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Rat basophilic leukaemia (RBL) cells overexpressing Rab3a have a reversible block in antigen-stimulated exocytosis.

ABSTRACT: The rat basophilic leukaemia (RBL) cell line has been widely used as a convenient model system to study regulated secretion in mast cells. Activation of these cells through the high-affinity receptor for IgE (Fcepsilon-RI) results in degranulation and the extracellular release of mediators. There is good evidence of a role for GTPases in mast cell degranulation, and a number of studies with peptides derived from the Rab3a effector domain have suggested that Rab3a may function in this process. However, in neuroendocrine cells, overexpression of Rab3a can act as a negative regulator of stimulated exocytosis [Holz, Brondyk, Senter, Kuizon and Macara (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 10229-10234; Johanes, Lledo, Roa, Vincent, Henry and Darchen (1994) EMBO J. 13, 2029-2037]. In order to study the function of Rab3a in RBL degranulation, we have generated clones of RBL cells stably expressing Rab3a, and show that in these haematopoietic cells Rab3a can also function as a negative regulator of exocytosis. Overexpression of a mutant form of Rab3a (Asn-135 to Ile), which is predicted to be predominantly GTP-bound, also inhibited degranulation. However, overexpression of a mutant form of Rab3a that was truncated at the C-terminus to remove the sites for geranylgeranylation failed to inhibit degranulation. The effect of Rab3a is specific to secretion, and we observe no effect of Rab3a on receptor-mediated endocytosis. The Rab3a-induced block in degranulation can be bypassed by stimulation of streptolysin-O-permeabilized cells with guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate. We conclude from these studies that Rab3a is implicated in an early stage of granule targeting, whereas fusion of granules with the plasma membrane is regulated by a distinct downstream GTP-binding protein or proteins.

SUBMITTER: Smith J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1218322 | biostudies-other | 1997 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Several laboratories have created rat basophil leukemia (RBL) cell lines stably transfected with the human high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRIH). More recently, humanized RBL cell lines saw the introduction of reporter genes such as luciferase (RS-ATL8) and DsRed (RBL NFAT-DsRed). These reporters are more sensitive than their parental non-reporter humanized RBL cell lines. However, no studies so far have addressed the levels of FcεRIH surface expression on humanized RBL cell lines. This is a critical parameter, as it determines the ability of these cells to be efficiently sensitized with human IgE, hence it should affect the sensitivity of the cell assay-a critical parameter for any diagnostic application. Our purpose was to assess and compare the levels of expression of the transfected FcεRIH chain in humanized RBL cell lines. We compared surface levels of FcεRIαH by flow cytometry, using a fluorescently labelled monoclonal antibody (CRA-1/AER-37) and determined receptor numbers using calibration microspheres. FcεRIαH copy numbers were assessed by qPCR, and the sequence verified. Transfection with FcεRIγH cDNA was assessed for its ability to increase FcεRIαH expression in the NFAT-DsRed reporter. While both SX-38 and RS-ATL8 expressed about 500.000 receptors/cell, RBL 703-21 and NFAT-DsRed had approximately 10- to 30-fold lower FcεRIαH expression, respectively. This was neither related to FcεRIH gene copy numbers, nor to differences in steady state mRNA levels, as determined by qPCR and RT-qPCR, respectively. Instead, FcεRIαH surface expression appeared to correlate with the co-expression of FcεRIγH. Stable transfection of NFAT-DsRed cells with pBJ1 neo-huFcεRI gamma, which constitutively expresses FcεRIγH, increased FcεRIαH chain expression levels. Levels of FcεRIαH surface expression vary greatly between humanized RBL reporter cell lines. This difference will affect the sensitivity of the reporter system when used for diagnostic purposes.

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Rat basophilic leukaemia (RBL) cells overexpressing Rab3a have a reversible block in antigen-stimulated exocytosis.

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