The presence of unique proteins in synaptic vesicles of neurons suggests selective targeting during vesicle formation. Endocrine, but not other cells, also express synaptic vesicle membrane proteins and target them selectively to small intracellular vesicles. We show that the rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC12, has a population of small vesicles with sedimentation and density properties very similar to those of rat brain synaptic vesicles. When synaptophysin is expressed in nonneuronal cells, it is found in intracellular organelles that are not the size of synaptic vesicles. The major protein in the small vesicles isolated from PC12 cells is found to be synaptophysin, which is also the major protein in rat brain vesicles. At least two of the minor proteins in the small vesicles are also known synaptic vesicle membrane proteins. Synaptic vesicle-like structures in PC12 cells can be shown to take up an exogenous bulk phase marker, HRP. Their proteins, including synaptophysin, are labeled if the cells are surface labeled and subsequently warmed. Although the PC12 vesicles can arise by endocytosis, they seem to exclude the receptor-mediated endocytosis marker, transferrin. We conclude that PC12 cells contain synaptic vesicle-like structures that resemble authentic synaptic vesicles in physical properties, protein composition and endocytotic origin.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
1 May 1990
Article|
May 01 1990
Biogenesis of synaptic vesicle-like structures in a pheochromocytoma cell line PC-12.
L Clift-O'Grady,
L Clift-O'Grady
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
Search for other works by this author on:
A D Linstedt,
A D Linstedt
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
Search for other works by this author on:
A W Lowe,
A W Lowe
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
Search for other works by this author on:
E Grote,
E Grote
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
Search for other works by this author on:
R B Kelly
R B Kelly
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
Search for other works by this author on:
L Clift-O'Grady
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
A D Linstedt
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
A W Lowe
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
E Grote
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
R B Kelly
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448.
Online ISSN: 1540-8140
Print ISSN: 0021-9525
J Cell Biol (1990) 110 (5): 1693–1703.
Citation
L Clift-O'Grady, A D Linstedt, A W Lowe, E Grote, R B Kelly; Biogenesis of synaptic vesicle-like structures in a pheochromocytoma cell line PC-12.. J Cell Biol 1 May 1990; 110 (5): 1693–1703. doi: https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.110.5.1693
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionEmail alerts
Advertisement
Advertisement