title: Role of endocrine cell microvesicles in intercellular chemical transduction.
abstract: Microvesicles (MVs) in endocrine cells are morphologically similar to neuronal synaptic vesicles. MVs were shown to contain proteins involved in neurotransmitter storage such as vacuolar H(+)-ATPase and neurotransmitter transporters, and ones in vesicular trafficking such as synaptobrevins and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein. Isolated MVs accumulate cell-specific neurotransmitters in an energy-dependent manner. Upon stimulation, the MVs may fuse with the plasma membrane and secrete the internal neurotransmitters. Thus, endocrine cells possess an MV-mediated secretion system as an intercellular signal transducing system.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Department of Gene Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Futai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005089:Exocytosis; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D015388:Organelles / Q000502:physiology*; D015290:Second Messenger Systems; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents