人分泌粒蛋白Ⅲ的克隆和表达

研究了一个新的人分泌蛋白基因－分泌粒蛋白Ⅲ（secretograninⅢ,SgⅢ),SgⅢ蛋白序列共有468个氨基酸残基,N端有一段疏水信号肽,序列中含有DSTK重复序列和7对二元碱性氨基酸（dibasic sites),这些结构特点同其他分泌蛋白家族成员相类似,人源SgⅢ蛋白在小鼠,大鼠和爪蟾中各有一个同源蛋白,基因组分析表明,SgⅢ基因位于15号染色体上,含有12个外显子, 分布在39kb长的基因组DNA上,Western印迹和免疫细胞化学实验证实,SgⅢ蛋白同其他分泌粒蛋白家族成员一样,通过分泌途径被分泌到胞外,SgⅢ在多种组织中都表达,Northern印迹显示SgⅢ的mRNA主要有2．2kb和1．9kb两种形式,但在脑中还有4．5kb和3．3kb大小的两种特异转录本。     

一个抗真菌蛋白在绿色木霉中的分泌表达

AFP(antifungalprotein)是在丝状真菌巨大曲霉 (AspergillusgiganteusMDH18894 )中分泌的一个抗真菌蛋白。其mRNA含长度为 4 30bp的开放阅读框 ,编码 94个氨基酸的AFP前体 ,而成熟的AFP为 5 1个氨基酸的多肽。根据推测 ,在巨大曲霉中 ,AFP前体可能经两步剪切去除前导序列 (4 3个氨基酸 ) ,并最终形成具有抗真菌活性的成熟AFP ,已有报道证实 ,在另一种丝状真菌绿色木霉 (Trichodermaviride)基因组中存在一个类似AFP基因但不表达的序列 ,该序列与没有内含子的AFPcDNA序列完全一样。为了解巨大曲霉AFP基因可否在绿色木霉中表达 ,将AFP基因开放阅读框插入真菌表达载体trpC基因的启动子和终止子之间 ,并成功的转化了绿色木霉。SDS PAGE和Western印迹分析表明 ,绿色木霉转化子分泌表达了具有抗真菌活性的成熟AFP。为研究在绿色木霉中分泌表达具有重要应用价值的异源真核蛋白质打下了基础。     

柳树β微管蛋白基因家族的克隆和序列分析

该研究克隆鉴定了旱柳和龙爪柳β微管蛋白基因,并对其进行了序列相似性、系统发育、染色体定位以及表达模式的分析。结果显示,2种柳树β微管蛋白基因家族各有20个成员,家族内部成员间核酸和氨基酸序列相似性分别在74.0%和86.6%以上,种间同源蛋白氨基酸序列相似性在85.8%以上,柳树与其它植物β微管蛋白间的氨基酸序列相似性在81.5%以上。系统发育分析显示,柳树β微管蛋白家族被分为4个亚组,结合杨树β微管蛋白基因染色体定位,推测柳树β微管蛋白基因家族经历了杨柳科全基因组重复事件和串联重复事件,而柳树TUB11和TUB12可能来源于区段重复或者转座。基因表达模式分析发现,该家族成员的表达具有一定的组织特异性,并且部分重复基因对在所检测组织中表达差异较大。柳树β微管蛋白基因家族成员序列的高度相似性、成员数量的进化扩张、以及表达模式的多样性可能赋予了细胞分裂与生长更高的灵活性,这对多年生木本植物的生长发育习性意义重大。     

嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌SMP蛋白的胞外可调控分泌及序列分析

为了观察和探讨嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌SMP蛋白胞外可调控分泌现象及其机制,将收集到的环境株菌D2株及9株临床株在含不同成分的培养基中培养,取培养液上清利用SDS-PAGE电泳观察SMP蛋白分泌情况;提取各菌株基因组DNA,PCR扩增其smp基因并进行克隆和序列测定;将获得的SMP氨基酸序列用Blastp、Megalign等进行分析,并构建系统发育树。结果显示,不同来源的嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌胞SMP蛋白分泌均存在可调控现象,酵母提取物可抑制该蛋白的分泌,而适宜浓度的麦芽糖则具有促进作用。序列对比及系统发育树分析显示,SMP的氨基酸序列具有种属的特异性,且临床株和环境株中存在一定的差异,临床株中该蛋白的氨基酸序列高度保守,而环境株则序列差异相对明显的,但不同来源的菌株SMP均含有保守的信号肽;提示该蛋白可能与其致病性相关,其胞外分泌的可调控机制值得进一步深入探究。     

人类新型Krüppel类转录因子hBKLF的cDNA克隆、亚细胞定位及表达特征

人胎肝cDNA文库FLD4585克隆可能编码一种造血相关的转录因子,本文旨在从22周孕龄人胎肝中获得其编码基因的全长cDNA序列,分析其编码蛋白的功能域、基因组结构、染色体定位、亚细胞定位及表达谱特征.采用5′RACE方法获得FLD4585克隆全长;生物信息学方法确定hBKLF基因结构、染色体定位及功能域特征;GFP融合蛋白技术确定hBKLF亚细胞定位;Northern 杂交、RT-PCR、Western印迹方法分析其表达谱.结果获得了FLD4585克隆编码的hBKLF cDNA全长序列,它含1810 bp,编码345个氨基酸,与小鼠BKLF同源,C端含3个特征性C2H2结构的锌指,是KLF转录因子家族的新成员.hBKLF基因跨越33 kb,含6个外显子和5个内含子,位于4号染色体4p15.2～p16.1.GFP-hBKLF融合蛋白在COS-7细胞中呈细小点状分布于核内,核仁区无分布.hBKLF含有两个转录本,大小为4.4 kb～7.5 kb和1.35 kb～2.4 kb.大转录本在成人及胎儿组织广泛表达,小转录本在外周血白细胞、肝脏和骨髓表达量最高,红系和粒系细胞均表达hBKLF.hBKLF表达量随肝脏发育成熟而下降,随红系、粒系成熟而升高.以上研究提示hBKLF可能是一种在体内广泛发挥作用的转录因子,在造血的调控中可能有重要作用.     

人类新型Krppel类转录因子hBKLF的cDNA克垄、亚细胞定位及表达特征

人胎肝cDNA文库FLD45 85克隆可能编码一种造血相关的转录因子 ,本文旨在从 2 2周孕龄人胎肝中获得其编码基因的全长cDNA序列 ,分析其编码蛋白的功能域、基因组结构、染色体定位、亚细胞定位及表达谱特征。采用 5′RACE方法获得FLD45 85克隆全长 ;生物信息学方法确定hBKLF基因结构、染色体定位及功能域特征 ;GFP融合蛋白技术确定hBKLF亚细胞定位 ;Northern杂交、RT PCR、Western印迹方法分析其表达谱。结果获得了FLD45 85克隆编码的hBKLFcDNA全长序列 ,它含 1810bp ,编码 3 45个氨基酸 ,与小鼠BKLF同源 ,C端含 3个特征性C2 H2 结构的锌指 ,是KLF转录因子家族的新成员。hBKLF基因跨越 3 3kb ,含 6个外显子和 5个内含子 ,位于 4号染色体4p15 2～p16 1。GFP hBKLF融合蛋白在COS - 7细胞中呈细小点状分布于核内 ,核仁区无分布。hBKLF含有两个转录本 ,大小为 4 4kb～ 7 5kb和 1 3 5kb～ 2 4kb。大转录本在成人及胎儿组织广泛表达 ,小转录本在外周血白细胞、肝脏和骨髓表达量最高 ,红系和粒系细胞均表达hBKLF。hBKLF表达量随肝脏发育成熟而下降 ,随红系、粒系成熟而升高。以上研究提示hBKLF可能是一种在体内广泛发挥作用的转录因子 ,在造血的调控中可能有重要作用     

