title: Formation of secretory granules by chromogranins.
abstract: This review article covers the molecular mechanisms of secretory granule formation by chromogranin transfection. Recently, a few investigators have reported that the transfection of chromogranin A and B produces the structures of secretory granules. We used the GFP-chromogranin A transfection method to nonendocrine cells, COS-7 cells, which are not equipped with secretory granules. Despite the absence of endogenous secretory granules in nontransfected COS-7 cells, COS-7 cells transfected with chromogranin A contained granule-like structures in electron micrographs. The granules were composed of an outer limiting membrane with core structures that were interpreted as secretory granules. Human chromogranin A (CgA) labeled with 5-nm gold particles was present in several dense-core granules in our previous electron microscopy study. This review depicts the role of chromogranin A in the formation of secretory granules. It emphasizes the application of recently developed new technologies and the genesis of secretory granules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. cisophia@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Inomoto
authors.forename: Robert Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Osamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D053379:Chromogranin A; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins