Mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B Are Variably Packaged in the Same and in Separate Secretory Granules.

Rationale: MUC5AC (mucin 5AC, oligomeric gel-forming) and MUC5B (mucin 5B, oligomeric gel-forming) are the predominant secreted polymeric mucins in mammalian airways. They contribute differently to the pathogenesis of various muco-obstructive and interstitial lung diseases, and their genes are separately regulated, but whether they are packaged together or in separate secretory granules is not known. Objectives: To determine the packaging of MUC5AC and MUC5B within individual secretory granules in mouse and human airways under varying conditions of inflammation and along the proximal-distal axis. Methods: Lung tissue was obtained from mice stimulated to upregulate mucin production by the cytokines IL-1ß and IL-13 or by porcine pancreatic elastase. Human lung tissue was obtained from donated normal lungs, biopsy samples of transplanted lungs, and explanted lungs from subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. MUC5AC and MUC5B were labeled with antibodies from different animal species or, in mice only, by transgenic chimeric mucin-fluorescent proteins and imaged using widefield deconvolution or Airyscan fluorescence microscopy. Measurements and Main Results: In both mouse and human airways, most secretory granules contained both mucins interdigitating within the granules. Smaller numbers of granules contained MUC5B alone, and even fewer contained MUC5AC alone. Conclusions: MUC5AC and MUC5B are variably stored both in the same and in separate secretory granules of both mice and humans. The high fraction of granules containing both mucins under a variety of conditions makes it unlikely that their secretion can be differentially controlled as a therapeutic strategy. This work also advances knowledge of the packaging of mucins within secretory granules to understand mechanisms of epithelial stress in the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases.

SNAP23 is essential for platelet and mast cell development and required in connective tissue mast cells for anaphylaxis.

Degranulation, a fundamental effector response from mast cells (MCs) and platelets, is an example of regulated exocytosis. This process is mediated by SNARE proteins and their regulators. We have previously shown that several of these proteins are essential for exocytosis in MCs and platelets. Here, we assessed the role of the SNARE protein SNAP23 using conditional knockout mice, in which SNAP23 was selectively deleted from either the megakaryocyte/platelet or connective tissue MC lineages. We found that removal of SNAP23 in platelets results in severe defects in degranulation of all three platelet secretory granule types, i.e., alpha, dense, and lysosomal granules. The mutation also induces thrombocytopenia, abnormal platelet morphology and activation, and reduction in the number of alpha granules. Therefore, the degranulation defect might not be secondary to an intrinsic failure of the machinery mediating regulated exocytosis in platelets. When we removed SNAP23 expression in MCs, there was a complete developmental failure in vitro and in vivo. The developmental defects in platelets and MCs and the abnormal translocation of membrane proteins to the surface of platelets indicate that SNAP23 is also involved in constitutive exocytosis in these cells. The MC conditional deletant animals lacked connective tissue MCs, but their mucosal MCs were normal and expanded in response to an antigenic stimulus. We used this mouse to show that connective tissue MCs are required and mucosal MCs are not sufficient for an anaphylactic response.

Pathogenic STX3 variants affecting the retinal and intestinal transcripts cause an early-onset severe retinal dystrophy in microvillus inclusion disease subjects.

Biallelic STX3 variants were previously reported in five individuals with the severe congenital enteropathy, microvillus inclusion disease (MVID). Here, we provide a significant extension of the phenotypic spectrum caused by STX3 variants. We report ten individuals of diverse geographic origin with biallelic STX3 loss-of-function variants, identified through exome sequencing, single-nucleotide polymorphism array-based homozygosity mapping, and international collaboration. The evaluated individuals all presented with MVID. Eight individuals also displayed early-onset severe retinal dystrophy, i.e., syndromic-intestinal and retinal-disease. These individuals harbored STX3 variants that affected both the retinal and intestinal STX3 transcripts, whereas STX3 variants affected only the intestinal transcript in individuals with solitary MVID. That STX3 is essential for retinal photoreceptor survival was confirmed by the creation of a rod photoreceptor-specific STX3 knockout mouse model which revealed a time-dependent reduction in the number of rod photoreceptors, thinning of the outer nuclear layer, and the eventual loss of both rod and cone photoreceptors. Together, our results provide a link between STX3 loss-of-function variants and a human retinal dystrophy. Depending on the genomic site of a human loss-of-function STX3 variant, it can cause MVID, the novel intestinal-retinal syndrome reported here or, hypothetically, an isolated retinal dystrophy.

