Impact of Chromogranin A deficiency on catecholamine storage, catecholamine granule morphology and chromaffin cell energy metabolism in vivo.

Chromogranin A (CgA) is a prohormone and granulogenic factor in neuroendocrine tissues with a regulated secretory pathway. The impact of CgA depletion on secretory granule formation has been previously demonstrated in cell culture. However, studies linking the structural effects of CgA deficiency with secretory performance and cell metabolism in the adrenomedullary chromaffin cells in vivo have not previously been reported. Adrenomedullary content of the secreted adrenal catecholamines norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) was decreased 30-40 % in Chga-KO mice. Quantification of NE and EPI-storing dense core (DC) vesicles (DCV) revealed decreased DCV numbers in chromaffin cells in Chga-KO mice. For both cell types, the DCV diameter in Chga-KO mice was less (100-200 nm) than in WT mice (200-350 nm). The volume density of the vesicle and vesicle number was also lower in Chga-KO mice. Chga-KO mice showed an ~47 % increase in DCV/DC ratio, implying vesicle swelling due to increased osmotically active free catecholamines. Upon challenge with 2 U/kg insulin, there was a diminution in adrenomedullary EPI, no change in NE and a very large increase in the EPI and NE precursor dopamine (DA), consistent with increased catecholamine biosynthesis during prolonged secretion. We found dilated mitochondrial cristae, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, as well as increased synaptic mitochondria, synaptic vesicles and glycogen granules in Chga-KO mice compared to WT mice, suggesting that decreased granulogenesis and catecholamine storage in CgA-deficient mouse adrenal medulla is compensated by increased VMAT-dependent catecholamine update into storage vesicles, at the expense of enhanced energy expenditure by the chromaffin cell.

Pyroglutamate-amyloid-ß and glutaminyl cyclase are colocalized with amyloid-ß in secretory vesicles and undergo activity-dependent, regulated secretion.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: N-truncated pyroglutamate (pGlu)-amyloid-ß [Aß(3-40/42)] peptides are key components that promote Aß peptide accumulation, leading to neurodegeneration and memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. Because Aß deposition in the brain occurs in an activity-dependent manner, it is important to define the subcellular organelle for pGlu-Aß(3-40/42) production by glutaminyl cyclase (QC) and their colocalization with full-length Aß(1-40/42) peptides for activity-dependent, regulated secretion. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that pGlu-Aß and QC are colocalized with Aß in dense-core secretory vesicles (DCSV) for activity-dependent secretion with neurotransmitters. METHODS: Purified DCSV were assessed for pGlu-Aß(3-40/42), Aß(1-40/42), QC, and neurotransmitter secretion. Neuron-like chromaffin cells were analyzed for cosecretion of pGlu-Aß, QC, Aß, and neuropeptides. The cells were treated with a QC inhibitor, and pGlu-Aß production was measured. Human neuroblastoma cells were also examined for pGlu-Aß and QC secretion. RESULTS: Isolated DCSV contain pGlu-Aß(3-40/42), QC, and Aß(1-40/42) with neuropeptide and catecholamine neurotransmitters. Cellular pGlu-Aß and QC undergo activity-dependent cosecretion with Aß and enkephalin and galanin neurotransmitters. The QC inhibitor decreased the level of secreted pGlu-Aß. The human neuroblastoma cells displayed regulated secretion of pGlu-Aß that was colocalized with QC. CONCLUSIONS: pGlu-Aß and QC are present with Aß in DCSV and undergo activity-dependent, regulated cosecretion with neurotransmitters.

Proteomics of dense core secretory vesicles reveal distinct protein categories for secretion of neuroeffectors for cell-cell communication.