水稻扩展蛋白家族的生物信息学分析

扩展蛋白是植物细胞壁的重要组成部分,具有松驰细胞壁和增加细胞壁柔韧性的作用,在植物的生长发育及抗性等方面起到重要的作用。水稻的全基因组序列统计分析显示,水稻扩展蛋白基因家族包含58个成员,分属于A(34)、B(19)、LA(4)和LB(1)4个亚家族,分布在水稻10条染色体上的58个位点,且同一亚家族成员有成簇存在的现象。扩展蛋白基因长度范围为687~1128 bp,编码蛋白质具有保守的结构域,以及保守的半胱氨酸和色氨酸残基。多数情况下,亚家族成员之间的氨基酸一致率小于35%,而同一亚家族成员之间的氨基酸一致率大于35%。在内含子、外显子组成模式上,水稻扩展蛋白呈现明显的亚家族特异性,除个别基因以外,A类基因含有1或2个内含子,B类含有3个内含子,LA和LB类含有4个内含子。密码子使用统计显示,与其他物种相比,水稻中的扩展蛋白具有更多的密码子使用偏好性,有26个高频密码子存在。研究结果展示了水稻扩展蛋白基因家族的基本信息,为深入研究扩展蛋白基因的功能、探讨物种间的进化关系奠定基础。     

一种新型锌指蛋白基因——人ZNF313的克隆、定位及表达

运用正常可育男性和无精症病人睾丸组织的mRNA差异显示和cDNA末端快速扩增（PACE）等方法,从人睾丸组织中分离了一个同时含有指环结构和C2H2结构域的新型锌指蛋白基因——人ZNF313。运用荧光原位杂交（FISH）方法,将该基因定位到人染色体20q13。该基因含6个外显子,编码228个氨基酸。基因组结构分析显示,外显子6含有的2个加尾信号,产生2种不同的3‘端非翻译区。Northern杂交及多组织RT-PCR的结果显示该基因含有0.75kb和2.4kb两种转录本,其中0.75kb转录本在正常睾丸中高表达,而其他组织、无精症患者及胎儿睾丸组织中该基因代表达。结果提示：人ZNF313基因对精子发生和男性可育性可能起重要作用。     

小鼠睾丸生精细胞凋亡相关基因mTSARG3的克隆

从在小鼠隐睾和正常睾丸对照中表达量有明显差异的EST片段 (BE6 4 4 5 37)出发 ,利用GeneScan软件分析该片段所在染色体基因组序列 ,获得一个包含该EST的新基因序列。设计该基因特异性引物从小鼠睾丸cDNA文库中进行PCR扩增 ,分离出小鼠睾丸生精细胞凋亡相关基因mTSARG3(GenBank登录号为AF4 192 92 )。该基因定位于小鼠 7号染色体 7E1 E2区带 ,全长为 11kb ,cDNA全长为 132 8bp ,包含 8个外显子 ,编码由 316个氨基酸组成的、分子量为 36kD的蛋白质。该蛋白质含有DnaJ区和DnaJ- c区 ,与热激蛋白 4 0家族多种蛋白质有较高相似性 ,其中与小鼠DJB4 - MOUSE在 336aa的范围内有 4 6 %的相似性 ,属热激蛋白 4 0家族新成员。多组织RT PCR和Northern印迹结果显示 ,该基因在小鼠睾丸组织高表达 ,转录本大小约为 1.35kb ;Southern杂交结果显示 ,该基因在小鼠正常睾丸和隐睾组织无缺失和重排。实验结果证明成功克隆到了一个小鼠睾丸生精细胞凋亡相关基因mT SARG3。     

