Neurosecretory cells without neurosecretion: evidence of an independently regulated trait of the cell phenotype

Neurosecretion competence is a fundamental property that enables differentiated neurones and professional neurosecretory cells to store neurotransmitters and hormones in specialized organelles, the synaptic-like vesicles and dense granules, and to release them by regulated exocytosis. In our laboratory the study of rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) clones that fail to express the above organelles or any other components involved in neurosecretion, whilst maintaining most of the general markers of the parental population, has served to demonstrate that this trait is controlled independently from the rest of the phenotype. The present review focuses on recent advances in elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing neurosecretion competence. Moreover, the opportunities that such neurosecretion-defective PC12 clones offer for the investigation of new aspects of regulated exocytosis and the localization of its components are summarized.