Regulated secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohumoral factors from dense core secretory vesicles provides essential neuroeffectors for cell-cell communication in the nervous and endocrine systems. This study provides comprehensive proteomic characterization of the categories of proteins in chromaffin dense core secretory vesicles that participate in cell-cell communication from the adrenal medulla. Proteomic studies were conducted by nano-HPLC Chip MS/MS tandem mass spectrometry. Results demonstrate that these secretory vesicles contain proteins of distinct functional categories consisting of neuropeptides and neurohumoral factors, protease systems, neurotransmitter enzymes and transporters, receptors, enzymes for biochemical processes, reduction/oxidation regulation, ATPases, protein folding, lipid biochemistry, signal transduction, exocytosis, calcium regulation, as well as structural and cell adhesion proteins. The secretory vesicle proteomic data identified 371 proteins in the soluble fraction and 384 membrane proteins, for a total of 686 distinct secretory vesicle proteins. Notably, these proteomic analyses illustrate the presence of several neurological disease-related proteins in these secretory vesicles, including huntingtin interacting protein, cystatin C, ataxin 7, and prion protein. Overall, these findings demonstrate that multiple protein categories participate in dense core secretory vesicles for production, storage, and secretion of bioactive neuroeffectors for cell-cell communication in health and disease.

Ultrastructural organization of bovine chromaffin cell cortex-analysis by cryofixation and morphometry of aspects pertinent to exocytosis.

We have analyzed ultrathin sections from isolated bovine chromaffin cells grown on plastic support, after fast freezing, by quantitative electron microscopy. We determined the size and intracellular distribution of dense core vesicles (DVs or chromaffin granules) and of clear vesicles (CVs). The average diameter of DVs is 356 nm, and that of CVs varies between 35-195 nm (average 90 nm). DVs appear randomly packed inside cells. When the distance of the center of DVs to the cell membrane (CM) is analyzed, DV density is found to decrease as the CM is approached. According to Monte Carlo simulations performed on the basis of the measured size distribution of DVs, this decay can be assigned to a "wall effect." Any cortical barrier, regardless of its function, seems to not impose a restriction to a random cortical DV packing pattern. The number of DVs closely approaching the CM (docked DVs) is estimated to be between 364 and 629 (average 496), i.e., 0.45 to 0.78 DVs/micron2 CM. Deprivation of Ca2+, priming by increasing [Ca2+]i, or depolarization by high [K+]e for 10 s (the effect of which was controlled electrophysiologically and predicted to change the number of readily releasable granules [RRGs]) does not significantly change the number of peripheral DVs. The reason may be that (a) structural docking implies only in part functional docking (capability of immediate release), and (b) exocytosis is rapidly followed by endocytosis and replenishment of the pool of docked DVs. Whereas the potential contribution of DVs to CM area increase by immediate release can be estimated at 19-33%, that of CVs is expected to be in the range of 5.6-8.0%.

Comparison of the protein content of three different bovine secretory granule membrane types: a search for exocytosis-specific shared proteins.

A two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel analysis of three types of bovine exocytotic granule membranes has been undertaken. Great care was taken to purify the membranes of biochemical homogeneity with minimal contamination from other membrane sources. The goal was to identify proteins that were present in all three membrane types. Although a number of minor components were observed that co-migrated for two membrane types, no proteins were detected that were present in all three granule membranes. We therefore conclude that such exocytosis-specific proteins do not exist or that they represent less than 0.1% of the total membrane protein present in a given isolated membrane preparation.

Human neuroblastoma cells acquire regulated secretory properties and different sensitivity to Ca2+ and alpha-latrotoxin after exposure to differentiating agents.

IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cells are unable to release [3H]dopamine in response to secretagogues. However, they express a normal complement of membrane receptors and ion channels which are efficiently coupled to second messenger production. In the present study we took advantage of the ability of this cell line to differentiate in vitro in the presence of either dibutyrryl-cAMP or 5-bromodeoxyuridine, to analyze any developmentally regulated changes in its secretory properties. Uptake, storage, and release of [3H]dopamine were studied biochemically and by autoradiography. The calcium ionophore ionomycin, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and the presynaptic acting neurotoxin alpha-latrotoxin were used in both control and differentiated cells as secretagogue agents. The presence of secretory organelles was investigated by electron microscopy; the expression of secretory organelle markers, such as chromogranin/secretogranin proteins (secretory proteins) and synaptophysin (membrane protein), was detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. The results obtained indicate that IMR-32 cells acquire regulated secretory properties after in vitro drug-induced differentiation: (a) they assemble "de novo" secretory organelles, as revealed by electron microscopy and detection of secretory organelle markers, and (b) they are able to store [3H]dopamine and to release the neurotransmitter in response to secretagogue stimuli. Furthermore, secretagogue sensitivity was found to be different, depending on the differentiating agent. In fact, dibutyrryl-cAMP treated cells release [3H]dopamine in response to alpha-latrotoxin, but not in response to ionomycin, whereas 5-bromodeoxyuridine treated cells release the neurotransmitter in response to both secretagogues. All together these results suggest that IMR-32 cells represent an adequate model for studying the development of the secretory apparatus in cultured human neurons.

