Immunogold labeling of the calcium binding protein synexin in isolated adrenal chromaffin granules and chromaffin cells

Exocytotic fusion of granules in the adrenal medulla chromaffin cell is triggered by a rise in the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+ upon cell activation. The protein synexin, annexin VII, was originally found in the adrenal medulla and has been shown to cause aggregation and to support fusion of chromaffin granules in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We have previously suggested that synexin may there fore play a role in the exocytotic fusion process. In order to obtain more structural information on synexin, we performed immuno-electron microscopy on frozen ultrathin sections of both isolated chromaffin granules and chromaffin cells.Chromaffin granules were isolated from bovine adrenal medulla, and synexin was isolated from bovine lung. Granules were incubated in the presence or absence of synexin (24 μg per mg granule protein) and Ca2+ (1 mM), which induces maximal granule aggregation, in 0.3M sucrose-40m MMES buffer(pH 6.0). Granules were pelleted, washed twice in buffer without synexin and fixed with 2% glutaraldehyde- 2% para formaldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (GA/PFA) for 30 min. Chromaffin cells were isolated and cultured for 3-5 days, and washed and incubated in Krebs solution with or without 20 uM nicotine. Cells were fixed 90 sec after on set of stimulation with GA/PFA for 30 min. Fixed granule or cell pellets were washed, infiltrated with 2.3 M sucrose in PBS, mounted and frozen in liquid N2.