Functional and spatial segregation of secretory vesicle pools according to vesicle age

Distinct Sub- to Superdiffuse Insulin Granule Transport Behaviors in β-Cells Are Strongly Affected by Granule Age

Intracellular transport is a complex process that is difficult to describe by a single general model for motion. Here, we study the transport of insulin containing vesicles, termed granules, in live MIN6 cells. We characterize how the observed heterogeneity is affected by different intracellular factors by constructing a MIN6 cell line by CRISPR-CAS9 that constitutively expresses mCherry fused to insulin and is thus packaged in granules. Confocal microscopy imaging and single particle tracking of the granule transport provide long trajectories of thousands of single granule trajectories for statistical analysis. Mean squared displacement (MSD), angle correlation distribution, and step size distribution analysis allowed identifying five distinct granule transport subpopulations, from nearly immobile and subdiffusive to run-pause and superdiffusive. The subdiffusive subpopulation recapitulates the subordinated random walk we reported earlier (Tabei, 2013; ref 18). We show that the transport characteristics of the five subpopulations have a strong dependence on the age of insulin granules. The five subpopulations also reflect the effect of local microtubule and actin networks on transport in different cellular regions. Our results provide robust metrics to clarify the heterogeneity of granule transport and demonstrate the roles of microtubule versus actin networks with granule age since initial packaging in the Golgi.

Purification of time-resolved insulin granules reveals proteomic and lipidomic changes during granule aging

Endocrine cells employ regulated exocytosis of secretory granules to secrete hormones and neurotransmitters. Secretory granule exocytosis depends on spatiotemporal variables such as proximity to the plasma membrane and age, with newly generated granules being preferentially released. Despite recent advances, we lack a comprehensive view of the molecular composition of insulin granules and associated changes over their lifetime. Here, we report a strategy for the purification of insulin secretory granules of distinct age from insulinoma INS-1 cells. Tagging the granule-resident protein phogrin with a cleavable CLIP tag, we obtain intact fractions of age-distinct granules for proteomic and lipidomic analyses. We find that the lipid composition changes over time, along with the physical properties of the membrane, and that kinesin-1 heavy chain (KIF5b) as well as Ras-related protein 3a (RAB3a) associate preferentially with younger granules. Further, we identify the Rho GTPase-activating protein (ARHGAP1) as a cytosolic factor associated with insulin granules.

The Regulated Secretion and Models of Intracellular Transport: The Goblet Cell as an Example

Transport models are extremely important to map thousands of proteins and their interactions inside a cell. The transport pathways of luminal and at least initially soluble secretory proteins synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum can be divided into two groups: the so-called constitutive secretory pathway and regulated secretion (RS) pathway, in which the RS proteins pass through the Golgi complex and are accumulated into storage/secretion granules (SGs). Their contents are released when stimuli trigger the fusion of SGs with the plasma membrane (PM). In specialized exocrine, endocrine, and nerve cells, the RS proteins pass through the baso-lateral plasmalemma. In polarized cells, the RS proteins secrete through the apical PM. This exocytosis of the RS proteins increases in response to external stimuli. Here, we analyze RS in goblet cells to try to understand the transport model that can be used for the explanation of the literature data related to the intracellular transport of their mucins.

The changing view of insulin granule mobility: From conveyor belt to signaling hub

Before the advent of TIRF microscopy the fate of the insulin granule prior to secretion was deduced from biochemical investigations, electron microscopy and electrophysiological measurements. Since Calcium-triggered granule fusion is indisputably necessary to release insulin into the extracellular space, much effort was directed to the measure this event at the single granule level. This has also been the major application of the TIRF microscopy of the pancreatic beta cell when it became available about 20 years ago. To better understand the metabolic modulation of secretion, we were interested to characterize the entirety of the insulin granules which are localized in the vicinity of the plasma membrane to identify the characteristics which predispose to fusion. In this review we concentrate on how the description of granule mobility in the submembrane space has evolved as a result of progress in methodology. The granules are in a state of constant turnover with widely different periods of residence in this space. While granule fusion is associated +with prolonged residence and decreased lateral mobility, these characteristics may not only result from binding to the plasma membrane but also from binding to the cortical actin web, which is present in the immediate submembrane space. While granule age as such affects granule mobility and fusion probability, the preceding functional states of the beta cell leave their mark on these parameters, too. In summary, the submembrane granules form a highly dynamic heterogeneous population and contribute to the metabolic memory of the beta cells.

Targeting the insulin granule for modulation of insulin exocytosis

The pancreatic β-cells control insulin secretion in the body to regulate glucose homeostasis, and β-cell stress and dysfunction is characteristic of Type 2 Diabetes. Pharmacological targeting of the β-cell to increase insulin secretion is typically utilised, however, extended use of common drugs such as sulfonylureas are known to result in secondary failure. Moreover, there is evidence they may induce β-cell failure in the long term. Within β-cells, insulin secretory granules (ISG) serve as compartments to store, process and traffic insulin for exocytosis. There is now growing evidence that ISG exist in multiple populations, distinct in their protein composition, motility, age, and capacity for secretion. In this review, we discuss the implications of a heterogenous ISG population in β-cells and highlight the need for more understanding into how unique ISG populations may be targeted in anti-diabetic therapies.

Changes in granule mobility and age contribute to changes in insulin secretion after desensitization or rest

INTRODUCTION

Functional impairment of the stimulus secretion coupling in pancreatic beta cells is an essential component of type 2 diabetes. It is known that prolonged stimulation desensitizes the secretion of insulin and thus contributes to beta cell dysfunction. Beta cell rest, in contrast, was shown to enhance the secretory response. Here, the underlying mechanisms were investigated.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

To characterize the consequences of desensitization or rest for the number and mobility of submembrane granules, insulin-secreting MIN6 cells were desensitized by 18-hour culture with 500 µM tolbutamide or rested by 18-hour culture with 1 µM clonidine. The granules were labeled by hIns-EGFP or hIns-DsRed E5, imaged by TIRF microscopy of the cell footprint area and analyzed with an observer-independent program. Additionally, the insulin content and secretion were measured.

RESULTS

Concurrent with the insulin content, submembrane granules were only slightly reduced after desensitization but markedly increased after rest. Both types of pretreatment diminished arrivals and departures of granules in the submembrane space and increased the proportion of immobile long-term resident granules, but desensitization lowered and rest increased the number of exocytoses, in parallel with the effect on insulin secretion. Labeling with hIns-DsRed E5 ('timer') showed that desensitization did not affect the proportion of aged granules, whereas rest increased it. Aged granules showed a high mobility and made up only a minority of long-term residents. Long-term resident granules were more numerous after rest and had a lower lateral mobility, suggesting a firmer attachment to the membrane.

CONCLUSION

The number, mobility and age of submembrane granules reflect the preceding functional states of insulin-secreting cells. Representing the pool of releasable granules, their quantity and quality may thus form part of the beta cell memory on renewed stimulation.

Sequential in vivo labeling of insulin secretory granule pools in INS-SNAP transgenic pigs

β cells produce, store, and secrete insulin upon elevated blood glucose levels. Insulin secretion is a highly regulated process. The probability for insulin secretory granules to undergo fusion with the plasma membrane or being degraded is correlated with their age. However, the molecular features and stimuli connected to this behavior have not yet been fully understood. Furthermore, our understanding of β cell function is mostly derived from studies of ex vivo isolated islets in rodent models. To overcome this translational gap and study insulin secretory granule turnover in vivo, we have generated a transgenic pig model with the SNAP-tag fused to insulin. We demonstrate the correct targeting and processing of the tagged insulin and normal glycemic control of the pig model. Furthermore, we show specific single- and dual-color granular labeling of in vivo-labeled pig pancreas. This model may provide unprecedented insights into the in vivo insulin secretory granule behavior in an animal close to humans.