Metabolic stability and antigenic modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.

Bovine adrenal chromaffin cells have nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) that are activated by the splanchnic nerve, resulting in release of catecholamines from the cells. Examination of the AChRs can provide information about the regulation and turnover of synaptic components on neurons and endocrine cells. Previous studies have shown that mAb 35 recognizes the AChR on the cells. Here we show that mAb 35 can remove AChRs from the surface of the cells by antigenic modulation, and that the modulation can be used together with other methods to examine the stability and turnover of the receptors in the plasma membrane. Unexpectedly, the results indicate a disparity between the rate at which AChRs reappear on the cells and the rate at which the ACh response recovers after preexisting AChRs have been removed. Exposure of bovine adrenal chromaffin cultures to mAb 35 results in a parallel decrease in the magnitude of the nicotinic response and the number of AChRs on the cells. The decrease depends on the concentration and divalence of mAb 35, and on the time and temperature of the incubation. The antibody induces receptor aggregation in the plasma membrane under conditions where receptor loss subsequently occurs. After binding to receptor, mAb 35 appears to be internalized, degraded, and released from the cells through a temperature sensitive pathway that requires lysosomal function. These features are characteristic of antigenic modulation. Appearance of new AChRs on the cells either after antigenic modulation or after blockade of existing AChRs with monovalent antibody fragments occurs at a rate equivalent to 3% of the receptors present on control cells per hour. The rate of receptor loss from the cells was measured in the presence of either tunicamycin or puromycin to block appearance of new receptors. Both conditions indicated a receptor half-life of approximately 24 h and a rate of loss of approximately 3%/h. The finding that the rate of receptor loss equaled the rate of receptor appearance was consistent with the observation that the total number of AChRs on untreated cells did not increase with time. In the presence of tunicamycin, loss of receptor-mediated response to nicotine also occurred with a half-time of 24 h. Paradoxically, the rate of recovery of the nicotinic response, determined using two procedures, was more than twice as great as the rate at which new AChRs appeared on the cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Simultaneous measurements of cytosolic calcium and secretion in single bovine adrenal chromaffin cells by fluorescent imaging of fura-2 in cocultured cells.

The cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and exocytosis of chromaffin granules were measured simultaneously from single, intact bovine adrenal chromaffin cells using a novel technique involving fluorescent imaging of cocultured cells. Chromaffin cell [Ca2+]i was monitored with fura-2. To simultaneously follow catecholamine secretion, the cells were cocultured with fura-2-loaded NIH-3T3t cells, a cell line chosen because of their irresponsiveness to chromaffin cell secretagogues but their large Ca2+ response to ATP, which is coreleased with catecholamine from the chromaffin cells. In response to the depolarizing stimulus nicotine (a potent secretagogue), chromaffin cell [Ca2+]i increased rapidly. At the peak of the response, [Ca2+]i was evenly distributed throughout the cell. This elevation in [Ca2+]i was followed by a secretory response which originated from the entire surface of the cell. In response to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)-mobilizing agonist angiotensin II (a weak secretagogue), three different responses were observed. Approximately 30% of chromaffin cells showed no rise in [Ca2+]i and did not secrete. About 45% of the cells responded with a large (greater than 200 nM), transient elevation in [Ca2+]i and no detectable secretory response. The rise in [Ca2+]i was nonuniform, such that peak [Ca2+]i was often recorded only in one pole of the cell. And finally, approximately 25% of cells responded with a similar Ca2+-transient to that described above, but also gave a secretory response. In these cases secretion was polarized, being confined to the pole of the cell in which the rise in [Ca2+]i was greatest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chromaffin cell cortical actin network dynamics control the size of the release-ready vesicle pool and the initial rate of exocytosis.

