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The amphicrine pancreatic cell line, AR42J, secretes GABA and amylase by separate regulated pathways
Author(s) -
Ahnert-Hilger Gudrun,
Wiedenmann Bertram
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(92)81457-w
Subject(s) - secretion , depolarization , vesicle , chemistry , synaptic vesicle , amylase , microbiology and biotechnology , potassium , biochemistry , biophysics , biology , enzyme , organic chemistry , membrane
Treatment of AR42J cells with dexamethasone leads to an enhanced formation of amylase‐containing granules and facilitates their regulated secretion. Besides the exocrine properties, AR42J cells possess a specific uptake system for [ 3 H]GABA. The stored GABA can be released upon potassium depolarisation in a Ca 2+ ‐dependent manner. After treatment with dexamethasone, potassium depolarisation fails to release GABA, but instead causes a Ca 2+ ‐dependent secretion of amylase. Since vesicles similar to small synaptic vesicles of neurons have been identified in AR42J cells, we suggest that the regulated GABA release is mediated by this vesicle type. It is tentatively speculated that other epithelial cells, which also contain small synaptic vesicles and amino acid neurotransmitters, may release them in a similar fashion.