Synaptotagmin-7 endows a population of chromaffin cell vesicles with enhanced calcium sensing and delayed content release properties

Synaptotagmin-7 (Syt-7) is one of two major calcium sensors for exocytosis in adrenal chromaffin cells, the other being synaptotagmin-1 (Syt-1). Despite its undoubted importance, questions remain as to the functional and physiological role of Syt-7 in secretion. We examined this issue using two distinct preparations - mouse chromaffin cells lacking endogenous Syt-7 (KO cells) and a reconstituted system employing cell-derived vesicles expressing either Syt-7 or Syt-1. First, we report using immunofluorescence that Syt-7 exhibits a punctate intracellular distribution consistent with its sorting to organelles, including dense core vesicles. We also find that the likelihood of vesicle fusion in KO cells is markedly lower than in WT cells. When fusion does occur, cargoes are discharged more rapidly when only Syt-1 is available to facilitate release. A distinctive characteristic of KO cells is that secretion runs down after prolonged cholinergic stimulation. In contrast, exocytosis persists in WT cells even with extended exposure to acetylcholine, suggesting a key role for Syt-7 in sustaining the secretory response. To determine the extent to which the aforementioned results are attributable purely to Syt-7, vesicles expressing only Syt-7 or Syt-1 were triggered to fuse on planar supported bilayers bearing plasma membrane SNARE proteins. Here, as in cells, Syt-7 confers substantially greater calcium sensitivity to vesicle fusion than Syt-1 and slows the rate at which cargos are released. Overall, this study demonstrates that by virtue of its high affinity for calcium, Syt-7 plays a central role in regulating secretory output from adrenal chromaffin cells.