Morphological, biochemical, and membrane capacitance measurements were used to study the role of cortical filamentous actin (F-actin) in exocytosis. Fluorescence and electron microscopy of resting chromaffin cells revealed a cortical actin network that excluded secretory vesicles from the subplasmalemmal area. Phorbol ester (PMA) treatment disrupted cortical F-actin and increased both the number of vesicles within the 0-50 nm subplasmalemmal zone and the initial rate of stimulated catecholamine release. In PMA-pretreated cells, membrane capacitance studies showed an increased number of vesicles fusing with the plasmalemma during the first two depolarizations of a train. PMA did not affect voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx. The total number of vesicles fused with the plasma membrane correlated well with the number of vesicles occupying the 0-50 nm cortical zone. Therefore, cortical F-actin disassembly allows translocation of vesicles to the plasmalemma in preparation for exocytosis.

Vesicle movements are governed by the size and dynamics of F-actin cytoskeletal structures in bovine chromaffin cells.

Dense vesicles can be observed in live bovine chromaffin cells using fluorescent reflection confocal microscopy. These vesicles display a similar distribution, cytoplasmic density and average size as the chromaffin granules visualized by electron microscopy. In addition, the acidic vesicles labeled with Lysotracker Red comprised a subpopulation of the vesicles that are visualized by reflection fluorescence. A combination of fluorescence reflection and transmitted light images permitted the movements of vesicles in relation to the cortical cytoskeleton to be studied. The movement of vesicles located on the outside of this structure was restricted, with an apparent diffusion coefficient of 1.0+/-0.4 x 10(-4) microm(2)/s. In contrast, vesicles located in the interior moved much more freely and escaped from the visual confocal plane. Lysotracker labeling was more appropriate to study the movement of the faster moving vesicles, whose diffusion coefficient was five times higher. Using this type of labeling we confirmed the restriction on cortical movement and showed a clear relationship between vesicle mobility and the kinetics of cytoskeletal movement on both sides of the cortical cytoskeleton. This relationship was further emphasized by studying cytoskeletal organization and kinetics. Indeed, an estimate of the size of the cytoskeletal polygonal cages present in the cortical region and in the cell interior agreed well with the calculation of the theoretical radius of the cages imprisoning vesicle movement. Therefore, these data suggest that the structure and kinetics of the cytoskeleton governs vesicle movements in different regions of chromaffin cells.

Fine ultrastructure of chromaffin granules in rat adrenal medulla indicative of a vesicle-mediated secretory process.

Observation by transmission electron microscopy, coupled with morphometric analysis and estimation procedure, revealed unique ultrastructural features in 25.94% of noradrenaline (NA)-containing granules and 16.85% of adrenaline (A)-containing granules in the rat adrenal medulla. These consisted of evaginations of the granule limiting membrane to form budding structures having different morphology and extension. In 14.8% of NA granules and 12.0% of A granules, outpouches were relatively short, looked like small blebs emerging from the granule surface and generally contained electron-dense material. A proportion of 11.2% of NA granules and 4.9% of A granules revealed the most striking ultrastructural features. These secretory organelles presented thin, elongated, tail-like or stem-like appendages, which were variably filled by chromaffin substance and terminated with spherical expansions of different electron density. A cohort of vesicles of variable size (30-150 nm in diameter) and content was found either close to them or in the intergranular cytosol. Examination of adrenal medullary cells fixed by zinc iodide-osmium tetroxide (ZIO) revealed fine electron dense precipitates in chromaffin granules, budding structures as well as cytoplasmic vesicles. These data indicate that a common constituent is revealed by the ZIO histochemical reaction in chromaffin cells. As catecholic compounds are the main tissue targets of ZIO complexes, catecholamines are good candidates to be responsible for the observed ZIO reactivity. This study adds further to the hypothesis that release of secretory material from chromaffin granules may be accomplished by a vesiclular transport mechanism typical of piecemeal degranulation.

Secretory vesicles membrane area is regulated in tandem with quantal size in chromaffin cells.

