Synexin binds in a calcium-dependent fashion to oriented chromaffin cell plasma membranes

Oriented plasma membrane fragments from chromaffin cells, isolated on polylysine-coated polyacrylamide beads, bind synexin in a calcium dependent manner. Synexin binding was also detected on beads coated with chromaffin granule membranes, but not to beads coated with erythrocyte membranes or to uncoated beads. Synexin binding to plasma membrane coated beads showed a specific requirement for calcium (K1 2 = 200 microM) and was insensitive to other divalent cations such as magnesium, strontium and barium. Synexin binding to either plasma membrane or granule membrane coated beads was saturable, was partially reversible by EGTA and was directly observed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.