Rab11 Regulates the Mast Cell Exocytic Response

Stimulated exocytic events provide a means for physiological communication and are a hallmark of the mast cell-mediated allergic response. In mast cells these processes are triggered by antigen crosslinking of IgE bound to its high-affinity receptor, FceRI, on the cell surface. Here we use the endosomal v-SNARE VAMP8, and the lysosomal hydrolase beta-hexosaminidase (beta-Hex), each C-terminally fused to super-ecliptic pHluorin, to monitor stimulated exocytosis. Using these pHluorin-tagged constructs, we monitor stimulated exocytosis by fluorimetry and visualize individual exocytic events with total internal reflection (TIRF) microscopy. Similar to constitutive recycling endosome (RE) trafficking, we find that stimulated RE exocytosis, monitored by VAMP8, is attenuated by expression of dominant negative (S25N) Rab11. Stimulated beta-Hex exocytosis is also reduced in the presence of S25N Rab11, suggesting that expression of this mutant broadly impacts exocytosis. Interestingly, pretreatment with inhibitors of actin polymerization, cytochalasin D or latrunculin A, substantially restores both RE and lysosome exocytosis in cells expressing S25N Rab11. Conversely, stabilizing F-actin with jasplakinolide inhibits antigen-stimulated exocytosis but is not additive with S25N Rab11-mediated inhibition, suggesting that these reagents inhibit related processes. Together, our results suggest that Rab11 participates in the regulation necessary for depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton during stimulated exocytosis in mast cells.