The number of transmitter molecules released in a quantal event can be regulated, and recent studies suggest that the modulation of quantal size is associated with corresponding changes in vesicle volume (Colliver et al., 2000; Pothos et al., 2002). If so, this could occur either by distension of the vesicle membrane or by incorporation and removal of vesicle membrane. We performed simultaneous measurements of vesicle membrane area and catecholamine release in individual quantal events from chromaffin cells using cell-attached patch amperometry. Cells were treated with reserpine, a vesicular monoamine transport blocker that decreases quantal size, or l-dopa, a catecholamine precursor that increases quantal size. We show that decrease and increase in quantal size are associated with a respective decrease and increase in vesicle membrane area. These results point to a novel mechanism of vesicle membrane dynamics by which vesicles physically change their membrane area in response to changes in transmitter content such that the intravesicular concentration of transmitter is maintained.

Two different types of lysis of chromaffin granules characterised by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy.

When bovine chromaffin granules are incubated in hyperosmolar sucrose solutions and subsequently transferred back towards isoosmolarity they undergo lysis ('hyperosmotic relaxation lysis'). This type of lysis was compared with the common effect of hypotonic lysis by means of photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Both methods revealed differences regarding mean sizes and size distributions of granules lysing under either hypotonic or hypertonic conditions. However, the results obtained by these two methods were not consistent. In the case of hypotonic lysis, a nonmonotonic behaviour of the mean diameter as a function of the sucrose concentration was observed by PCS, but not in the micrographs. From EM size determinations we obtained a decrease in the mean diameter and an increase of the width of the distribution due to the appearance of small (50-200 nm) vesicles. Probably these vesicles are intragranular vesicles released during lysis. The maximum in photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) diameter being 140% of the isotonic diameter is shown to be caused by the changing size distribution and geometry of the lysing granules. In the case of hyperosmotic relaxation, micrographs revealed that originally shrunken, nonspherical granules regained their spherical shape and formed small (60 nm) vesicles upon lysis. In contrast, no difference was observed between the sizes of granules prior to and after hyperosmotic relaxation by means of PCS. The paper discusses the validity of intensity-weighted light scattering data of polydisperse particle suspensions with changing size distributions. The mechanism of hyperosmotic relaxation lysis is considered.

Ultrastructural and cytochemical characterization of adrenal medullary plasma membrane vesicles and their interaction with chromaffin granules.

Plasma membrane vesicles obtained by density gradient centrifugation of bovine adrenal medullary homogenates were analyzed by electron microscopic methods, including negative staining, ultrathin sections and freeze-fracture replicas. Rapid freezing showed the intramembrane structure of plasma membrane vesicles to be distinct from that of other organelle membranes, such as chromaffin granules. Cytochemical demonstration of acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) activity on most membrane profiles confirmed that plasma membrane vesicles are derived predominantly from plasma membranes. About half of the plasma membrane vesicles were smaller than 0.15 micron and almost none larger than 0.55 micron. Practically all were composed of single shells. Most vesicles were impermeable to cytochemical markers of the size of Ruthenium red (Mr 800) and none were permeable to markers larger than 40 kDa. Surface charge probes, concanavalin A binding and endogenous actin decoration with heavy meromyosin indicated that the major fraction of plasma membrane vesicles is oriented right-side-out. A minor population with opposite orientation could also be detected. Isotonic ionic media caused vesicle aggregation in suspensions of plasma membrane vesicles and chromaffin granules. Freeze-fracturing always revealed clusters of membrane-intercalated particles at the sites of contact between aggregated membranes.

Characteristics and determinants of osmotic lysis in chromaffin granules.

(1) Using isolated bovine chromaffin granules, we demonstrate that osmotic lysis is not a random process and establish the osmotic pressure dependence of osmotic lysis in chromaffin granules, the so-called osmotic fragility curve. (2) We show by measuring the release of constituents of the granule core and correlating these with changes in spectroscopic parameters (turbidity and endogenous catecholamine fluorescence), that the latter can be safely used to measure lysis. (3) Within a particular granule population, noradrenaline granules lyse at higher osmolarities than adrenaline granules, suggesting a higher core osmolarity of the noradrenaline granules. (4) The size distribution of chromaffin granules as a function of lysis was determined by the use of whole mount electron microscopy. It is shown that the mean size of chromaffin granules decreases as a function of lysis. (5) On the basis of theoretical considerations three alternative models of the sequence of osmotic lysis in chromaffin granules are proposed. The experimental results best support a model which postulates that during partial osmotic lysis, granule membranes reseal into smaller vesicles after graded release of contents. The osmotic fragility would represent several cycles of lysis and resealing and would not be a reflection of the distribution of osmotic pressures in the granule population.

