The trafficking of α1-antitrypsin, a post-Golgi secretory pathway marker, in INS-1 pancreatic beta cells

A sulfated alpha(1)-antitrypsin (AAT), thought to be a default secretory pathway marker, is not stored in secretory granules when expressed in neuroendocrine PC12 cells. In search of a constitutive secretory pathway marker for pancreatic beta cells, we produced INS-1 cells stably expressing wild-type AAT. Because newly synthesized AAT arrives very rapidly in the Golgi complex, kinetics alone cannot resolve AAT release via distinct secretory pathways, although most AAT is secreted within a few hours and virtually none is stored in mature granules. Nevertheless, from pulse-chase analyses, a major fraction of newly synthesized AAT transiently exhibits secretogogue-stimulated exocytosis and localizes within immature secretory granules (ISGs). This trafficking occurs without detectable AAT polymerization or binding to lipid rafts. Remarkably, in a manner not requiring its glycans, all of the newly synthesized AAT is then removed from granules during their maturation, leading mostly to constitutive-like AAT secretion, whereas a smaller fraction (similar to10%) goes on to lysosomes. Secretogogue-stimulated ISG exocytosis reroutes newly synthesized AAT directly into the medium and prevents its arrival in lysosomes. These data are most consistent with the idea that soluble AAT abundantly enters ISGs and then is efficiently relocated to the endosomal system, from which many molecules undergo constitutive-like secretion while a smaller fraction advances to lysosomes.