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  • Title: Catecholamine secretion from digitonin-treated adrenal medullary chromaffin cells.
    Author: Dunn LA, Holz RW.
    Journal: J Biol Chem; 1983 Apr 25; 258(8):4989-93. PubMed ID: 6833287.
    Abstract:
    The plasma membrane of cultured chromaffin cells from bovine adrenal medulla was rendered leaky by incubation in low concentrations of digitonin. Digitonin (20 microM) induced Ca2+-dependent release of 10-20% of the catecholamine in the presence of 10 microM Ca2+ without addition of secretagogue. Half-maximal catecholamine release occurred at approximately 1 microM Ca2+ x Mg2+ could not substitute for Ca2+. Cells incubated with digitonin rapidly lost their ability to exclude trypan blue. Digitonin caused release of the cytosolic markers lactic dehydrogenase and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, but, in contrast to release of catecholamine, the release of the cytosolic proteins was inhibited by Ca2+. Soluble dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, a protein marker of granule contents, was released proportionally with catecholamine in a Ca2+ dependent manner. Catecholamine release was optimal in solutions containing MgATP. Hence, digitonin-treated cells, although they lose soluble cytosolic proteins and presumably low molecular weight cytosolic constituents, maintain the Ca2+-dependent reactions of exocytosis in the presence of MgATP. Digitonin-treated chromaffin cells may be a powerful system in which to study the biochemical mechanisms underlying exocytosis.
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