Simultaneous detection of vesicular content and exocytotic release with two electrodes in and at a single cell

We developed a technique employing two electrodes to simultaneously and dynamically monitor vesicular neurotransmitter storage and vesicular transmitter release in and at the same cell. To do this, two electrochemical techniques, single-cell amperometry (SCA) and intracellular vesicle impact electrochemical cytometry (IVIEC), were applied using two nanotip electrodes. With one electrode being placed on top of a cell measuring exocytotic release and the other electrode being inserted into the cytoplasm measuring vesicular transmitter storage, upon chemical stimulation, exocytosis is triggered and the amount of release and storage can be quantified simultaneously and compared. By using this technique, we made direct comparison between exocytotic release and vesicular storage, and investigated the dynamic changes of vesicular transmitter content before, during, and after chemical stimulation of PC12 cells, a neuroendocrine cell line. While confirming that exocytosis is partial, we suggest that chemical stimulation either induces a replenishment of the releasable pool with a subpool of vesicles having higher amount of transmitter storage, or triggers the vesicles within the same subpool to load more transiently at approximately 10–20 s. Thus, a time scale for vesicle reloading is determined. The effect of l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA), the precursor to dopamine, on the dynamic alteration of vesicular storage upon chemical stimulation for exocytosis was also studied. We found that l-DOPA incubation reduces the observed changes of vesicular storage in regular PC12 cells, which might be due to an increased capacity of vesicular transmitter loading caused by l-DOPA. Our data provide another mechanism for plasticity after stimulation via quantitative and dynamic changes in the exocytotic machinery.

Simultaneous measurements of IVIEC and SCA by two nanotip electrodes allows direct and dynamic comparison between vesicular transmitter content and vesicular transmitter release to shed light on stimulation-induced plasticity.

Chemosensing in enteroendocrine cells: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) are scattered chemosensory cells in the intestinal epithelium that release hormones with a wide range of actions on intestinal function, food intake and glucose homeostasis. The mechanisms by which gut hormones are secreted postprandially, or altered by antidiabetic agents and surgical interventions are of considerable interest for future therapeutic development.

RECENT FINDINGS

EECs are electrically excitable and express a repertoire of G-protein coupled receptors that sense nutrient and nonnutrient stimuli, coupled to intracellular Ca2+ and cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Our knowledge of EEC function, previously developed using mouse models, has recently been extended to human cells. Gut hormone release in humans is enhanced by bariatric surgery, as well as by some antidiabetic agents including sodium-coupled glucose transporter inhibitors and metformin.

SUMMARY

EECs are important potential therapeutic targets. A better understanding of their chemosensory mechanisms will enhance the development of new therapeutic strategies to treat metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases.

Biogenesis of large dense core vesicles in mouse chromaffin cells

Large dense core vesicle (LDCVs) biogenesis in neuroendocrine cells involves: (a) production of cargo peptides processed in the Golgi; (b) fission of cargo loaded LDCVs undergoing maturation steps; (c) movement of these LDCVs to the plasma membrane. These steps have been resolved over several decades in PC12 cells and in bovine chromaffin cells. More recently, the molecular machinery involved in LDCV biogenesis has been examined using genetically modified mice, generating contradictory results. To address these contradictions, we have used NPY-mCherry electroporation combined with immunolabeling and super-resolution structured illumination microscopy. We show that LDCVs separate from an intermediate Golgi compartment, mature in its proximity for about 1 hour and then travel to the plasma membrane. The exocytotic machinery composed of vSNAREs and synaptotagmin1, which originate from either de novo synthesis or recycling, is most likely acquired via fusion with precursor vesicles during maturation. Finally, recycling of LDCV membrane protein is achieved in less than 2 hours. With this comprehensive scheme of LDCV biogenesis we have established a framework for future studies in mouse chromaffin cells.

Pulse-Chase Proteomics of the App Knockin Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease Reveals that Synaptic Dysfunction Originates in Presynaptic Terminals

Compromised protein homeostasis underlies accumulation of plaques and tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To observe protein turnover at early stages of amyloid beta (Aβ) proteotoxicity, we performed pulse-chase proteomics on mouse brains in three genetic models of AD that knock in alleles of amyloid precursor protein (APP) prior to the accumulation of plaques and during disease progression. At initial stages of Aβ accumulation, the turnover of proteins associated with presynaptic terminals is selectively impaired. Presynaptic proteins with impaired turnover, particularly synaptic vesicle (SV)-associated proteins, have elevated levels, misfold in both a plaque-dependent and -independent manner, and interact with APP and Aβ. Concurrent with elevated levels of SV-associated proteins, we found an enlargement of the SV pool as well as enhancement of presynaptic potentiation. Together, our findings reveal that the presynaptic terminal is particularly vulnerable and represents a critical site for manifestation of initial AD etiology. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the Supplemental Information.

Bacterial Vivisection: How Fluorescence-Based Imaging Techniques Shed a Light on the Inner Workings of Bacteria

The rise in fluorescence-based imaging techniques over the past 3 decades has improved the ability of researchers to scrutinize live cell biology at increased spatial and temporal resolution. In microbiology, these real-time vivisections structurally changed the view on the bacterial cell away from the "watery bag of enzymes" paradigm toward the perspective that these organisms are as complex as their eukaryotic counterparts. Capitalizing on the enormous potential of (time-lapse) fluorescence microscopy and the ever-extending pallet of corresponding probes, initial breakthroughs were made in unraveling the localization of proteins and monitoring real-time gene expression. However, later it became clear that the potential of this technique extends much further, paving the way for a focus-shift from observing single events within bacterial cells or populations to obtaining a more global picture at the intra- and intercellular level. In this review, we outline the current state of the art in fluorescence-based vivisection of bacteria and provide an overview of important case studies to exemplify how to use or combine different strategies to gain detailed information on the cell's physiology. The manuscript therefore consists of two separate (but interconnected) parts that can be read and consulted individually. The first part focuses on the fluorescent probe pallet and provides a perspective on modern methodologies for microscopy using these tools. The second section of the review takes the reader on a tour through the bacterial cell from cytoplasm to outer shell, describing strategies and methods to highlight architectural features and overall dynamics within cells.

The Adrenal Medulla Modulates Mechanical Allodynia in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain

We have investigated whether the stress response mediated by the adrenal medulla in rats subjected to chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) modulates their nocifensive behavior. Treatment with SK29661 (300 mg/kg; intraperitoneal (I.P.)), a selective inhibitor of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) that converts noradrenaline (NA) into adrenaline (A), fully reverted mechanical allodynia in the injured hind paw without affecting mechanical sensitivity in the contralateral paw. The effect was fast and reversible and was associated with a decrease in the A to NA ratio (A/NA) in the adrenal gland and circulating blood, an A/NA that was elevated by CCI. 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-7-sulfonamide (SKF29661) did not affect exocytosis evoked by Ca²⁺ entry as well as major ionic conductances (voltage-gated Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and K⁺ channels, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) involved in stimulus-secretion coupling in chromaffin cells, suggesting that it acted by changing the relative content of the two adrenal catecholamines. Denervation of the adrenal medulla by surgical splanchnectomy attenuated mechanical allodynia in neuropathic animals, hence confirming the involvement of the adrenal medulla in the pathophysiology of the CCI model. Inhibition of PNMT appears to be an effective and probably safe way to modulate adrenal medulla activity and, in turn, to alleviate pain secondary to the injury of a peripheral nerve.

