Rm. Smith et al., Exocytotic insertion of calcium channels constrains compensatory endocytosis to sites of exocytosis, J CELL BIOL, 148(4), 2000, pp. 755-767
Proteins inserted into the cell surface by exocytosis are thought to be ret
rieved by compensatory endocytosis, suggesting that retrieval requires gran
ule proteins. In sea urchin eggs, calcium influx through P-type calcium cha
nnels is required for retrieval, and the large size of sea urchin secretory
granules permits the direct observation of retrieval. Here we demonstrate
that retrieval is limited to sites of prior exocytosis. We tested whether c
hannel distribution can account for the localization of retrieval at exocyt
otic sites. We find that P-channels reside on secretory granules before fer
tilization, and are translocated to the egg surface by exocytosis. Our stud
y provides strong evidence that the transitory insertion of P-type calcium
channels in the surface membrane plays an obligatory role in the mechanism
coupling exocytosis and compensatory endocytosis.