High-throughput screening system for dynamic monitoring of exocytotic vesicle trafficking in mast cells

PLoS One. 2018 Jun 8;13(6):e0198785. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198785. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Mast cells, in addition to endocrine cells and neurons, are typical secretory cells. Their function in allergic inflammation is to secrete inflammatory mediators from secretory vesicles. Intracellular synthesized inflammatory mediators are transported by vesicular monoamine transporters (VMATs) to vesicles where they are stored. After stimulation, the contents of the secretory vesicles are released via exocytosis. This study established a high throughput imaging screening system to monitor the functions of secretory vesicles in mast cells, including molecular uptake via VMAT2 and the exocytotic process, by using a novel fluorescent probe, FFN206, which was developed as a VMAT2 substrate. After loading with FFN206, the rapid uptake of FFN206 was observed and secretory vesicles in mouse bone marrow derived mast cells and a cultured mast cell line were clearly visualized. FFN206 uptake by secretory vesicles was time-dependent and was blocked by reserpine. Furthermore, exocytotic trafficking was monitored dynamically by real-time high-throughput fluorescence quantitation. In the present study, we verified the application of FFN206 for the monitoring of functional vesicles. This high-throughput screening system may benefit instinctive drug evaluation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • Exocytosis*
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Fluorescent Dyes / metabolism
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods*
  • Male
  • Mast Cells / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Rats
  • Secretory Vesicles / metabolism*
  • Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Slc18a2 protein, mouse
  • Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins

Grants and funding

MM’s work was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, KAKENHI Grant 25462220 (https://www.jsps.go.jp/). SL was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, KAKENHI Grant 15K19575 (https://www.jsps.go.jp/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.