Doc2 alpha and Munc13-4 regulate Ca(2+) -dependent secretory lysosome exocytosis in mast cells

The Doc2 family comprises the brain-specific Doc2alpha and the ubiquitous Doc2beta and Doc2gamma. With the exception of Doc2gamma, these proteins exhibit Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipid-binding activity in their Ca(2+)-binding C2A domain and are thought to be important for Ca(2+)-dependent regulated exocytosis. In excitatory neurons, Doc2alpha interacts with Munc13-1, a member of the Munc13 family, through its N-terminal Munc13-1-interacting domain and the Doc2alpha-Munc13-1 system is implicated in Ca(2+)-dependent synaptic vesicle exocytosis. The Munc13 family comprises the brain-specific Munc13-1, Munc13-2, and Munc13-3, and the non-neuronal Munc13-4. We previously showed that Munc13-4 is involved in Ca(2+)-dependent secretory lysosome exocytosis in mast cells, but the involvement of Doc2 in this process is not determined. In the present study, we found that Doc2alpha but not Doc2beta was endogenously expressed in the RBL-2H3 mast cell line. Doc2alpha colocalized with Munc13-4 on secretory lysosomes, and interacted with Munc13-4 through its two regions, the N terminus containing the Munc13-1-interacting domain and the C terminus containing the Ca(2+)-binding C2B domain. In RBL-2H3 cells, Ca(2+)-dependent secretory lysosome exocytosis was inhibited by expression of the Doc2alpha mutant lacking either of the Munc13-4-binding regions and the inhibition was suppressed by coexpression of Munc13-4. Knockdown of endogenous Doc2alpha also reduced Ca(2+)-dependent secretory lysosome exocytosis, which was rescued by re-expression of human Doc2alpha but not by its mutant that could not bind to Munc13-4. Moreover, Ca(2+)-dependent secretory lysosome exocytosis was severely reduced in bone marrow-derived mast cells from Doc2alpha knockout mice. These results suggest that the Doc2alpha-Muunc13-4 system regulates Ca(2+)-dependent secretory lysosome exocytosis in mast cells.