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Published online before print September 17, 2007

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© by The Society for Leukocyte Biology
Journal of Leukocyte Biology, doi:10.1189/jlb.0707503

Received for publication July 29, 2007.
Revised August 20, 2007.
Accepted for publication August 21, 2007.

Article

Mechanisms of eosinophil secretion: large vesiculotubular carriers mediate transport and release of granule-derived cytokines and other proteins

Rossana C. N. Melo ^*, Lisa A. Spencer , Ann M. Dvorak , and Peter F. Weller ^@

*Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil; and Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

^@ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pweller{at}bidmc.harvard.edu.

	Abstract

Eosinophils generate and store a battery of proteins, including classical cationic proteins, cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Rapid secretion of these active mediators by eosinophils is central to a range of inflammatory and immunoregulatory responses. Eosinophil products are packaged within a dominant population of cytoplasmic-specific granules and generally secreted by piecemeal degranulation, a process mediated by transport vesicles. Large, pleiomorphic vesiculotubular carriers were identified recently as key players for moving eosinophil proteins from granules to the plasma membrane for extracellular release. During secretion, these specialized, morphologically distinct carriers, termed eosinophil sombrero vesicles, are actively formed and direct differential and rapid release of eosinophil proteins. This review highlights recent discoveries concerning the organization of the eosinophil secretory pathway. These discoveries are defining a broader role for large vesiculotubular carriers in the intracellular trafficking and secretion of proteins, including selective receptor-mediated mobilization and transport of cytokines.

Key Words: vesicular transport • cell biology • inflammation • piecemeal degranulation • eosinophil sombrero vesicles (EoSVs)