Neuroendocrine neoplasia of the gastrointestinal tract revisited: towards precision medicine

Over the past 5 years, a number of notable research advances have been made in the field of neuroendocrine cancer, specifically with regard to neuroendocrine cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this Review is to provide an update on current knowledge that has proven effective for the clinical management of patients with these tumours. For example, for the first time in the tubular gastrointestinal tract, well-differentiated high-grade (grade 3) tumours and mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms (MiNENs) are defined in the WHO classification. This novel classification enables efficient identification of the most aggressive well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours and helps in defining the degree of aggressiveness of MiNENs. The Review also discusses updates to epidemiology, cell biology (including vesicle-specific components) and the as-yet-unresolved complex genetic background that varies according to site and differentiation status. The Review summarizes novel diagnostic instruments, including molecules associated with the secretory machinery, novel radiological approaches (including pattern recognition techniques), novel PET tracers and liquid biopsy combined with DNA or RNA assays. Surgery remains the treatment mainstay; however, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with novel radioligands and new emerging medical therapies (including vaccination and immunotherapy) are evolving and being tested in clinical trials, which are summarized and critically reviewed here.

Age matters: Grading granule secretion in beta cells

Insulin is stored in secretory granules to facilitate rapid release in response to rising glucose levels, but the mechanisms by which these granules are identified and prioritized for secretion remains unclear. Using a fluorescent timer and flow cytometry-assisted organelle sorting, Yau et al. develop an elegant approach to assess insulin secretion as a function of granule age in pancreatic islet beta cells. Their findings supply quantitative evidence supporting the age-dependent release of different granule pools and confirm earlier models of preferential release of younger granules.

A fluorescent timer reporter enables sorting of insulin secretory granules by age

Within the pancreatic β-cells, insulin secretory granules (SGs) exist in functionally distinct pools, displaying variations in motility as well as docking and fusion capability. Current therapies that increase insulin secretion do not consider the existence of these distinct SG pools. Accordingly, these approaches are effective only for a short period, with a worsening of glycemia associated with continued decline in β-cell function. Insulin granule age is underappreciated as a determinant for why an insulin granule is selected for secretion and may explain why newly synthesized insulin is preferentially secreted from β-cells. Here, using a novel fluorescent timer protein, we aimed to investigate the preferential secretion model of insulin secretion and identify how granule aging is affected by variation in the β-cell environment, such as hyperglycemia. We demonstrate the use of a fluorescent timer construct, syncollin-dsRedE5TIMER, which changes its fluorescence from green to red over 18 h, in both microscopy and fluorescence-assisted organelle-sorting techniques. We confirm that the SG-targeting construct localizes to insulin granules in β-cells and does not interfere with normal insulin SG behavior. We visualize insulin SG aging behavior in MIN6 and INS1 β-cell lines and in primary C57BL/6J mouse and nondiabetic human islet cells. Finally, we separated young and old insulin SGs, revealing that preferential secretion of younger granules occurs in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. We also show that SG population age is modulated by the β-cell environment in vivo in the db/db mouse islets and ex vivo in C57BL/6J islets exposed to different glucose environments.

Five Decades of Research on Opioid Peptides: Current Knowledge and Unanswered Questions

In the mid-1970s, an intense race to identify endogenous substances that activated the same receptors as opiates resulted in the identification of the first endogenous opioid peptides. Since then, >20 peptides with opioid receptor activity have been discovered, all of which are generated from three precursors, proenkephalin, prodynorphin, and proopiomelanocortin, by sequential proteolytic processing by prohormone convertases and carboxypeptidase E. Each of these peptides binds to all three of the opioid receptor types (μ, δ, or κ), albeit with differing affinities. Peptides derived from proenkephalin and prodynorphin are broadly distributed in the brain, and mRNA encoding all three precursors are highly expressed in some peripheral tissues. Various approaches have been used to explore the functions of the opioid peptides in specific behaviors and brain circuits. These methods include directly administering the peptides ex vivo (i.e., to excised tissue) or in vivo (in animals), using antagonists of opioid receptors to infer endogenous peptide activity, and genetic knockout of opioid peptide precursors. Collectively, these studies add to our current understanding of the function of endogenous opioids, especially when similar results are found using different approaches. We briefly review the history of identification of opioid peptides, highlight the major findings, address several myths that are widely accepted but not supported by recent data, and discuss unanswered questions and future directions for research. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Activation of the opioid receptors by opiates and synthetic drugs leads to central and peripheral biological effects, including analgesia and respiratory depression, but these may not be the primary functions of the endogenous opioid peptides. Instead, the opioid peptides play complex and overlapping roles in a variety of systems, including reward pathways, and an important direction for research is the delineation of the role of individual peptides.

Recent Insights into Beta-cell Exocytosis in Type 2 Diabetes

As one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, diabetes affects an estimated 422 million adults, and it is expected to continue expanding such that by 2050, 30% of the U.S. population will become diabetic within their lifetime. Out of the estimated 422 million people currently afflicted with diabetes worldwide, about 5% have type 1 diabetes (T1D), while the remaining ~95% of diabetics have type 2 diabetes (T2D). Type 1 diabetes results from the autoimmune-mediated destruction of functional β-cell mass, whereas T2D results from combinatorial defects in functional β-cell mass plus peripheral glucose uptake. Both types of diabetes are now believed to be preceded by β-cell dysfunction. T2D is increasingly associated with numerous reports of deficiencies in the exocytosis proteins that regulate insulin release from β-cells, specifically the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins. SNARE protein's functionality is further regulated by a variety of accessory factors such as Sec1/Munc18 (SM), double C2-domain proteins (DOC2), and additional interacting proteins at the cell surface that influence the fidelity of insulin release. As new evidence emerges about the detailed mechanisms of exocytosis, new questions and controversies have come to light. This emerging information is also contributing to dialogue in the islet biology field focused on how to correct the defects in insulin exocytosis. Herein we present a balanced review of the role of exocytosis proteins in T2D, with thoughts on novel strategies to protect functional β-cell mass.

Spectral recording of gene expression history by fluorescent timer protein

Monitoring spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression by fluorescent proteins requires longitudinal observation, which is often difficult to implement. Here, we fuse a fluorescent timer (FT) protein with an immediate early gene (IEG) promoter to track live gene expression in single cells. This results in a stimulus- and time-dependent spectral shift from blue to red for subsequent monitoring with fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and live cell imaging. This spectral shift enables imputing the time point of activity post-hoc to dissociate early and late responders from a single snapshot in time. Thus, we provide a tool for tracking stimulus-driven IEG expression and demonstrate proof of concept exploiting promoter::FT fusions, adding new dimensions to experiments that require reconstructing spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression in cells, tissues or living organisms.

Drug testing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor chip reveals drug modulation of transmitter release for potential therapeutic applications

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, are considered incurable and significantly reduce the quality of life of the patients. A variety of drugs that modulate neurotransmitter levels have been used for the treatment of the neurodegenerative diseases but with limited efficacy. In this work, an amperometric complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) chip is used for high‐throughput drug testing with respect to the modulation of transmitter release from single vesicles using chromaffin cells prepared from bovine adrenal glands as a model system. Single chromaffin cell amperometry was performed with high efficiency on the surface‐modified CMOS chip and follow‐up whole‐cell patch‐clamp experiments were performed to determine the readily releasable pool sizes. We show that the antidepressant drug bupropion significantly increases the amount of neurotransmitter released in individual quantal release events. The antidepressant drug citalopram accelerates rapid neurotransmitter release following stimulation and follow‐up patch‐clamp experiments reveal that this is because of the increase in the pool of readily releasable vesicles. These results shed light on the mechanisms by which bupropion and citalopram may be potentially effective in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. These results demonstrate that the CMOS amperometry chip technology is an excellent tool for drug testing to determine the specific mechanisms by which they modulate neurotransmitter release.