中华按蚊CPF家族表皮蛋白基因的全基因组鉴定及其特征分析

【目的】鉴定中华按蚊Anopheles sinensis基因组上的CPF家族表皮蛋白基因,分析其基因结构和特征,推测其可能的生物学功能;同时比较研究代表性蚊种的CPF家族基因,提供CPF家族基因的信息框架。【方法】基于中华按蚊An.sinensis、冈比亚按蚊An.gambiae、微小按蚊An.minimus、埃及伊蚊Aedes aegypti、致倦库蚊Culex quinquefasciatus和黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster全基因组序列,以冈比亚按蚊CPF家族基因序列为询问序列,采用BLASTP,TBLASTN和HMM方法鉴定这些物种的CPF家族基因;利用生物信息学方法预测中华按蚊CPF家族基因的结构、剪切模式、信号肽、跨膜区、结构域和3D结构等;采用最大似然法(maximum likelihood,ML)构建这些物种的系统发生关系,推断CPF家族基因的起源和进化。【结果】中华按蚊、冈比亚按蚊、微小按蚊、埃及伊蚊、致倦库蚊和黑腹果蝇全基因组共有4,4,4,3,3和3个CPF家族基因。中华按蚊的CPF基因被分别命名为As CPF1,As CPF2,As CPF3和As CPF4,这些As CPF基因的全长c DNA序列分别为736,2 021,531和1 001 bp,分别编码219,345,148和185个氨基酸。As CPF1,As CPF2和As CPF3仅含有一个内含子,但As CPF4含有3个内含子,所有内含子均为0位内含子。As CPF1,As CPF2,As CPF3和As CPF4分别有3,2,1和2个不同的选择性剪切子。As CPF3的表达量最高,其次是As CPF4,As CPF2和As CPF1。推测的As CPF1,As CPF2,As CPF3和As CPF4的理论分子量分别为22.86,36.47,15.08和18.66 k D,等电点分别为9.08,8.97,9.44和9.16。As CPF家族蛋白含有保守的44个氨基酸基序和C-末端基序;As CPF1,As CPF3和As CPF4具有信号肽,为分泌型蛋白,而As CPF2缺乏信号肽,为非分泌蛋白。二级结构分析显示,4个As CPF均具有α-螺旋,无规卷曲和延伸链,只有As CPF4有一段跨膜片段,位于第5-27位氨基酸。系统发育分析显示,CPF3基因可能是最早分化出来的CPF家族基因,CPF1和CPF2基因可能是同一祖先基因经过一个基因重复事件分化形成的,CPF4基因很可能是按蚊所特有的,是最晚分化出来的CPF基因。以冈比亚按蚊为对照,替换率分析显示,中华按蚊CPF表皮蛋白的Ka/Ks值均小于1,表现出纯化选择。【结论】对中华按蚊CPF家族基因在全基因组上的鉴定和特征分析,及对代表性蚊虫CPF家族基因的比较分析,揭示了蚊虫CPF家族基因的多样性、结构和氨基酸特征以及起源和进化,这为该家族基因的进一步研究和利用提供了信息基础。     

The Neuroendocrine Proteins Secretogranin II and III Are Regionally Conserved and Coordinately Expressed with Proopiomelanocortin in Xenopus Intermediate Pituitary

Abstract: Chromogranins and secretogranins are acidic secretory proteins of unknown function that represent major constituents of neuroendocrine secretory granules. Using a differential screening strategy designed to identify genes involved in peptide hormone biosynthesis and secretion, we have isolated cDNA clones encoding the first nonmammalian homologues of secretogranin II (SgII) and secretogranin III (SgIII) from a Xenopus intermediate pituitary cDNA library. A comparative analysis of the Xenopus and mammalian proteins revealed a striking regional conservation with an overall sequence identity of 48% for SgII and 61% for SgIII. One of the highly conserved and thus potentially functional domains in SgII corresponds to the bioactive peptide secretoneurin. However, in SgII and especially in SgIII, a substantial portion of the potential dibasic cleavage sites is not conserved, arguing against the idea that these granins serve solely as peptide precursors. Moreover, SgIII contains a conserved and repeated motif (DSTK) that is reminiscent of a repeat present in the trans -Golgi network integral membrane proteins TGN38 and TGN41, a finding more consistent with an intracellular function for this protein. When Xenopus intermediate pituitary cells were stimulated in vivo, the mRNA levels of SgII and SgIII increased dramatically (15- and 35-fold, respectively) and in parallel with that of the prohormone proopiomelanocortin (30-fold increase). Our results indicate that the process of peptide hormone production and release in a neuroendocrine cell involves multiple members of the granin family.     

