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A more recent version of this article appeared on September 1, 2007
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Submitted on January 12, 2007
Revised on June 12, 2007
Accepted on June 20, 2007

*Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, United Kingdom;
School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Monitoring Editor: Tom U. Martin
Loss of granule content during exocytosis requires the opening of a fusion pore between the secretory granule and plasma membrane. In a variety of secretory cells this fusion pore has now been shown to subsequently close. However, it is still unclear how pore closure is physiologically regulated and contentious as to how closure relates to granule content loss. Here we examine the behavior of the fusion pore during zymogen granule exocytosis in pancreatic acinar cells. Using entry of high molecular weight dyes from the extracellular solution into the granule lumen, we show that the fusion pore has a diameter of 29-55 nm. We further show that by 5 min after granule fusion, many granules have a closed fusion pore with evidence indicating that pore closure is a prelude to endocytosis, and that in granules with a closed fusion pore the chymotrypsinogen content is low. Finally, we show that Latrunculin B treatment promotes pore closure, suggesting F-actin affects pore dynamics. Taken together our data do not support the classical view in acinar cells that exocytosis ends with granule collapse. Instead, for many granules the fusion pore closes, probably as a transition to endocytosis, and likely involving an F-actin dependent mechanism.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Address correspondence to:
Peter Thorn (p.thorn{at}uq.edu.au)
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