Dynamin 1 Restrains Vesicular Release to a Subquantal Mode In Mammalian Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

Dynamin 1 (dyn1) is required for clathrin-mediated endocytosis in most secretory (neuronal and neuroendocrine) cells. There are two modes of Ca²⁺-dependent catecholamine release from single dense-core vesicles: full-quantal (quantal) and subquantal in adrenal chromaffin cells, but their relative occurrences and impacts on total secretion remain unclear. To address this fundamental question in neurotransmission area using both sexes of animals, here we report the following: (1) dyn1-KO increased quantal size (QS, but not vesicle size/content) by ≥250% in dyn1-KO mice; (2) the KO-increased QS was rescued by dyn1 (but not its deficient mutant or dyn2); (3) the ratio of quantal versus subquantal events was increased by KO; (4) following a release event, more protein contents were retained in WT versus KO vesicles; and (5) the fusion pore size (d _p) was increased from ≤9 to ≥9 nm by KO. Therefore, Ca²⁺-induced exocytosis is generally a subquantal release in sympathetic adrenal chromaffin cells, implying that neurotransmitter release is generally regulated by dynamin in neuronal cells.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Ca²⁺-dependent neurotransmitter release from a single vesicle is the primary event in all neurotransmission, including synaptic/neuroendocrine forms. To determine whether Ca²⁺-dependent vesicular neurotransmitter release is "all-or-none" (quantal), we provide compelling evidence that most Ca²⁺-induced secretory events occur via the subquantal mode in native adrenal chromaffin cells. This subquantal release mode is promoted by dynamin 1, which is universally required for most secretory cells, including neurons and neuroendocrine cells. The present work with dyn1-KO mice further confirms that Ca²⁺-dependent transmitter release is mainly via subquantal mode, suggesting that subquantal release could be also important in other types of cells.

Newly produced synaptic vesicle proteins are preferentially used in synaptic transmission

Aged proteins can become hazardous to cellular function, by accumulating molecular damage. This implies that cells should preferentially rely on newly produced ones. We tested this hypothesis in cultured hippocampal neurons, focusing on synaptic transmission. We found that newly synthesized vesicle proteins were incorporated in the actively recycling pool of vesicles responsible for all neurotransmitter release during physiological activity. We observed this for the calcium sensor Synaptotagmin 1, for the neurotransmitter transporter VGAT, and for the fusion protein VAMP2 (Synaptobrevin 2). Metabolic labeling of proteins and visualization by secondary ion mass spectrometry enabled us to query the entire protein makeup of the actively recycling vesicles, which we found to be younger than that of non‐recycling vesicles. The young vesicle proteins remained in use for up to ~ 24 h, during which they participated in recycling a few hundred times. They were afterward reluctant to release and were degraded after an additional ~ 24–48 h. We suggest that the recycling pool of synaptic vesicles relies on newly synthesized proteins, while the inactive reserve pool contains older proteins.

Control of insulin granule formation and function by the ABC transporters ABCG1 and ABCA1 and by oxysterol binding protein OSBP

In pancreatic β-cells, insulin granule membranes are enriched in cholesterol and are both recycled and newly generated. Cholesterol’s role in supporting granule membrane formation and function is poorly understood. ATP binding cassette transporters ABCG1 and ABCA1 regulate intracellular cholesterol and are important for insulin secretion. RNAi inter­ference–induced depletion in cultured pancreatic β-cells shows that ABCG1 is needed to stabilize newly made insulin granules against lysosomal degradation; ABCA1 is also involved but to a lesser extent. Both transporters are also required for optimum glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, likely via complementary roles. Exogenous cholesterol addition rescues knockdown-induced granule loss (ABCG1) and reduced secretion (both transporters). Another cholesterol transport protein, oxysterol binding protein (OSBP), appears to act proximally as a source of endogenous cholesterol for granule formation. Its knockdown caused similar defective stability of young granules and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, neither of which were rescued with exogenous cholesterol. Dual knockdowns of OSBP and ABC transporters support their serial function in supplying and concentrating cholesterol for granule formation. OSBP knockdown also decreased proinsulin synthesis consistent with a proximal endoplasmic reticulum defect. Thus, membrane cholesterol distribution contributes to insulin homeostasis at production, packaging, and export levels through the actions of OSBP and ABCs G1 and A1.

Astroglial vesicular network: evolutionary trends, physiology and pathophysiology

Intracellular organelles, including secretory vesicles, emerged when eukaryotic cells evolved some 3 billion years ago. The primordial organelles that evolved in Archaea were similar to endolysosomes, which developed, arguably, for specific metabolic tasks, including uptake, metabolic processing, storage and disposal of molecules. In comparison with prokaryotes, cell volume of eukaryotes increased by several orders of magnitude and vesicle traffic emerged to allow for communication between distant intracellular locations. Lysosomes, first described in 1955, a prominent intermediate of endo- and exocytotic pathways, operate virtually in all eukaryotic cells including astroglia, the most heterogeneous type of homeostatic glia in the central nervous system. Astrocytes support neuronal network activity in particular through elaborated secretion, based on a complex intracellular vesicle network dynamics. Deranged homeostasis underlies disease and astroglial vesicle traffic contributes to the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative (Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease), neurodevelopmental diseases (intellectual deficiency, Rett's disease) and neuroinfectious (Zika virus) disorders. This review addresses astroglial cell-autonomous vesicular traffic network, as well as its into primary and secondary vesicular network defects in diseases, and considers this network as a target for developing new therapies for neurological conditions.

Glucose but not KCl diminishes submembrane granule turnover in mouse beta-cells

KCl depolarization is widely used to mimic the depolarization during glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Consequently, the insulin secretion elicited by KCl is often regarded as the equivalent of the first phase of glucose-induced insulin secretion. Here, the effects of both stimuli were compared by measuring the secretion of perifused mouse islets, the cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration of single beta-cells and the mobility of submembrane insulin granules by TIRF microscopy of primary mouse beta-cells. Two cargo-directed granule labels were used namely insulin-EGFP and C-peptide-emGFP. The granule behaviour common to both was used to compare the effect of sequential stimulation with 40 mM KCl and 30 mM glucose and sequential stimulation with the same stimuli in reversed order. At the level of the cell secretory response, the sequential pulse protocol showed marked differences depending on the order of the two stimuli. KCl produced higher maximal secretion rates and diminished the response to the subsequent glucose stimulus, whereas glucose enhanced the response to the subsequent KCl stimulus. At the level of granule behaviour, a difference developed during the first stimulation phase in that the total number of granules, the short-term resident granules and the arriving granules, which are all parameters of granule turnover, were significantly smaller for glucose than for KCl. These differences at both the level of the cell secretory response and granule behaviour in the submembrane space are incompatible with identical initial response mechanisms to KCl and glucose stimulation.

