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Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Characterization of Membrane Transporters by Heterologous Expression in E. coli and Production of Membrane Vesicles
Published on: December 31, 2019
Microtubule-dependent transport of secretory vesicles in RBL-2H3 cells
Alexander J Smith1, Janet R Pfeiffer, Jun Zhang
1Department of Pathology and Cancer Research & Treatment Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, New Mexico, USA.
Abstract:
Antigen-mediated activation of mast cells results in Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of preformed mediators of the inflammatory response. To investigate the role of secretory vesicle motility in this response, we have performed time-lapse confocal microscopy on RBL-2H3 cells transfected with a green fluorescent protein-Fas ligand fusion protein (GFP-FasL). Green fluorescent protein-labeled vesicles exhibit rapid, bidirectional movement in both resting and activated cells and can be localized adjacent to microtubules. Colchicine treatment inhibits the motility of secretory vesicles as measured by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Colchicine also inhibits both the extent and the rate of exocytosis triggered by receptor activation or by Ca2+ ionophore, demonstrating that microtubule-dependent movement of secretory vesicles plays an important role in the exocytic response.
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