Particle segregation in chromaffin granule membranes by forced physical contact.

Bovine chromaffin granules were exposed to different isotonic non-ionic and ionic solutions (sucrose; Ca2+- and Mg2+-free phosphate-buffered saline; Tris-HCl + NaCl; Ca2+- and Mg2+-free phosphate-buffered saline + sucrose; Tris-HCl + sucrose) at pH 7 and then frozen either in suspension or as firm pellets. Freezing was performed without prefixation or antifreeze treatments either by 'standard' techniques (approx. 1 mm3 suspended or pelleted material on gold specimen supports dipped into liquid Freon) or with increased cooling rates by spraying suspensions into liquid propane ('spray-freezing'). Regardless of the freezing method, membrane-intercalated particles were always randomly distributed when chromaffin granules were frozen in suspension. In contrast, forced physical contact between granules produced by centrifugation (12000 X g, 25 min) provoked dispersal of membrane-intercalated particles, but only in the presence of ions. Sucrose or EDTA in an ionic environment had no inhibitory effect. The following conclusions are derived: (1) Even below the reported phase transition region particle clustering is possible. (2) Chromaffin granule membranes are not liable to thermotropic segregation of membrane-intercalated particles. (3) Although the low freezing rates of 'standard' freezing techniques produce large-scale segregation artefacts (by which suspended chromaffin granules are pushed together within the segregated solute) this does not result in intramembraneous particle segregation. (4) Forced physical contact produces a Ca2+-independent particle segregation, but only when repulsive electrostatic forces of membrane components are partially screened in an ionic environment. (5) This does not invalidate results obtained by others, showing Ca2+-mediated chromaffin granules agglomeration and segregation of membrane-intercalated particles, but it might indicate the occurrence of another, not directly Ca2+-dependent particle segregation mechanism in a prefusional stage of close membrane-to-membrane contact during exocytosis.

Core structure, internal osmotic pressure and irreversible structural changes of chromaffin granules during osmometer behaviour.

In the adrenal medullary cells, catecholamines are stored in and secreted from specialized secretory vesicles, the chromaffin granules. In order to gain some understanding of both functions of chromaffin granules, it is important to characterize their biophysical organization. Using isolated bovine chromaffin granules we have investigated the osmometer behaviour of chromaffin granules by 31P-NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy, by turbidity measurements and by electron-microscopic determination of chromaffin granule size distributions. On the basis of the osmometer model we have formulated equations predicting the behaviour of the native catecholamine fluorescence quenching and of the size of chromaffin granules a a function of osmolarity and have shown experimentally that the granules' behaviour conforms to these. It was possible to estimate the osmotic activity of the chromaffin granule core solution and the mean absolute water space in chromaffin granules from the determination of the size distributions as a function of osmotic pressure. With NMR spectroscopy a selective line-broadening of the alpha-resonances was observed with increasing osmolarities, while the gamma-phosphorus resonances remained virtually unchanged. Possibly there is an increase in core viscosity with osmolarity which affects only the alpha- and beta-phosphorus groups. While suspending chromaffin granules from lower to higher osmolarities causes no lysis, moving them back to their original osmolarity at which they were previously stable lyses them, thereby releasing a maximum of 70% of their releasable protein. This 'hyperosmolar' lysis is independent of preincubation times in the higher osmolarities and of the absolute dilution applied but depends on dilution beyond the 405 to 322 mosM sucrose range. Under the experiment conditions no uptake of sucrose from the medium into the granules could be measured, thereby suggesting that hyperosmolar lysis is a phenomenon not due to solute penetration. Since with NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy no chemical changes in the core composition can be observed, we conclude that hyperosmolar lysis may be caused by irreversible membrane relaxation upon osmotic shrinking.

Effect of synexin on aggregation and fusion of chromaffin granule ghosts at pH 6.