A 4D view on insulin secretory granule turnover in the β-cell

Insulin secretory granule (SG) turnover consists of several highly regulated processes allowing for proper β-cell function and insulin secretion. Besides the spatial distribution of insulin SGs, their age has great impact on the likelihood of their secretion and their behaviour within the β-cell. While quantitative measurements performed decades ago demonstrated the preferential secretion of young insulin, new experimental approaches aim to investigate insulin ageing at the granular level. Live-cell imaging, automated image analysis and correlative light and electron microscopy have fostered knowledge of age-defined insulin SG dynamics, their interaction with the cytoskeleton and ultrastructural features. Here, we review our recent work in regards to the connection between insulin SG age, SG dynamics, intracellular location and interaction with other proteins.

Recent new insights into the role of SNARE and associated proteins in insulin granule exocytosis

Initial work on the exocytotic machinery of predocked insulin secretory granules (SGs) in pancreatic β-cells mimicked the SNARE hypothesis work in neurons, which includes SM/SNARE complex and associated priming proteins, fusion clamps and Ca²⁺ sensors. However, β-cell SGs, unlike neuronal synaptic vesicles, exhibit a biphasic secretory response that requires additional distinct features in exocytosis including newcomer SGs that undergo minimal docking time at the plasma membrane (PM) before fusion and multi-SG (compound) fusion. These exocytotic events are mediated by Munc18/SNARE complexes distinct from that which mediates predocked SG fusion. We review some recent insights in SNARE complex assembly and the promiscuity in SM/SNARE complex formation, whereby both contribute to conferring different insulin SG fusion kinetics. Some SNARE and associated proteins play non-fusion roles, including tethering SGs to Ca²⁺ channels, SG recruitment from cell interior to PM, and inhibitory SNAREs that block the action of profusion SNAREs. We discuss new insights into how sub-PM cytoskeletal mesh gates SG access to the PM and the targeting of SG exocytosis to PM domains in functionally polarized β-cells within intact islets. These recent developments have major implications on devising clever SNARE replacement therapies that could restore the deficient insulin secretion in diabetic islet β-cells.

Synaptotagmin isoforms confer distinct activation kinetics and dynamics to chromaffin cell granules

Chromaffin cells release transmitters from populations of granules to which synaptotagmin-1 and synaptotagmin-7 are selectively sorted. Rao et al. characterize the functional properties of these granules and show that synaptotagmin-7 confers fast kinetics and high efficacy to the exocytotic event.

Adrenomedullary chromaffin cells respond to sympathetic nervous system activation by secreting a cocktail of potent neuropeptides and hormones into the circulation. The distinct phases of the chromaffin cell secretory response have been attributed to the progressive fusion of distinct populations of dense core granules with different activation kinetics. However, it has been difficult to define what distinguishes these populations at the molecular level. Functional segregation of granule pools may depend on selective sorting of synaptotagmin-1 (Syt-1) and synaptotagmin-7 (Syt-7), which our previous work showed are rarely cosorted to the same granule. Here we assess the consequences of selective sorting of Syt isoforms in chromaffin cells, particularly with respect to granule dynamics and activation kinetics. Upon depolarization of cells expressing fluorescent Syt isoforms using elevated K⁺, we find that Syt-7 granules fuse with faster kinetics than Syt-1 granules, irrespective of stimulation strength. Pharmacological blockade of Ca²⁺ channels reveals differential dependence of Syt-1 versus Syt-7 granule exocytosis on Ca²⁺ channel subtypes. Syt-7 granules also show a greater tendency to fuse in clusters than Syt-1 granules, and granules harboring Syt-1 travel a greater distance before fusion than those with Syt-7, suggesting that there is spatial and fusion-site heterogeneity among the two granule populations. However, the greatest functional difference between granule populations is their responsiveness to Ca²⁺. Upon introduction of Ca²⁺ into permeabilized cells, Syt-7 granules fuse with fast kinetics and high efficacy, even at low Ca²⁺ levels (e.g., when cells are weakly stimulated). Conversely, Syt-1 granules require a comparatively larger increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ for activation. At Ca²⁺ concentrations above 30 µM, activation kinetics are faster for Syt-1 granules than for Syt-7 granules. Our study provides evidence for functional specialization of chromaffin cell granules via selective expression of Syt isoforms with different Ca²⁺ sensitivities.

Molecular regulation of insulin granule biogenesis and exocytosis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia in early disease stages but a relative insulin insufficiency in later stages. Insulin, a peptide hormone, is produced in and secreted from pancreatic β-cells following elevated blood glucose levels. Upon its release, insulin induces the removal of excessive exogenous glucose from the bloodstream primarily by stimulating glucose uptake into insulin-dependent tissues as well as promoting hepatic glycogenesis. Given the increasing prevalence of T2DM worldwide, elucidating the underlying mechanisms and identifying the various players involved in the synthesis and exocytosis of insulin from β-cells is of utmost importance. This review summarizes our current understanding of the route insulin takes through the cell after its synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum as well as our knowledge of the highly elaborate network that controls insulin release from the β-cell. This network harbors potential targets for anti-diabetic drugs and is regulated by signaling cascades from several endocrine systems.

Bimodal dynamics of granular organelles in primary renin-expressing cells revealed using TIRF microscopy

Renin is the initiator and rate-limiting factor in the renin-angiotensin blood pressure regulation system. Although renin is not exclusively produced in the kidney, in nonmurine species the synthesis and secretion of the active circulatory enzyme is confined almost exclusively to the dense core granules of juxtaglomerular (JG) cells, where prorenin is processed and stored for release via a regulated pathway. Despite its importance, the structural organization and regulation of granules within these cells is not well understood, in part due to the difficulty in culturing primary JG cells in vitro and the lack of appropriate cell lines. We have streamlined the isolation and culture of primary renin-expressing cells suitable for high-speed, high-resolution live imaging using a Percoll gradient-based procedure to purify cells from RenGFP⁺ transgenic mice. Fibronectin-coated glass coverslips proved optimal for the adhesion of renin-expressing cells and facilitated live cell imaging at the plasma membrane of primary renin cells using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). To obtain quantitative data on intracellular function, we stained mixed granule and lysosome populations with Lysotracker Red and stimulated cells using 100 nM isoproterenol. Analysis of membrane-proximal acidic granular organelle dynamics and behavior within renin-expressing cells revealed the existence of two populations of granular organelles with distinct functional responses following isoproterenol stimulation. The application of high-resolution techniques for imaging JG and other specialized kidney cells provides new opportunities for investigating renal cell biology.

ATP: The crucial component of secretory vesicles

The colligative properties of ATP and catecholamines demonstrated in vitro are thought to be responsible for the extraordinary accumulation of solutes inside chromaffin cell secretory vesicles, although this has yet to be demonstrated in living cells. Because functional cells cannot be deprived of ATP, we have knocked down the expression of the vesicular nucleotide carrier, the VNUT, to show that a reduction in vesicular ATP is accompanied by a drastic fall in the quantal release of catecholamines. This phenomenon is particularly evident in newly synthesized vesicles, which we show are the first to be released. Surprisingly, we find that inhibiting VNUT expression also reduces the frequency of exocytosis, whereas the overexpression of VNUT drastically increases the quantal size of exocytotic events. To our knowledge, our data provide the first demonstration that ATP, in addition to serving as an energy source and purinergic transmitter, is an essential element in the concentration of catecholamines in secretory vesicles. In this way, cells can use ATP to accumulate neurotransmitters and other secreted substances at high concentrations, supporting quantal transmission.

Imaging the recruitment and loss of proteins and lipids at single sites of calcium-triggered exocytosis

Imaging of exocytic and endocytic proteins shows which are present at exocytic sites before, during, and after exocytosis in living cells. Rab proteins and SNARE modulators are lost, and dynamin, PIP2, and BAR-domain proteins are rapidly and transiently recruited, where they may modulate the nascent fusion pore.