Multiple Sorting Systems for Secretory Granules Ensure the Regulated Secretion of Peptide Hormones

Prior to secretion, regulated peptide hormones are selectively sorted to secretory granules (SGs) at the trans‐Golgi network (TGN) in endocrine cells. Secretogranin III (SgIII) appears to facilitate SG sorting process by tethering of protein aggregates containing chromogranin A (CgA) and peptide hormones to the cholesterol‐rich SG membrane (SGM). Here, we evaluated the role of SgIII in SG sorting in AtT‐20 cells transfected with small interfering RNA targeting SgIII. In the SgIII‐knockdown cells, the intracellular retention of CgA was greatly impaired, and only a trace amount of CgA was localized within the vacuoles formed in the TGN, confirming the significance of SgIII in both the tethering of CgA‐containing aggregates and the establishment of the proper SG morphology. Although the intracellular retention of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) was considerably impaired in SgIII‐knockdown cells, residual adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)/POMC was still localized to some few remaining SGs together with another granin protein, secretogranin II (SgII), and was secreted in a regulated manner. Biochemical analyses indicated that SgII bound directly to the SGM in a cholesterol‐dependent manner and was able to retain the aggregated form of POMC, revealing a latent redundancy in the SG sorting and retention mechanisms, that ensures the regulated secretion of bioactive peptides.     

Expression of Secretogranin III in Chicken Endocrine Cells: Its Relevance to the Secretory Granule Properties of Peptide Prohormone Processing and Bioactive Amine Content

The expression of secretogranin III (SgIII) in chicken endocrine cells has not been investigated. There is limited data available for the immunohistochemical localization of SgIII in the brain, pituitary, and pancreatic islets of humans and rodents. In the present study, we used immunoblotting to reveal the similarities between the expression patterns of SgIII in the common endocrine glands of chickens and rats. The protein–protein interactions between SgIII and chromogranin A (CgA) mediate the sorting of CgA/prohormone core aggregates to the secretory granule membrane. We examined these interactions using co-immunoprecipitation in chicken endocrine tissues. Using immunohistochemistry, we also examined the expression of SgIII in a wide range of chicken endocrine glands and gastrointestinal endocrine cells (GECs). SgIII was expressed in the pituitary, pineal, adrenal (medullary parts), parathyroid, and ultimobranchial glands, but not in the thyroid gland. It was also expressed in GECs of the stomach (proventriculus and gizzard), small and large intestines, and pancreatic islet cells. These SgIII-expressing cells co-expressed serotonin, somatostatin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon, or insulin. These results suggest that SgIII is expressed in the endocrine cells that secrete peptide hormones, which mature via the intragranular enzymatic processing of prohormones and physiologically active amines in chickens.     