Fusion of chromaffin granule ghosts was induced by synexin at pH 6, 37 degrees C, in the presence of 10(-7) M Ca2+. To study the kinetics and extent of this fusion process we employed two assays that monitored continuously mixing of aqueous contents or membrane mixing by fluorescence intensity increases. In both assays chromaffin granule ghosts were either labeled on the membrane or in the included aqueous phase. The ratios of blank to labeled chromaffin granule ghosts were varied from 1 to 10. The results were analyzed in terms of a mass action kinetic model, which views the overall fusion reaction as a sequence of a second-order process of aggregation followed by a first-order fusion reaction. The model calculations gave fare simulations and predictions of the experimental results. The rate constants describing membrane mixing are more than 2-fold larger than those for volume mixing. The analysis also indicated that the initial aggregation and fusion processes, up to dimer formation, were extremely fast. The rate constant of aggregation was close to the limit in diffusion-controlled processes, whereas the fusion rate constant was about the same as found in fastest virus-liposome fusion events at pH 5. A small increase in volume was found to accompany the fusion between chromaffin granule ghosts. Using ratios of synexin to chromaffin granule ghost protein of 0.13, 0.41 and 1.15 indicated that the overall fusion rate was larger for the intermediate (0.41) case. The analysis showed that the main activity of synexin was an enhancement of the rate of aggregation. At intermediate or excessive synexin concentrations it, respectively, promoted moderately, or inhibited the actual fusion step.

Synexin-mediated fusion of bovine chromaffin granule ghosts. Effect of pH.

Synexin induces chromaffin granule ghosts to fuse one to another, a process which is followed continuously and quantitatively by monitoring the mixing of the intragranular aqueous compartments. A freeze-thaw technique was used for preparing chromaffin granule ghosts loaded with a self-quenching concentration of the fluorescent, high molecular weight probe FITC-Dextran. When the loaded ghosts were mixed with empty ghosts in the presence of synexin, the two compartments fused, resulting in the dilution of the probe with the concomitant increase in fluorescence. So as to suppress possible leakage signals, anti-fluorescein antibodies which quench probe fluorescence were present in the reaction media. Synexin-mediated fusion of freeze-thaw (F/Th) ghosts and binding of 125I-synexin to these membranes were found to be dependent on Ca2+ concentration, but only in a partial manner. However, these two synexin-mediated properties were demonstrably sensitive to [H+] in the medium. A detailed pH profile of fusion revealed an apparent midpoint of activation at approx. pH 5.2, with asymptotic values at pH 4 (maximum) and pH 7.2 (minimum). In our attempt to determine whether the pH effect was on the synexin or on the membranes, we found that fusion was blocked only by treatment of the membranes with the membrane-impermeant carboxyl group modifier 1-ethyl-3-(4-azonia-4,4-dimethylpentyl)carbodiimide. These data suggest that membrane fusion evoked by synexin seems to be promoted by rendering the F/Th membranes relatively less negatively charged while the synexin becomes more positively charged. The fusion process was entirely dependent upon synexin concentration; the k1/2 under optimal conditions of pCa and pH was 85 nM. Similar to what has been previously found with intact granules, an anti-synexin polyclonal antibody partially (48%) blocked fusion, as did pretreatment of the chromaffin granules ghosts with trypsin (30%). We conclude that the coincident pCa and pH sensitivity of synexin-mediated binding to chromaffin granule membranes and their subsequent fusion might be associated with physiological changes in the concentration of both cations in the cytoplasm of secreting chromaffin cells.

Isolation and characterization of noradrenalin storage granules of bovine adrenal medulla.

A method is described for the preparation of (1) the heavy population of bovine adrenal chromaffin granules (SH (average sedimentation coefficient) = 12 400 S in 0.25 M sucrose) essentially free from contamination with mitochondria and other organelles, and (2) a subpopulation of this heavy population which is highly enriched in noradrenalin (greater than or approximately 95% of the total catecholamine is noradrenalin). The method is based on isopycnic gradient centrifugation using a self-generating gradient of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated colloidal silica particles (Percoll) in 0.5 M sucrose medium. The isolated population of noradrenalin granules appeared highly electron dense in transmission electron microscopy and revealed a rather narrow size distribution. The specific content of amine and adenine nucleotides (with reference to total granule protein) was markedly higher than for the total population of heavy chromaffin granules. The molar ratio of amines to adenine nucleotides was, however, lower in the noradrenalin granules, i.e. 4.8 vs. 11.9.