How and when the dozens of molecules that control exocytosis assemble in living cells to regulate the fusion of a vesicle with the plasma membrane is unknown. Here we image with two-color total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy the local changes of 27 proteins at single dense-core vesicles undergoing calcium-triggered fusion. We identify two broad dynamic behaviors of exocytic molecules. First, proteins enriched at exocytic sites are associated with DCVs long before exocytosis, and near the time of membrane fusion, they diffuse away. These proteins include Rab3 and Rab27, rabphilin3a, munc18a, tomosyn, and CAPS. Second, we observe a group of classical endocytic proteins and lipids, including dynamins, amphiphysin, syndapin, endophilin, and PIP2, which are rapidly and transiently recruited to the exocytic site near the time of membrane fusion. Dynamin mutants unable to bind amphiphysin were not recruited, indicating that amphiphysin is involved in localizing dynamin to the fusion site. Expression of mutant dynamins and knockdown of endogenous dynamin altered the rate of cargo release from single vesicles. Our data reveal the dynamics of many key proteins involved in exocytosis and identify a rapidly recruited dynamin/PIP2/BAR assembly that regulates the exocytic fusion pore of dense-core vesicles in cultured endocrine beta cells.

PC12 cells that lack synaptotagmin I exhibit loss of a subpool of small dense core vesicles

Neurons communicate by releasing neurotransmitters that are stored in intracellular vesicular compartments. PC12 cells are frequently used as a model secretory cell line that is described to have two subpools of vesicles: small clear vesicles and dense core vesicles. We measured transmitter molecules released from vesicles in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells using carbon-fiber amperometry, and relative diameters of individual vesicles using electron microscopy. Both amperometry and electron micrograph data were analyzed by statistical and machine learning methods for Gaussian mixture models. An electron microscopy size correction algorithm was used to predict and correct for observation bias of vesicle size due to tangential slices through some vesicles. Expectation maximization algorithms were used to perform maximum likelihood estimation for the Gaussian parameters of different populations of vesicles, and were shown to be better than histogram and cumulative distribution function methods for analyzing mixed populations. The Bayesian information criterion was used to determine the most likely number of vesicle subpools observed in the amperometric and electron microscopy data. From this analysis, we show that there are three major subpools, not two, of vesicles stored and released from PC12 cells. The three subpools of vesicles include small clear vesicles and two subpools of dense core vesicles, a small and a large dense core vesicle subpool. Using PC12 cells stably transfected with short-hairpin RNA targeted to synaptotagmin I, an exocytotic Ca(2+) sensor, we show that the presence and release of the small dense core vesicle subpool is dependent on synaptotagmin I. Furthermore, synaptotagmin I also plays a role in the formation and/or maintenance of the small dense core vesicle subpool in PC12 cells.

Membrane mediated development of the vertebrate blood-gas-barrier

During embryonic lung development, establishment of the gas-exchanging units is guided by epithelial tubes lined by columnar cells. Ultimately, a thin blood-gas barrier (BGB) is established and forms the interface for efficient gas exchange. This thin BGB is achieved through processes, which entail lowering of tight junctions, stretching, and thinning in mammals. In birds the processes are termed peremerecytosis, if they involve cell squeezing and constriction, or secarecytosis, if they entail cutting cells to size. In peremerecytosis, cells constrict at a point below the protruding apical part, resulting in fusion of the opposing membranes and discharge of the aposome, or the cell may be squeezed by the more endowed cognate neighbors. Secarecytosis may entail formation of double membranes below the aposome, subsequent unzipping and discharge of the aposome, or vesicles form below the aposome, fuse in a bilateral manner, and release the aposome. These processes occur within limited developmental windows, and are mediated through cell membranes that appear to be of intracellular in origin. In addition, basement membranes (BM) play pivotal roles in differentiation of the epithelial and endothelial layers of the BGB. Laminins found in the BM are particularly important in the signaling pathways that result in formation of squamous pneumocytes and pulmonary capillaries, the two major components of the BGB. Some information exists on the contribution by BM to BGB formation, but little is known regarding the molecules that drive peremerecytosis, or even the origins and composition of the double and vesicular membranes involved in secarecytosis.

Vesicle Motion during Sustained Exocytosis in Chromaffin Cells: Numerical Model Based on Amperometric Measurements

Chromaffin cells release catecholamines by exocytosis, a process that includes vesicle docking, priming and fusion. Although all these steps have been intensively studied, some aspects of their mechanisms, particularly those regarding vesicle transport to the active sites situated at the membrane, are still unclear. In this work, we show that it is possible to extract information on vesicle motion in Chromaffin cells from the combination of Langevin simulations and amperometric measurements. We developed a numerical model based on Langevin simulations of vesicle motion towards the cell membrane and on the statistical analysis of vesicle arrival times. We also performed amperometric experiments in bovine-adrenal Chromaffin cells under Ba²⁺ stimulation to capture neurotransmitter releases during sustained exocytosis. In the sustained phase, each amperometric peak can be related to a single release from a new vesicle arriving at the active site. The amperometric signal can then be mapped into a spike-series of release events. We normalized the spike-series resulting from the current peaks using a time-rescaling transformation, thus making signals coming from different cells comparable. We discuss why the obtained spike-series may contain information about the motion of all vesicles leading to release of catecholamines. We show that the release statistics in our experiments considerably deviate from Poisson processes. Moreover, the interspike-time probability is reasonably well described by two-parameter gamma distributions. In order to interpret this result we computed the vesicles’ arrival statistics from our Langevin simulations. As expected, assuming purely diffusive vesicle motion we obtain Poisson statistics. However, if we assume that all vesicles are guided toward the membrane by an attractive harmonic potential, simulations also lead to gamma distributions of the interspike-time probability, in remarkably good agreement with experiment. We also show that including the fusion-time statistics in our model does not produce any significant changes on the results. These findings indicate that the motion of the whole ensemble of vesicles towards the membrane is directed and reflected in the amperometric signals. Our results confirm the conclusions of previous imaging studies performed on single vesicles that vesicles’ motion underneath plasma membranes is not purely random, but biased towards the membrane.

Profiles of secreted neuropeptides and catecholamines illustrate similarities and differences in response to stimulation by distinct secretagogues

The goal of this study was to define profiles of secreted neuropeptide and catecholamine neurotransmitters that undergo co-release from sympathoadrenal chromaffin cells upon stimulation by distinct secretagogues. Chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla participate in the dynamic responses to stress, especially that of 'fight and flight', and, thus, analyses of the co-release of multiple neurotransmitters is necessary to gain knowledge of how the stress response regulates cell-cell communication among physiological systems. Results of this study demonstrated that six different secretagogues stimulated the co-release of the neuropeptides Met-enkephalin, galanin, NPY, and VIP with the catecholamines dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. Importantly, the quantitative profiles of the secreted neurotransmitters showed similarities and differences upon stimulation by the different secretagogues evaluated, composed of KCl depolarization, nicotine, carbachol, PACAP, bradykinin, and histamine. The rank-orders of the secreted profiles of the neurotransmitters were generally similar among these secretagogues, but differences in the secreted amounts of each neurotransmitter occurred with different secretagogues. Epinephrine among the catecholamines showed the highest level of secretion. (Met)enkephalin showed the largest levels of secretion compared to the other neuropeptides examined. Levels of secreted catecholamines were greater than that of the neuropeptides. These data support the hypothesis that profiles of secreted neuropeptide and catecholamine neurotransmitters show similarities and differences upon stimulation by distinct secretagogues. These results illustrate the co-release of concerted neurotransmitter profiles that participate in the stress response of the sympathoadrenal nervous system.

