[Analysis of vesicle subpopulations carrying early endosomal autoantigen EEA1]

Confocal immunofluorescent analysis of interphase HeLa cells has demonstrated that involved in regulation of homotypic fusions early endosomal autoantigene EEA1 is associated with vesicles represented by two populations differing in apparent size, localization and the level of bound EEA1. Before analysis the cells have been preincubated in serum-deprived medium for 12 h to minimize ligand-dependent endocytosis of serum growth factors. The first subpopulation is mainly represented by large vesicles strongly decorated with EEA1. These vesicles are localized presumably in juxtanuclear region. Microtubule depolimerization experiments have shown that this localization is maintained by tubulin cytoskeleton. The second subpopulation consists of numerous small vesicles slightly stained by EEA1 antibody and localized more peripherally. Double indirect immunofluorescent ananlysis of fixed cell images has revealed that juxtanuclear vesicles enriched in EEA1 are fully colocalized with key protein of early endosomes small GTPase Rab5, whereas about 50% of slightly decorated peripheral vesicles are Rab5-negative. It is found that the number of Rab5-positive vesicles per cell is higher than that of EEA1-positive vesicles. Thus, in serum-deprivated HeLa cells with low endocytic activity two subpopulations of EEA1-vesicles are revealed: the first one carries the both EEA1 at high level and Rab5 (EEA1+++/Rab5+), and the second subpopulation oconsists of weakly decorated EEA1-vesicles, that can be both Rab5-positive and -negative (EEA1+/Rab5- and EEA1+/Rab5+). Besides, there are vesicles carrying Rab5 only (EEA1-/Rab5+). The data obtained favor different functional role of all these subpopulations, which are associated with proteins widely considered as equivalent markers of early endosomes.