Identification of a chromogranin A domain that mediates binding to secretogranin III and targeting to secretory granules in pituitary cells and pancreatic beta-cells

Chromogranin A (CgA) is transported restrictedly to secretory granules in neuroendocrine cells. In addition to pH- and Ca(2+)-dependent aggregation, CgA is known to bind to a number of vesicle matrix proteins. Because the binding-prone property of CgA with secretory proteins may be essential for its targeting to secretory granules, we screened its binding partner proteins using a yeast two-hybrid system. We found that CgA bound to secretogranin III (SgIII) by specific interaction both in vitro and in endocrine cells. Localization analysis showed that CgA and SgIII were coexpressed in pituitary and pancreatic endocrine cell lines, whereas SgIII was not expressed in the adrenal glands and PC12 cells. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that CgA and SgIII were specifically colocalized in large secretory granules in male rat gonadotropes, which possess large-type and small-type granules. An immunocytochemical analysis revealed that deletion of the binding domain (CgA 48-111) for SgIII missorted CgA to the constitutive pathway, whereas deletion of the binding domain (SgIII 214-373) for CgA did not affect the sorting of SgIII to the secretory granules in AtT-20 cells. These findings suggest that CgA localizes with SgIII by specific binding in secretory granules in SgIII-expressing pituitary and pancreatic endocrine cells, whereas other mechanisms are likely to be responsible for CgA localization in secretory granules of SgIII-lacking adrenal chromaffin cells and PC12 cells.     

The primary structure of human secretogranin II, a widespread tyrosine-sulfated secretory granule protein that exhibits low pH- and calcium-induced aggregation

Secretogranin II (previously also called chromogranin C) is a tyrosine-sulfated secretory protein found in secretory granules in a wide variety of endocrine cells and neurons. Here, we have determined the primary structure of human secretogranin II from a full length cDNA clone and have investigated its properties, predicted from the sequence, by studying the behavior of purified secretogranin II under conditions characteristic of the milieu of secretory granules. Analysis of a 2.35-kilobase cDNA clone isolated from a human pituitary library and identified as secretogranin II by various criteria showed that human presecretogranin II is a 617-residue polypeptide containing an NH2-terminal located signal peptide. Secretogranin II lacks the disulfide-bonded loop structure near the NH2 terminus which is conserved in chromogranin A and chromogranin B (secretogranin I), two other widespread constituents of neuroendocrine secretory granules, but like the latter two proteins contains (i) an -E-N/S-L-X-A/D-X-D/E-X-E-L- motif and (ii) multiple potential dibasic cleavage sites for the generation of smaller, perhaps biologically active peptides. Another structural feature that secretogranin II shares with chromogranin A and chromogranin B (secretogranin I) is the abundance of acidic residues all along the polypeptide chain whose negative charge must somehow be neutralized to allow condensation and packaging of the protein into secretory granules. Experiments with purified secretogranin II showed that in the presence of 10 mM calcium at pH 5.2, conditions characteristic of the milieu of neuroendocrine secretory granules, this protein formed aggregates. Immunoglobulin G, a secretory protein that in vivo is not packaged into secretory granules, did not form aggregates under these in vitro conditions and was excluded from the secretogranin II aggregates. Very little aggregation of secretogranin II was observed in the absence of calcium at pH 5.2 or in the presence of calcium at neutral pH. In vivo, ammonium chloride, which is known to neutralize the pH of acidic intracellular compartments, inhibited the packaging of newly synthesized secretogranin II into secretory granules. Our results suggest that the low pH- and calcium-induced aggregation of secretogranin II may be important for the organization of the secretory granule matrix and raise the possibility that aggregation of secretogranin II may be involved in its sorting to secretory granules.     

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

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

Secretogranin III binds to cholesterol in the secretory granule membrane as an adapter for chromogranin A