Syntaxin-4 mediates exocytosis of pre-docked and newcomer insulin granules underlying biphasic glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in human pancreatic beta cells

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Of the four exocytotic syntaxins (Syns), much is now known about the role of Syn-1A (pre-docked secretory granules [SGs]) and Syn-3 (newcomer SGs) in insulin exocytosis. Some work was reported on Syn-4's role in biphasic glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), but its precise role in insulin SG exocytosis remains unclear. In this paper we examine this role in human beta cells.

METHODS

Endogenous function of Syn-4 in human islets was assessed by knocking down its expression with lentiviral single hairpin RNA (lenti-shRNA)-RFP. Biphasic GSIS was determined by islet perifusion assay. Single-cell analysis of exocytosis of red fluorescent protein (RFP)-positive beta cells (exhibiting near-total depletion of Syn-4) was by patch clamp capacitance measurements (Cm) and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), the latter to further assess single SG behaviour. Co-immunoprecipitations were conducted on INS-1 cells to assess exocytotic complexes.

RESULTS

Syn-4 knockdown (KD) of 77% in human islets caused a concomitant reduction in cognate Munc18c expression (46%) without affecting expression of other exocytotic proteins; this resulted in reduction of GSIS in the first phase (by 42%) and the second phase (by 40%). Cm of RFP-tagged Syn-4-KD beta cells showed severe inhibition in the readily releasable pool (by 71%) and mobilisation from reserve pools (by 63%). TIRFM showed that Syn-4-KD-induced inhibition of first-phase GSIS was attributed to reduction in exocytosis of both pre-docked and newcomer SGs (which undergo minimal residence or docking time at the plasma membrane before fusion). Second-phase inhibition was attributed to reduction in newcomer SGs. Stx-4 co-immunoprecipitated Munc18c, VAMP2 and VAMP8, suggesting that these exocytotic complexes may be involved in exocytosis of pre-docked and newcomer SGs.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Syn-4 is involved in distinct molecular machineries that influence exocytosis of both pre-docked and newcomer SGs in a manner functionally redundant to Syn-1A and Syn-3, respectively; this underlies Syn-4's role in mediating portions of first-phase and second-phase GSIS.

Synaptic neuropeptide release by dynamin-dependent partial release from circulating vesicles

Neurons release neuropeptides, enzymes, and neurotrophins by exocytosis of dense-core vesicles (DCVs). Peptide release from individual DCVs has been imaged in vitro with endocrine cells and at the neuron soma, growth cones, neurites, axons, and dendrites but not at nerve terminals, where peptidergic neurotransmission occurs. Single presynaptic DCVs have, however, been tracked in native terminals with simultaneous photobleaching and imaging (SPAIM) to show that DCVs undergo anterograde and retrograde capture as they circulate through en passant boutons. Here dynamin (encoded by the shibire gene) is shown to enhance activity-evoked peptide release at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. SPAIM demonstrates that activity depletes only a portion of a single presynaptic DCV's content. Activity initiates exocytosis within seconds, but subsequent release occurs slowly. Synaptic neuropeptide release is further sustained by DCVs undergoing multiple rounds of exocytosis. Synaptic neuropeptide release is surprisingly similar regardless of anterograde or retrograde DCV transport into boutons, bouton location, and time of arrival in the terminal. Thus vesicle circulation and bidirectional capture supply synapses with functionally competent DCVs. These results show that activity-evoked synaptic neuropeptide release is independent of a DCV's past traffic and occurs by slow, dynamin-dependent partial emptying of DCVs, suggestive of kiss-and-run exocytosis.

Pathologic Potential of Astrocytic Vesicle Traffic: New Targets to Treat Neurologic Diseases?

Vesicles are small intracellular organelles that are fundamental for constitutive housekeeping of the plasmalemma, intercellular transport, and cell-to-cell communications. In astroglial cells, traffic of vesicles is associated with cell morphology, which determines the signaling potential and metabolic support for neighboring cells, including when these cells are considered to be used for cell transplantations or for regulating neurogenesis. Moreover, vesicles are used in astrocytes for the release of vesicle-laden chemical messengers. Here we review the properties of membrane-bound vesicles that store gliotransmitters, endolysosomes that are involved in the traffic of plasma membrane receptors, and membrane transporters. These vesicles are all linked to pathological states, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, neuroinflammation, trauma, edema, and states in which astrocytes contribute to developmental disorders. In multiple sclerosis, for example, fingolimod, a recently introduced drug, apparently affects vesicle traffic and gliotransmitter release from astrocytes, indicating that this process may well be used as a new pathophysiologic target for the development of new therapies.

Aged insulin granules display reduced microtubule-dependent mobility and are disposed within actin-positive multigranular bodies

Insulin secretion is key for glucose homeostasis. Insulin secretory granules (SGs) exist in different functional pools, with young SGs being more mobile and preferentially secreted. However, the principles governing the mobility of age-distinct SGs remain undefined. Using the time-reporter insulin-SNAP to track age-distinct SGs we now show that their dynamics can be classified into three components: highly dynamic, restricted, and nearly immobile. Young SGs display all three components, whereas old SGs are either restricted or nearly immobile. Both glucose stimulation and F-actin depolymerization recruit a fraction of nearly immobile young, but not old, SGs for highly dynamic, microtubule-dependent transport. Moreover, F-actin marks multigranular bodies/lysosomes containing aged SGs. These data demonstrate that SGs lose their responsiveness to glucose stimulation and competence for microtubule-mediated transport over time while changing their relationship with F-actin.

Impaired maturation of large dense core vesicles in muted-deficient adrenal chromaffin cells

The large dense-core vesicle (LDCV), a type of lysosome-related organelle, is involved in the secretion of hormones and neuropeptides in specialized secretory cells. The granin family is a driving force in LDCV biogenesis, but the machinery for granin sorting to this biogenesis pathway is largely unknown. The mu mutant mouse, which carries a spontaneous null mutation on the Muted gene (also known as Bloc1s5) that encodes a subunit of lysosome-related organelles complex-1 (BLOC-1), is a mouse model of Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. We here found that LDCVs were enlarged in mu adrenal chromaffin cells. Chromogranin A (CgA) was increased in mu adrenals and muted-knockdown cells. The increased CgA in mu mice was likely due to the failure of its sorting-out, which impairs LDCV maturation and docking. In mu chromaffin cells, the size of readily releasable pool and the vesicle release frequency were reduced. Our studies suggest that the muted protein is involved in the sorting-out of CgA during the biogenesis of LDCVs.

