Exocytosis in colonic goblet cells visualized by video-enhanced light microscopy.
In order to develop a method to quantify the mucus secretion, we observed the mucus epithelium of the rabbit colon under a video-enhanced differential interference contrast microscope. Upon stimulation with muscarinic agonists, secretory granules in individual goblet cells were found to undergo a rapid light intensity change. Simultaneously, the lumen was widened and filled with a cloudy material. In each cell, many of such responses were followed by formation of a large cavity which could be recovered after removal of the stimulant. We infer that the light intensity change of a granule arises from exocytosis. Direct counting of the frequency of these quantal responses would be very useful to monitor the secretory activity of single cell in real time at a high sensitivity.
Terakawa
S
S
Department of Cell Physiology, National Institute for Physiological, Okazaki, Japan.
Suzuki
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005089:Exocytosis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D011817:Rabbits; D014741:Video Recording