The molecular mechanisms by which dense core vesicles(DCVs) translocate,tether,dock and prime are poorly understood.In this study,Caenorhabditis elegans was used as a model organism to study the function of Rab proteins and their effectors in DCV exocytosis.RAB-27/AEX-6,but not RAB-3,was found to be required for peptide release from neurons.By analyzing the movement of DCVs approaching the plasma membrane using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy,we demonstrated that RAB-27/AEX-6 is involved in the tethering of DCVs and that its effector rabphilin/RBF-1 is required for the initial tethering and subsequent stabilization by docking.
FENG Wan JuanLIANG TaoYU JunWeiZHOU WeiZHANG YongDengWU ZhengXingXU Tao
