Stable gene silencing of synaptotagmin I in rat PC12 cells inhibits Ca2+-evoked release of catecholamine

Synaptotagmin (syt) I is a Ca²⁺-binding protein that is well accepted as a major sensor for Ca²⁺-regulated release of transmitter. However, controversy remains as to whether syt I is the only protein that can function in this role and whether the remaining syt family members also function as Ca²⁺ sensors. In this study, we generated a PC12 cell line that continuously expresses a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to silence expression of syt I by RNA interference. Immunoblot and immunocytochemistry experiments demonstrate that expression of syt I was specifically silenced in cells that stably integrate the shRNA-syt I compared with control cells stably transfected with the empty shRNA vector. The other predominantly expressed syt isoform, syt IX, was not affected, nor was the expression of the SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins when syt I levels were knocked down. Resting Ca²⁺ and stimulated Ca²⁺ influx imaged with fura-2 were not altered in syt I knockdown cells. However, evoked release of catecholamine detected by carbon fiber amperometry and HPLC was significantly reduced, although not abolished. Human syt I rescued the release events in the syt I knockdown cells. The reduction of stimulated catecholamine release in the syt I knockdown cells strongly suggests that although syt I is clearly involved in catecholamine release, it is not the only protein to regulate stimulated release in PC12 cells, and another protein likely has a role as a Ca²⁺ sensor for regulated release of transmitter. RNA interference; amperometry; exocytosis