Munc18-2, but not Munc18-1 or Munc18-3, regulates platelet exocytosis, hemostasis, and thrombosis.

Platelet degranulation, a form of regulated exocytosis, is crucial for hemostasis and thrombosis. Exocytosis in platelets is mediated by SNARE proteins, and in most mammalian cells this process is controlled by Munc18 (mammalian homolog of Caenorhabditis elegans uncoordinated gene 18) proteins. Platelets express all Munc18 paralogs (Munc18-1, -2, and -3), but their roles in platelet secretion and function have not been fully characterized. Using Munc18-1, -2, and -3 conditional knockout mice, here we deleted expression of these proteins in platelets and assessed granule exocytosis. We measured products secreted by each type of platelet granule and analyzed EM platelet profiles by design-based stereology. We observed that the removal of Munc18-2 ablates the release of alpha, dense, and lysosomal granules from platelets, but we found no exocytic role for Munc18-1 or -3 in platelets. In vitro, Munc18-2-deficient platelets exhibited defective aggregation at low doses of collagen and impaired thrombus formation under shear stress. In vivo, megakaryocyte-specific Munc18-2 conditional knockout mice had a severe hemostatic defect and prolonged arterial and venous bleeding times. They were also protected against arterial thrombosis in a chemically induced model of arterial injury. Taken together, our results indicate that Munc18-2, but not Munc18-1 or Munc18-3, is essential for regulated exocytosis in platelets and platelet participation in thrombosis and hemostasis.

Syntaxin 3, but not syntaxin 4, is required for mast cell-regulated exocytosis, where it plays a primary role mediating compound exocytosis.

Mast cells (MCs) participate in allergy, inflammation, and defense against pathogens. They release multiple immune mediators via exocytosis, a process that requires SNARE proteins, including syntaxins (Stxs). The identity of the Stxs involved in MC exocytosis remains controversial. Here, we studied the roles of Stx3 and -4 in fully developed MCs from conditional knockout mice by electrophysiology and EM, and found that Stx3, and not Stx4, is crucial for MC exocytosis. The main defect seen in Stx3-deficient MCs was their inability to engage multigranular compound exocytosis, while leaving most single-vesicle fusion events intact. We used this defect to show that this form of exocytosis is not only required to accelerate MC degranulation but also essential to achieve full degranulation. The exocytic defect was severe but not absolute, indicating that an Stx other than Stx3 and -4 is also required for exocytosis in MCs. The removal of Stx3 affected only regulated exocytosis, leaving other MC effector responses intact, including the secretion of cytokines via constitutive exocytosis. Our in vivo model of passive systemic anaphylaxis showed that the residual exocytic function of Stx3-deficient MCs was sufficient to drive a full anaphylactic response in mice.

Muc5b is required for airway defence.

Respiratory surfaces are exposed to billions of particulates and pathogens daily. A protective mucus barrier traps and eliminates them through mucociliary clearance (MCC). However, excessive mucus contributes to transient respiratory infections and to the pathogenesis of numerous respiratory diseases. MUC5AC and MUC5B are evolutionarily conserved genes that encode structurally related mucin glycoproteins, the principal macromolecules in airway mucus. Genetic variants are linked to diverse lung diseases, but specific roles for MUC5AC and MUC5B in MCC, and the lasting effects of their inhibition, are unknown. Here we show that mouse Muc5b (but not Muc5ac) is required for MCC, for controlling infections in the airways and middle ear, and for maintaining immune homeostasis in mouse lungs, whereas Muc5ac is dispensable. Muc5b deficiency caused materials to accumulate in upper and lower airways. This defect led to chronic infection by multiple bacterial species, including Staphylococcus aureus, and to inflammation that failed to resolve normally. Apoptotic macrophages accumulated, phagocytosis was impaired, and interleukin-23 (IL-23) production was reduced in Muc5b(-/-) mice. By contrast, in mice that transgenically overexpress Muc5b, macrophage functions improved. Existing dogma defines mucous phenotypes in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as driven by increased MUC5AC, with MUC5B levels either unaffected or increased in expectorated sputum. However, in many patients, MUC5B production at airway surfaces decreases by as much as 90%. By distinguishing a specific role for Muc5b in MCC, and by determining its impact on bacterial infections and inflammation in mice, our results provide a refined framework for designing targeted therapies to control mucin secretion and restore MCC.

