26, overlaps with a predicted alpha-helix and contains charged amino acid residues. This signal is present in regulated secretory proteins that exhibit an N-terminal sorting sequence, but it is absent from constitutively secreted proteins and proteins where the sorting sequence is not located near the N-terminus. It appears that the NHP is both necessary and sufficient for sorting of many secretory proteins to the regulated secretory pathway.

Thermodynamic study of the pH-dependent interaction of chromogranin A with an intraluminal loop peptide of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor

The secretory vesicles of adrenal chromaffin cells have previously been identified as a major inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ store, and their Ca2+ store role has been attributed to the presence of chromogranin A, a high capacity, low affinity Ca2+ binding protein. Chromogranin A has since been shown to exist primarily in a dimeric state at pH 7.5 and primarily in a tetrameric state at the intravesicular pH of 5.5 and has also been shown to interact with the membrane proteins of secretory vesicles at pH 5.5, including a 260-kDa protein reactive to IP3 receptor antibody [Yoo, S. H. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 12001-12006]. In a recent study, chromogranin A was shown to interact with one of the intraluminal loop regions of the IP3 receptor at pH 5.5 but not at pH 7.5 [Yoo, S. H., & Lewis, M. S. (1994) FEBS Lett. 341, 28-32]. To gain further insight, we have studied the temperature dependence of the pH-dependent interaction of chromogranin A with the intraluminal peptide of the the IP3 receptor by analytical ultracentrifugation, using multiwavelength scan analysis, and found that four molecules of the intraluminal domain peptide of the IP3 receptor bound to each chromogranin A tetramer with delta Go values ranging from -23.6 to -27.6 kcal mol-1 in the absence and presence of 35 mN Ca2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Hormone storage vesicle proteins. Transcriptional basis of the widespread neuroendocrine expression of chromogranin A, and evidence of its diverse biological actions, intracellular and extracellular

Chromogranin A (CgA) is an acidic soluble protein found in the core of secretory vesicles throughout the neuroendocrine system, from which it is coreleased by exocytosis with a variety of amine and peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. Much has now been learned about the structure of CgA, and there is emerging evidence that it plays several biological roles, both within secretory granules and after release from neuroendocrine cells. Factors governing its gene's widespread yet restricted (neuroendocrine) pattern of expression are only now being explored. In an attempt to understand how cells throughout the neuroendocrine system (but not exocrine or other nonendocrine cells) turn on and control the expression of CgA, we have isolated and begun to characterize functional 5' promoter elements from the rodent CgA genes. Within the sympathoadrenal system, interest focuses on a recently proposed (though as yet incompletely investigated) function of CgA: its ability to suppress catecholamine release from adrenal chromaffin cells when such cells are stimulated by their usual physiologic secretagogue. We anticipate that such studies will contribute to an understanding of this abundant, yet previously mysterious protein's role in neuroendocrine function.

The disulfide bond in chromogranin B, which is essential for its sorting to secretory granules, is not required for its aggregation in the trans-Golgi network

Chromogranin B (secretogranin I), a protein sorted to secretory granules in many endocrine cells and neurons, undergoes selective aggregation during the sorting process in the trans-Golgi network. Reduction of the single, highly conserved intramolecular disulfide bond of chromogranin B by exposure of intact PC12 cells to the thiol reducing agent dithiothreitol has previously been shown to cause its missorting to the constitutive pathway of secretion. Using saponin perforation of membrane vesicles in aggregative buffer mimicking the milieu in the lumen of the trans-Golgi network (pH 6.4, 10 mM calcium), we show here that treatment with dithiothreitol does not prevent the aggregation of chromogranin B in this compartment. This implies that the loop in the chromogranin B polypeptide that is formed by the disulfide bond has a critical role in the membrane recognition of aggregated chromogranin B during secretory granule formation.

The fusion pore interface: a new biological frontier

The development of micro-voltammetry to detect the release of secretory products from single cells has yielded surprising information, which suggests that the release of secretory products is regulated after the fusion of secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane. This technique has also been used to demonstrate that the release of secretory products can occur during transient fusion events, which leads one to question the current models for membrane recycling. In the past year, strong evidence has emerged in support of a role for rab3 and G alpha i3 proteins in regulating a putative scaffold of proteins that cause bilayer fusion during exocytosis. These findings parallel the biochemical identification of several new cytosolic, secretory vesicle and plasma membrane proteins that may also play a role in regulating fusion.

pH-dependent interaction of an intraluminal loop of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor with chromogranin A

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ store role of the secretory vesicles of adrenal medullary chromaffin cells is attributed to the presence of high capacity, low affinity Ca2+ binding protein chromogranin A. Chromogranin A has recently been shown to interact with the protein component(s) on the intraluminal side of the secretory vesicle membrane at the intravesicular pH of 5.5 but to dissociate from them at the near physiological pH of 7.5. Further, one of the chromogranin A-interacting membrane proteins was tentatively identified as the IP3 receptor. Therefore, the pH-dependent potential interaction of the intraluminal loop domains of the IP3 receptor with chromogranin A was studied by analytical ultracentrifugation utilizing synthetic intraluminal loop peptides of the IP3 receptor labeled with 5-hydroxy-tryptophan at the N-terminus as a chromophore. One of the intraluminal loop domains was found to interact with chromogranin A at pH 5.5 but not at pH 7.5, suggesting the importance of the intraluminal loop domain in transmitting Ca2+ mobilization signals to chromogranin A.