Plasmalemmal repair (sealing) is necessary for survival of damaged eukaryotic cells. Ca(2+) influx through plasmalemmal disruptions activates pathways that initiate sealing, which is commonly assessed by exclusion of extracellular dye. These sealing pathways include PKA, Epac, and cytosolic oxidation. In this article, we investigate whether PKA, Epac, and/or cytosolic oxidation, activate specific proteins required to produce a plasmalemmal seal. We report that toxin cleavage of proteins required for neurotransmitter release (SNAP-25), inhibition of Golgi trafficking (with Brefeldin A: Bref A) or inhibition of N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) all decrease sealing of rat B104 hippocampal cells with transected neuritis in vitro. Epac, but not PKA or cytosolic oxidation, partly overcomes the decrease in sealing produced by cleavage of SNAP-25. PKA and increased cytosolic oxidation, but not Epac, can partly overcome the decrease in sealing due to Bref A. PKA, Epac, and/or cytosolic oxidation cannot overcome NSF inhibition. Substances that affect plasmalemmal sealing of B104 neurites in vitro have similar effects on plasmalemmal sealing in rat sciatic axons ex vivo. From these and other data, we propose a model of plasmalemmal sealing having three redundant, evolutionarily conserved, parallel pathways that all converge on NSF.
Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.