Munc18-2, but not Munc18-1 or Munc18-3, controls compound and single-vesicle-regulated exocytosis in mast cells.

Mast cells (MCs) play pivotal roles in many inflammatory conditions including infections, anaphylaxis, and asthma. MCs store immunoregulatory compounds in their large cytoplasmic granules and, upon stimulation, secrete them via regulated exocytosis. Exocytosis in many cells requires the participation of Munc18 proteins (also known as syntaxin-binding proteins), and we found that mature MCs express all three mammalian isoforms: Munc18-1, -2, and -3. To study their functions in MC effector responses and test the role of MC degranulation in anaphylaxis, we used conditional knockout (cKO) mice in which each Munc18 protein was deleted exclusively in MCs. Using recordings of plasma membrane capacitance for high-resolution analysis of exocytosis in individual MCs, we observed an almost complete absence of exocytosis in Munc18-2-deficient MCs but intact exocytosis in MCs lacking Munc18-1 or Munc18-3. Stereological analysis of EM images of stimulated MCs revealed that the deletion of Munc18-2 also abolishes the homotypic membrane fusion required for compound exocytosis. We confirmed the severe defect in regulated exocytosis in the absence of Munc18-2 by measuring the secretion of mediators stored in MC granules. Munc18-2 cKO mice had normal morphology, development, and distribution of their MCs, indicating that Munc18-2 is not essential for the migration, retention, and maturation of MC-committed progenitors. Despite that, we found that Munc18-2 cKO mice were significantly protected from anaphylaxis. In conclusion, MC-regulated exocytosis is required for the anaphylactic response, and Munc18-2 is the sole Munc18 isoform that mediates membrane fusion during MC degranulation.

Munc13 proteins control regulated exocytosis in mast cells.

Mast cells (MCs) are involved in host defenses against pathogens and inflammation. Stimulated MCs release substances stored in their granules via regulated exocytosis. In other cell types, Munc13 (mammalian homolog of Caenorhabditis elegans uncoordinated gene 13) proteins play essential roles in regulated exocytosis. Here, we found that MCs express Munc13-2 and -4, and we studied their roles using global and conditional knock-out (KO) mice. In a model of systemic anaphylaxis, we found no difference between WT and Munc13-2 KO mice, but global and MC-specific Munc13-4 KO mice developed less hypothermia. This protection correlated with lower plasma histamine levels and with histological evidence of defective MC degranulation but not with changes in MC development, distribution, numbers, or morphology. In vitro assays revealed that the defective response in Munc13-4-deficient MCs was limited to regulated exocytosis, leaving other MC secretory effector responses intact. Single cell capacitance measurements in MCs from mouse mutants differing in Munc13-4 expression levels in their MCs revealed that as levels of Munc13-4 decrease, the rate of exocytosis declines first, and then the total amount of exocytosis decreases. A requirement for Munc13-2 in MC exocytosis was revealed only in the absence of Munc13-4. Electrophysiology and EM studies uncovered that the number of multigranular compound events (i.e. granule-to-granule homotypic fusion) was severely reduced in the absence of Munc13-4. We conclude that although Munc13-2 plays a minor role, Munc13-4 is essential for regulated exocytosis in MCs, and that this MC effector response is required for a full anaphylactic response.

A Design-Based Stereologic Method to Quantify the Tissue Changes Associated with a Novel Drug-Eluting Tracheobronchial Stent.