Pituitary gonadotrophic hormone synthesis, secretion, subunit gene expression and cell structure in normal and follicle-stimulating hormone β knockout, follicle-stimulating hormone receptor knockout, luteinising hormone receptor knockout, hypogonadal and ovariectomised female mice

To investigate the relationship between gonadotroph function and ultrastructure, we have compared, in parallel in female mice, the effects of several different mutations that perturb the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Specifically, serum and pituitary gonadotrophin concentrations, gonadotrophin gene expression, gonadotroph structure and number were measured. Follicle-stimulating hormone β knockout (FSHβKO), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor knockout (FSHRKO), luteinising hormone receptor knockout (LuRKO), hypogonadal (hpg) and ovariectomised mice were compared with control wild-type or heterozygote female mice. Serum levels of LH were elevated in FSHβKO and FSHRKO compared to heterozygote females, reflecting the likely decreased oestrogen production in KO females, as demonstrated by the threadlike uteri and acyclicity. As expected, there was no detectable FSH in the serum or pituitary and an absence of expression of the FSHβ subunit gene in FSHβKO mice. However, there was a significant increase in expression of the FSHβ and LHβ subunit genes in FSHRKO female mice. The morphology of FSHβKO and FSHRKO gonadotrophs was not significantly different from the control, except that secretory granules in FSHRKO gonadotrophs were larger in diameter. In LuRKO and ovariectomised mice, stimulation of LHβ and FSHβ mRNA, as well as serum protein concentrations, were reflected in subcellular changes in gonadotroph morphology, including more dilated rough endoplasmic reticula and fewer, larger secretory granules. In the gonadotophin-releasing hormone deficient hpg mouse, gonadotrophin mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower than in control mice and gonadotrophs were correspondingly smaller with less abundant endoplasmic reticula and reduced numbers of secretory granules. In summary, major differences in pituitary content and serum concentrations of the gonadotrophins LH and FSH were found between control and mutant female mice. These changes were associated with changes in expression of the gonadotrophin subunit genes and were reflected in the cellular structure and secretory granule appearance within the gonadotroph cells.

The BAR domain protein PICK1 controls vesicle number and size in adrenal chromaffin cells

Protein Interacting with C Kinase 1 (PICK1) is a Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain protein involved in AMPA receptor trafficking. Here, we identify a selective role for PICK1 in the biogenesis of large, dense core vesicles (LDCVs) in mouse chromaffin cells. PICK1 colocalized with syntaxin-6, a marker for immature granules. In chromaffin cells isolated from a PICK1 knockout (KO) mouse the amount of exocytosis was reduced, while release kinetics and Ca(2+) sensitivity were unaffected. Vesicle-fusion events had a reduced frequency and released lower amounts of transmitter per vesicle (i.e., reduced quantal size). This was paralleled by a reduction in the mean single-vesicle capacitance, estimated by averaging time-locked capacitance traces. EM confirmed that LDCVs were fewer and of markedly reduced size in the PICK1 KO, demonstrating that all phenotypes can be explained by reductions in vesicle number and size, whereas the fusion competence of generated vesicles was unaffected by the absence of PICK1. Viral rescue experiments demonstrated that long-term re-expression of PICK1 is necessary to restore normal vesicular content and secretion, while short-term overexpression is ineffective, consistent with an upstream role for PICK1. Disrupting lipid binding of the BAR domain (2K-E mutation) or of the PDZ domain (CC-GG mutation) was sufficient to reproduce the secretion phenotype of the null mutant. The same mutations are known to eliminate PICK1 function in receptor trafficking, indicating that the multiple functions of PICK1 involve a conserved mechanism. Summarized, our findings demonstrate that PICK1 functions in vesicle biogenesis and is necessary to maintain normal vesicle numbers and size.

Detection of insulin granule exocytosis by an electrophysiology method with high temporal resolution reveals enlarged insulin granule pool in BIG3-knockout mice

We recently identified BIG3 as a negative regulator of insulin granule biogenesis and reported increased insulin secretion in BIG3-knockout (BKO) mice. To pinpoint the site of action for BIG3, we investigated whether BIG3 regulates quantal insulin granule exocytosis. We established an assay to detect insulin granule exocytosis by recording ATP-elicited currents at high temporal resolution by patch clamp. Similarly to insulin, ATP release was increased in BKO β-cells. Although the frequency of insulin granule exocytosis was increased in BKO β-cells, quantal size or release kinetics remained unchanged. Electron microscopy studies showed that the number of insulin granules was increased by >60% in BKO β-cells. However, the number of morphologically docked granules was unaltered. The number of insulin granules having significant distances away from plasma membrane was greatly increased in BKO β-cells. Thus, BIG3 negatively regulates insulin granule exocytosis by restricting insulin granule biogenesis without the release kinetics of individual granules at the final exocytotic steps being affected. Depletion of BIG3 leads to an enlarged releasable pool of insulin granules, which accounts for increased release frequency and consequently increased insulin secretion.

SORCS1 is necessary for normal insulin secretory granule biogenesis in metabolically stressed β cells

We previously positionally cloned Sorcs1 as a diabetes quantitative trait locus. Sorcs1 belongs to the Vacuolar protein sorting-10 (Vps10) gene family. In yeast, Vps10 transports enzymes from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the vacuole. Whole-body Sorcs1 KO mice, when made obese with the leptin(ob) mutation (ob/ob), developed diabetes. β Cells from these mice had a severe deficiency of secretory granules (SGs) and insulin. Interestingly, a single secretagogue challenge failed to consistently elicit an insulin secretory dysfunction. However, multiple challenges of the Sorcs1 KO ob/ob islets consistently revealed an insulin secretion defect. The luminal domain of SORCS1 (Lum-Sorcs1), when expressed in a β cell line, acted as a dominant-negative, leading to SG and insulin deficiency. Using syncollin-dsRed5TIMER adenovirus, we found that the loss of Sorcs1 function greatly impairs the rapid replenishment of SGs following secretagogue challenge. Chronic exposure of islets from lean Sorcs1 KO mice to high glucose and palmitate depleted insulin content and evoked an insulin secretion defect. Thus, in metabolically stressed mice, Sorcs1 is important for SG replenishment, and under chronic challenge by insulin secretagogues, loss of Sorcs1 leads to diabetes. Overexpression of full-length SORCS1 led to a 2-fold increase in SG content, suggesting that SORCS1 is sufficient to promote SG biogenesis.

Here come the newcomer granules, better late than never

Exocytosis in pancreatic β-cells employs Munc18/soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes that mediate the priming and docking onto the plasma membrane (PM) of insulin granules, called predocked granules, that sit on the PM until Ca(2+) influx evokes fusion. This accounts for most of the initial peak secretory response. However, the subsequent sustained phase of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion arises from newcomer granules that have a minimal residence time at the PM before fusion. In this Opinion I discuss recent work that has begun to decipher the components of the exocytotic machinery of newcomer granules, including a Munc18/SNARE complex that is different from that mediating the fusion of predocked granules and which can potentially rescue defective insulin secretion in diabetes. These insights are applicable to other neuroendocrine cells that exhibit sustained secretion.

The SNARE protein vti1a functions in dense-core vesicle biogenesis

The SNARE protein vti1a is proposed to drive fusion of intracellular organelles, but recent data also implicated vti1a in exocytosis. Here we show that vti1a is absent from mature secretory vesicles in adrenal chromaffin cells, but localizes to a compartment near the trans-Golgi network, partially overlapping with syntaxin-6. Exocytosis is impaired in vti1a null cells, partly due to fewer Ca(2+)-channels at the plasma membrane, partly due to fewer vesicles of reduced size and synaptobrevin-2 content. In contrast, release kinetics and Ca(2+)-sensitivity remain unchanged, indicating that the final fusion reaction leading to transmitter release is unperturbed. Additional deletion of the closest related SNARE, vti1b, does not exacerbate the vti1a phenotype, and vti1b null cells show no secretion defects, indicating that vti1b does not participate in exocytosis. Long-term re-expression of vti1a (days) was necessary for restoration of secretory capacity, whereas strong short-term expression (hours) was ineffective, consistent with vti1a involvement in an upstream step related to vesicle generation, rather than in fusion. We conclude that vti1a functions in vesicle generation and Ca(2+)-channel trafficking, but is dispensable for transmitter release.