Granin-family proteins, including chromogranin A (CgA) and secretogranin III (SgIII), are transported to secretory granules (SGs) in neuroendocrine cells. We previously showed that SgIII binds strongly to CgA in an intragranular milieu and targets CgA to SGs in pituitary and pancreatic endocrine cells. In this study, we demonstrated that with a sucrose density gradient of rat insulinoma-derived INS-1 cell homogenates, SgIII was localized to the SG fraction and was fractionated to the SG membrane (SGM) despite lacking the transmembrane region. With depletion of cholesterol from the SGM using methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, SgIII was impaired to bind to the SGM. Both SgIII and CgA were solubilized from the SGM by Triton X-100 in contrast to the Triton X-100 insolubility of carboxypeptidase E. SgIII and carboxypeptidase E strongly bound to the SGM-type liposome in intragranular conditions, but CgA did not. Instead, CgA bound to the SGM-type liposome only in the presence of SgIII. Immunocytochemical and pulse-chase experiments revealed that SgIII deleting the N-terminal lipid-binding region missorted to the constitutive pathway in mouse corticotroph-derived AtT-20 cells. Thus, we suggest that SgIII directly binds to cholesterol components of the SGM and targets CgA to SGs in pituitary and pancreatic endocrine cells.     

An antibody against secretogranin I (chromogranin B) is packaged into secretory granules

We have investigated the sorting and packaging of secretory proteins into secretory granules by an immunological approach. An mAb against secretogranin I (chromogranin B), a secretory protein costored with various peptide hormones and neuropeptides in secretory granules of many endocrine cells and neurons, was expressed by microinjection of its mRNA into the secretogranin I-producing cell line PC12. An mAb against the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus--i.e., against an antigen not present in PC12 cells--was expressed as a control. The intracellular localization and the secretion of the antibodies was studied by double-labeling immunofluorescence using the conventional and the confocal microscope, as well as by pulse-chase experiments. The secretogranin I antibody, like the control antibody, was transported along the secretory pathway to the Golgi complex. However, in contrast to the control antibody, which was secreted via the constitutive pathway, the secretogranin I antibody formed an immunocomplex with secretogranin I, was packaged into secretory granules, and was released by regulated exocytosis. Our results show that a constitutive secretory protein, unaltered by genetic engineering, can be diverted to the regulated pathway of secretion by its protein-protein interaction with a regulated secretory protein. The data also provide the basis for immunologically studying the role of luminally exposed protein domains in the biogenesis and function of regulated secretory vesicles.     

Inhibition of the vacuolar H+-ATPase perturbs the transport, sorting, processing and release of regulated secretory proteins.

Vacuolar H+-ATPases (V-ATPases) are multisubunit enzymes that acidify various intracellular organelles, including secretory pathway compartments. We have examined the effects of the specific V-ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin A1 (Baf) on the intracellular transport, sorting, processing and release of a number of neuroendocrine secretory proteins in primary Xenopus intermediate pituitary cells. Ultrastructural examination of Baf-treated intermediate pituitary cells revealed a reduction in the amount of small dense-core secretory granules and the appearance of vacuolar structures in the trans-Golgi area. Pulse-chase incubations in combination with immunoprecipitation analysis showed that in treated cells, the proteolytic processing of the newly synthesized prohormone proopiomelanocortin, prohormone convertase PC2 and secretogranin III (SgIII) was inhibited, and an intracellular accumulation of intact precursor forms and intermediate cleavage products became apparent. Moreover, we found that treated cells secreted considerable amounts of a PC2 processing intermediate and unprocessed SgIII in a constitutive fashion. Collectively, these data indicate that in the secretory pathway, V-ATPases play an important role in creating the microenvironment that is essential for proper transport, sorting, processing and release of regulated secretory proteins.     

The organisation of the mouse secretogranin II gene.

We have characterized the gene which encodes mouse secretogranin II (previously also referred to as chromogranin C), a tyrosine-sulfated secretory protein belonging to the granin (chromogranin/secretogranin) family which is found in secretory granules of most endocrine cells and neurons. The secretogranin II gene was found to contain 2 exons. In contrast to chromogranin A and chromogranin B, the two previously characterized granin genes, the entire secretogranin II protein is encoded by a single exon, exon 2, with exon 1 containing only a 5'-untranslated sequence. Consistent with previous data on the expression of secretogranin II, the putative promoter region was found to contain a cAMP-responsive element and a potential AP-1 binding site.