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Updated: Apr 11, 2026

Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays
Published on: July 4, 2018
Cutting Edge: Drebrin-Regulated Actin Dynamics Regulate IgE-Dependent Mast Cell Activation and Allergic Responses
Mankit Law1, YongChan Lee2, J Luis Morales3
1Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease and Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801; Immunology and Infectious Diseases Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; and.
Abstract:
Mast cells play critical roles in allergic responses. Calcium signaling controls the function of these cells, and a role for actin in regulating calcium influx into cells has been suggested. We have previously identified the actin reorganizing protein Drebrin as a target of the immunosuppressant 3,5-bistrifluoromethyl pyrazole, which inhibits calcium influx into cells. In this study, we show that Drebrin(-/-) mice exhibit reduced IgE-mediated histamine release and passive systemic anaphylaxis, and Drebrin(-/-) mast cells also exhibit defects in FcεRI-mediated degranulation. Drebrin(-/-) mast cells exhibit defects in actin cytoskeleton organization and calcium responses downstream of the FcεRI, and agents that relieve actin reorganization rescue mast cell FcεRI-induced degranulation. Our results indicate that Drebrin regulates the actin cytoskeleton and calcium responses in mast cells, thus regulating mast cell function in vivo.
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