Secretory vesicles membrane area is regulated in tandem with quantal size in chromaffin cells.
The number of transmitter molecules released in a quantal event can be regulated, and recent studies suggest that the modulation of quantal size is associated with corresponding changes in vesicle volume (Colliver et al., 2000; Pothos et al., 2002). If so, this could occur either by distension of the vesicle membrane or by incorporation and removal of vesicle membrane. We performed simultaneous measurements of vesicle membrane area and catecholamine release in individual quantal events from chromaffin cells using cell-attached patch amperometry. Cells were treated with reserpine, a vesicular monoamine transport blocker that decreases quantal size, or l-dopa, a catecholamine precursor that increases quantal size. We show that decrease and increase in quantal size are associated with a respective decrease and increase in vesicle membrane area. These results point to a novel mechanism of vesicle membrane dynamics by which vesicles physically change their membrane area in response to changes in transmitter content such that the intravesicular concentration of transmitter is maintained.
Gong
Liang-Wei
LW
School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA.
Hafez
Ismail
I
Alvarez de Toledo
Guillermo
G
Lindau
Manfred
M
D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005089:Exocytosis; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D002395:Catecholamines; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D007980:Levodopa; D012110:Reserpine