BACKGROUND: Granulation tissue is a common complication of airway stenting, but no published methods can quantify the volume and type of tissue that develops. OBJECTIVE: To use design-based stereology to quantify changes in tissue volume and type associated with airway stenting. METHODS: We compared drug-eluting stents (DES) filled with gendine to standard silicone stents in pigs in an assessor-blinded randomized trial. Tracheal stents were placed via rigid bronchoscopy. After 1 month, animals were euthanized and necropsies were performed. Antimicrobial effects of the DES were assessed in trachea tissue samples, on the DES surface, and with residual gel from the DES reservoir. Tracheal thickness was measured using orthogonal intercepts. Design-based stereology was used to quantify the volume density of tissues using a point-counting method. The volume of each tissue was normalized to cartilage volume, which is unaffected by stenting. RESULTS: Pigs were randomized to DES (n = 36) or control stents (n = 9). The drug was successfully eluted from the DES, and the stent surface showed antibacterial activity. DES and controls did not differ in tissue microbiology, tracheal thickness, or granulation tissue volume. Compared to nonstented controls, stented airways demonstrated a 110% increase in soft-tissue volume (p = 0.005). Submucosal connective tissue (118%; p < 0.0001), epithelium (70%; p < 0.0001), submucosal glands (47%; p = 0.001), and smooth muscle (41%; p < 0.0001) increased in volume. CONCLUSION: Stenting doubles the volume of soft tissue in the trachea. Design-based stereology can quantify the tissue changes associated with airway stenting.

Platelet Munc13-4 regulates hemostasis, thrombosis and airway inflammation.

Platelet degranulation is crucial for hemostasis and may participate in inflammation. Exocytosis in platelets is mediated by SNARE proteins and should be controlled by Munc13 proteins. We found that platelets express Munc13-2 and -4. We assessed platelet granule exocytosis in Munc13-2 and -4 global and conditional knockout (KO) mice, and observed that deletion of Munc13-4 ablates dense granule release and indirectly impairs alpha granule exocytosis. We found no exocytic role for Munc13-2 in platelets, not even in the absence of Munc13-4. In vitro, Munc13-4-deficient platelets exhibited defective aggregation at low doses of collagen. In a flow chamber assay, we observed that Munc13-4 acted as a rate-limiting factor in the formation of thrombi. In vivo, we observed a dose-dependency between Munc13-4 expression in platelets and both venous bleeding time and time to arterial thrombosis. Finally, in a model of allergic airway inflammation, we found that platelet-specific Munc13-4 KO mice had a reduction in airway hyper-responsiveness and eosinophilic inflammation. Taken together, our results indicate that Munc13-4-dependent platelet dense granule release plays essential roles in hemostasis, thrombosis and allergic inflammation.

Mast cell-restricted, tetramer-forming tryptases induce aggrecanolysis in articular cartilage by activating matrix metalloproteinase-3 and -13 zymogens.

Mouse mast cell protease (mMCP)-6-null C57BL/6 mice lost less aggrecan proteoglycan from the extracellular matrix of their articular cartilage during inflammatory arthritis than wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice, suggesting that this mast cell (MC)-specific mouse tryptase plays prominent roles in articular cartilage catabolism. We used ex vivo mouse femoral head explants to determine how mMCP-6 and its human ortholog hTryptase-ß mediate aggrecanolysis. Exposure of the explants to recombinant hTryptase-ß, recombinant mMCP-6, or lysates harvested from WT mouse peritoneal MCs (PMCs) significantly increased the levels of enzymatically active matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) in cartilage and significantly induced aggrecan loss into the conditioned media, relative to replicate explants exposed to medium alone or lysates collected from mMCP-6-null PMCs. Treatment of cartilage explants with tetramer-forming tryptases generated aggrecan fragments that contained C-terminal DIPEN and N-terminal FFGVG neoepitopes, consistent with MMP-dependent aggrecanolysis. In support of these data, hTryptase-ß was unable to induce aggrecan release from the femoral head explants obtained from Chloe mice that resist MMP cleavage at the DIPEN↓FFGVG site in the interglobular domain of aggrecan. In addition, the abilities of mMCP-6-containing lysates from WT PMCs to induce aggrecanolysis were prevented by inhibitors of MMP-3 and MMP-13. Finally, recombinant hTryptase-ß was able to activate latent pro-MMP-3 and pro-MMP-13 in vitro. The accumulated data suggest that human and mouse tetramer-forming tryptases are MMP convertases that mediate cartilage damage and the proteolytic loss of aggrecan proteoglycans in arthritis, in part, by activating the zymogen forms of MMP-3 and MMP-13, which are constitutively present in articular cartilage.

Compound vesicle fusion increases quantal size and potentiates synaptic transmission.

Exocytosis at synapses involves fusion between vesicles and the plasma membrane. Although compound fusion between vesicles was proposed to occur at ribbon-type synapses, whether it exists, how it is mediated, and what role it plays at conventional synapses remain unclear. Here we report the existence of compound fusion, its underlying mechanism, and its role at a nerve terminal containing conventional active zones in rats and mice. We found that high potassium application and high frequency firing induced giant capacitance up-steps, reflecting exocytosis of vesicles larger than regular ones, followed by giant down-steps, reflecting bulk endocytosis. These intense stimuli also induced giant vesicle-like structures, as observed with electron microscopy, and giant miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), reflecting more transmitter release. Calcium and its sensor for vesicle fusion, synaptotagmin, were required for these giant events. After high frequency firing, calcium/synaptotagmin-dependent mEPSC size increase was paralleled by calcium/synaptotagmin-dependent post-tetanic potentiation. These results suggest a new route of exocytosis and endocytosis composed of three steps. First, calcium/synaptotagmin mediates compound fusion between vesicles. Second, exocytosis of compound vesicles increases quantal size, which increases synaptic strength and contributes to the generation of post-tetanic potentiation. Third, exocytosed compound vesicles are retrieved via bulk endocytosis. We suggest that this vesicle cycling route be included in models of synapses in which only vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane is considered.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) regulates collagen-induced platelet aggregation independently of its transcription factor activity.

BACKGROUND: Platelet hyperactivity induced by inflammation is a known risk factor for atherosclerosis and thrombosis, but its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was activated in collagen-stimulated platelets. Activated STAT3 served as a protein scaffold to facilitate the catalytic interaction between the kinase Syk (spleen tyrosine kinase) and the substrate PLCγ2 to enhance collagen-induced calcium mobilization and platelet activation. The same interaction of STAT3 with Syk and PLCγ2 was detected in HEK293 cells transfected with cDNAs for Syk and PLCγ2 and stimulated with interleukin-6. Pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 blocked ≈50% of collagen- and a collagen-related peptide-induced but not thrombin receptor-activating peptide- or ADP-induced aggregation and ≈80% of thrombus formation of human platelets on a collagen matrix. This in vitro phenotype was reproduced in mice infused with STAT3 inhibitors and mice with platelet-specific STAT3 deficiency. By forming a complex with its soluble receptor, the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 enhanced the collagen-induced STAT3 activation in human platelets. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate a nontranscriptional activity of STAT3 that facilitates a crosstalk between proinflammatory cytokine and hemostasis/thrombosis signals in platelets. This crosstalk may be responsible for the platelet hyperactivity found in conditions of inflammation.

Essential role for mast cell tryptase in acute experimental colitis.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have increased numbers of human tryptase-ß (hTryptase-ß)-positive mast cells (MCs) in the gastrointestinal tract. The amino acid sequence of mouse mast cell protease (mMCP)-6 is most similar to that of hTryptase-ß. We therefore hypothesized that this mMCP, or the related tryptase mMCP-7, might have a prominent proinflammatory role in experimental colitis. The dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis models were used to evaluate the differences between C57BL/6 (B6) mouse lines that differ in their expression of mMCP-6 and mMCP-7 with regard to weight loss, colon histopathology, and endoscopy scores. Microarray analyses were performed, and confirmatory real-time PCR, ELISA, and/or immunohistochemical analyses were carried out on a number of differentially expressed cytokines, chemokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The mMCP-6-null mice that had been exposed to DSS had significantly less weight loss as well as significantly lower pathology and endoscopy scores than similarly treated mMCP-6-expressing mice. This difference in colitis severity was confirmed endoscopically in the TNBS-treated mice. Evaluation of the distal colon segments revealed that numerous proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines that preferentially attract neutrophils, and MMPs that participate in the remodeling of the ECM were all markedly increased in the colons of DSS-treated WT mice relative to untreated WT mice and DSS-treated mMCP-6-null mice. Collectively, our data show that mMCP-6 (but not mMCP-7) is an essential MC-restricted mediator in chemically induced colitis and that this tryptase acts upstream of many of the factors implicated in IBD.

