Ca(2+)-dependent amylase secretion from SLO-permeabilized rat pancreatic acini requires diffusible cytosolic proteins

Streptolysin O (SLO)-permeabilized pancreatic acini are now frequently used to study regulated exocytosis in the exocrine pancreas. In this paper we introduce alpha-toxin as a possible alternative permeabilization agent to SLO. Both alpha-toxin and SLO are bacterial cytolysins, but the membrane pores generated by SLO are approximately 5-10 times larger than those formed by alpha-toxin. The Ca2+ requirements for amylase secretion from both types of permeabilized acini were identical, maximal amylase secretion being obtained at 30 microM Ca2+ with an effective concentration of approximately 3-4 microM Ca2+ producing 50% of the maximal response. However, Ca(2+)-stimulated amylase secretion from the SLO-permeabilized acini stopped after 10-15 min, unlike secretion from the alpha-toxin-permeabilized cells, which continued for at least 50 min. The rapid cessation of secretion from the SLO-treated acini reflects the rapid decline in the responsiveness of the cells observed after permeabilization. This decline in Ca(2+)-dependent secretion appears to be due to the loss of cytosol, since addition of purified rat brain cytosol to nonresponsive SLO-permeabilized acini reconstituted regulated secretion. Because alpha-toxin-permeabilized acini maintained their responsiveness, the cytosolic factors lost from the SLO-permeabilized cells must be retained within the toxin-treated cells. The reconstitutive activity of the brain cytosol was nondialyzable but heat and trypsin sensitive, suggesting that the factors responsible are proteins. Of the cytosols screened (brain, liver, spleen, muscle, and lacrimal) only those prepared from brain or lacrimal gland reconstituted Ca(2+)-dependent amylase secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)