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Mechanisms of exocytosis
Author(s) -
Sugita S.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta physiologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.591
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1748-1716
pISSN - 1748-1708
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2007.01803.x
Subject(s) - exocytosis , exocyst , munc 18 , microbiology and biotechnology , secretion , secretory vesicle , biology , secretory pathway , vesicle , secretory protein , vesicle fusion , chemistry , biochemistry , membrane , synaptic vesicle , golgi apparatus , endoplasmic reticulum
Catecholamines and peptides secreted from dense‐core vesicles (DCVs) of adrenal chromaffin cells regulate a wide variety of physiological processes. For instance, the release of noradrenaline and adrenaline plays a key role in regulating heart rate and blood pressure. Thus understanding the mechanisms of secretory processes of DCVs is crucial for understanding the basis of diseases such as hypertension. DCVs undergo several stages of secretory processing before they are exocytosed. These include docking, priming and triggering of membrane fusion/exocytosis. Molecular studies of DCV exocytosis have identified many proteins critically involved in DCV secretion. These proteins include SNARE proteins, Munc18‐1, phsophatidylinositol transfer protein, type I phosphatidylinositol‐4‐phosphate‐5‐kinases, NSF, Munc13, CAPS1, synaptotagmins, RalA/RalB GTPases and exocyst proteins. In this article, I will discuss the functions of these proteins within the context of the stages (i.e. docking, priming and triggering of membrane fusion/exocytosis) in DCV secretion.