A new short-term mouse model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease identifies a role for mast cell tryptase in pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a life-threatening inflammatory disorder of the lung. The development of effective therapies for COPD has been hampered by the lack of an animal model that mimics the human disease in a short timeframe. OBJECTIVES: We sought to create an early-onset mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD that develops the hallmark features of the human condition in a short time-frame. We also sought to use this model to better understand pathogenesis and the roles of macrophages and mast cells (MCs) in patients with COPD. METHODS: Tightly controlled amounts of cigarette smoke were delivered to the airways of mice, and the development of the pathologic features of COPD was assessed. The roles of macrophages and MC tryptase in pathogenesis were evaluated by using depletion and in vitro studies and MC protease 6-deficient mice. RESULTS: After just 8 weeks of smoke exposure, wild-type mice had chronic inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, airway remodeling, emphysema, and reduced lung function. These characteristic features of COPD were glucocorticoid resistant and did not spontaneously resolve. Systemic effects on skeletal muscle and the heart and increased susceptibility to respiratory tract infections also were observed. Macrophages and tryptase-expressing MCs were required for the development of COPD. Recombinant MC tryptase induced proinflammatory responses from cultured macrophages. CONCLUSION: A short-term mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD was developed in which the characteristic features of the disease were induced more rapidly than in existing models. The model can be used to better understand COPD pathogenesis, and we show a requirement for macrophages and tryptase-expressing MCs.

Gravity- vs Wall Suction-Driven Large-Volume Thoracentesis: A Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have found no differences in procedural chest discomfort for patients undergoing manual syringe aspiration or drainage with gravity after thoracentesis. However, whether gravity drainage could protect against chest pain due to the larger negative-pressure gradient generated by wall suction has not been investigated. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does wall suction drainage result in more chest discomfort compared with gravity drainage in patients undergoing large-volume thoracentesis? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this multicenter, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial, patients with large free-flowing effusions of ≥ 500 mL were assigned at a 1:1 ratio to wall suction or gravity drainage. Wall suction was performed with a suction system attached to the suction tubing and with vacuum pressure adjusted to full vacuum. Gravity drainage was performed with a drainage bag placed 100 cm below the catheter insertion site and connected via straight tubing. Patients rated chest discomfort on a 100-mm visual analog scale before, during, and after drainage. The primary outcome was postprocedural chest discomfort at 5 minutes. Secondary outcomes included measures of postprocedure chest discomfort, breathlessness, procedure time, volume of fluid drained, and complication rates. RESULTS: Of the 228 patients initially randomized, 221 were included in the final analysis. The primary outcome of procedural chest discomfort did not differ significantly between the groups (P = .08), nor did the secondary outcomes of postprocedural discomfort and dyspnea. Similar volumes were drained in both groups, but the procedure duration was longer in the gravity arm by approximately 3 minutes. No differences in rate of pneumothorax or reexpansion pulmonary edema were noted between the two groups. INTERPRETATION: Thoracentesis via wall suction and gravity drainage results in similar levels of procedural discomfort and dyspnea improvement. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT05131945; URL: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov.

Mast cell restricted mouse and human tryptase·heparin complexes hinder thrombin-induced coagulation of plasma and the generation of fibrin by proteolytically destroying fibrinogen.

The mouse and human TPSB2 and TPSAB1 genes encode tetramer-forming tryptases stored in the secretory granules of mast cells (MCs) ionically bound to heparin-containing serglycin proteoglycans. In mice these genes encode mouse MC protease-6 (mMCP-6) and mMCP-7. The corresponding human genes encode a family of serine proteases that collectively are called hTryptase-ß. We previously showed that the α chain of fibrinogen is a preferred substrate of mMCP-7. We now show that this plasma protein also is highly susceptible to degradation by hTryptase-ß· and mMCP-6·heparin complexes and that Lys(575) is a preferred cleavage site in the protein α chain. Because cutaneous mouse MCs store substantial amounts of mMCP-6·heparin complexes in their secretory granules, the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction was induced in the skin of mMCP-6(+)/mMCP-7(-) and mMCP-6(-)/mMCP-7(-) C57BL/6 mice. In support of the in vitro data, fibrin deposits were markedly increased in the skin of the double-deficient mice 6 h after IgE-sensitized animals were given the relevant antigen. Fibrinogen is a major constituent of the edema fluid that accumulates in tissues when MCs degranulate. Our discovery that mouse and human tetramer-forming tryptases destroy fibrinogen before this circulating protein can be converted to fibrin changes the paradigm of how MCs hinder fibrin deposition and blood coagulation internally. Because of the adverse consequences of fibrin deposits in tissues, our data explain why mice and humans lack a circulating protease inhibitor that rapidly inactivates MC tryptases and why mammals have two genes that encode tetramer-forming serine proteases that preferentially degrade fibrinogen.

Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein-4 (RasGRP4) involvement in experimental arthritis and colitis.

RasGRP4 (Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein-4) is an intracellular, calcium-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factor and diacylglycerol/phorbol ester receptor expressed in mast cells (MCs) and their progenitors. To study the function of this signaling protein in inflammatory disorders, a homologous recombination approach was used to create a RasGRP4-null C57BL/6 mouse line. The resulting transgenic animals had normal numbers of MCs in their tissues that histochemically and morphologically resembled those in WT C57BL/6 mice. MCs could also be generated from RasGRP4-null mice by culturing their bone marrow cells in IL-3-enriched conditioned medium. Despite these data, the levels of the transcripts that encode the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and TNF-α were reduced in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-treated MCs developed from RasGRP4-null mice. Although inflammation was not diminished in a Dermatophagoides farinae-dependent model of allergic airway disease, dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis was significantly reduced in RasGRP4-null mice relative to similarly treated WT mice. Furthermore, experimental arthritis could not be induced in RasGRP4-null mice that had received K/BxN mouse serum. The latter findings raise the possibility that the pharmacologic inactivation of this intracellular signaling protein might be an effective treatment for arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.

Mast cell tryptase deficiency attenuates mouse abdominal aortic aneurysm formation.

RATIONALE: Mast cells (MCs) contribute to the formation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) by producing biologically active mediators. Tryptase is the most abundant MC granule protein and participates in MC activation, protease maturation, leukocyte recruitment, and angiogenesis-all processes critical to AAA pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that tryptase participates directly in AAA formation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry demonstrated enhanced tryptase staining in media and adventitia of human and mouse AAA lesions. Serum tryptase levels correlated significantly with the annual expansion rate of AAA before (r = 0.30, P = 0.003) and after (r = 0.29, P = 0.005) adjustment for common AAA risk factors in a patient follow-up study, and associated with risks for later surgical repair or overall mortality before (P = 0.009, P = 0.065) and after (P = 0.004, P = 0.001) the adjustment. Using MC protease-6-deficient mice (Mcpt6(-/-)) and aortic elastase perfusion-induced experimental AAAs, we proved a direct role of this tryptase in AAA pathogenesis. Whereas all wild-type (WT) mice developed AAA at 14 or 56 days postperfusion, Mcpt6(-/-) mice were fully protected. AAA lesions from Mcpt6(-/-) mice had fewer inflammatory and apoptotic cells, and lower chemokine levels, than did those from WT mice. MC from WT mice restored reduced AAA lesions and lesion inflammatory cell content in MC-deficient Kit(W-sh/W-sh) mice, but those prepared from Mcpt6(-/-) mice did not. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that tryptase deficiency affected endothelial cell (EC) chemokine and cytokine expression, monocyte transmigration, smooth-muscle cell apoptosis, and MC and AAA lesion cysteinyl cathepsin expression and activities. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes the direct participation of MC tryptase in the pathogenesis of experimental AAAs, and suggests that levels of this protease can serve as a novel biomarker for abdominal aortic expansion.

A dual-Ca2+-sensor model for neurotransmitter release in a central synapse.

Ca2+-triggered synchronous neurotransmitter release is well described, but asynchronous release-in fact, its very existence-remains enigmatic. Here we report a quantitative description of asynchronous neurotransmitter release in calyx-of-Held synapses. We show that deletion of synaptotagmin 2 (Syt2) in mice selectively abolishes synchronous release, allowing us to study pure asynchronous release in isolation. Using photolysis experiments of caged Ca2+, we demonstrate that asynchronous release displays a Ca2+ cooperativity of approximately 2 with a Ca2+ affinity of approximately 44 microM, in contrast to synchronous release, which exhibits a Ca2+ cooperativity of approximately 5 with a Ca2+ affinity of approximately 38 muM. Our results reveal that release triggered in wild-type synapses at low Ca2+ concentrations is physiologically asynchronous, and that asynchronous release completely empties the readily releasable pool of vesicles during sustained elevations of Ca2+. We propose a dual-Ca2+-sensor model of release that quantitatively describes the contributions of synchronous and asynchronous release under conditions of different presynaptic Ca2+ dynamics.