Late events in regulated exocytosis

✍ Scribed by Peter E. R. Tatham; Bastien D. Gomperts

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 651 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0265-9247
• DOI: 10.1002/bies.950130806

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

To understand the intracellular mechanisms that control exocytosis it is necessary to have access to the cell interior. This is achieved by plasma membrane permeabilisation or by application of patch‐pipettes. These conditions permit control over the cytosol composition and also allow leakage of soluble factors that may have roles in the exocytotic mechanism. Different permeabilisation methods allow different extents of leakage and therefore provide complementary data. The exocytotic machinery itself remains intact and can be activated by providing Ca^2+^ and/or a guanine nucleotide. In some cells there is evidence for the participation of two guanine nucleotide‐binding proteins (G~p~ and G~E~), as well as a Ca^2+^ ‐binding protein. In others Ca^2+^ is the only requirement. In a number of cell types, ATP is not required for the late steps in the secretory pathway.