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Mast cell degranulation requires N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs)6 and mammalian unc18 (Munc18) fusion accessory proteins for membrane fusion. However, it is still unknown how their interaction supports fusion. Here we found that siRNA-mediated silencing of the isoform Munc18-2 in mast cells inhibits cytoplasmic secretory granule (SG) release but not CCL2 chemokine secretion. Silencing of its SNARE binding partner Syntaxin 3 (STX3) also markedly inhibited degranulation, while combined knock-down produced an additive inhibitory effect. Strikingly, while Munc18-2 silencing impaired SG translocation, silencing of STX3 inhibited fusion demonstrating unique roles of each protein. Immunogold studies showed that both Munc18-2 and STX3 are located on the granule surface, but also within the granule matrix and in small nocodazole-sensitive clusters of the cytoskeletal meshwork surrounding SG. After stimulation clusters containing both effectors were detected at fusion sites. In resting cells, Munc18-2, but not STX3, interacted with tubulin. This interaction was sensitive to nocodazole treatment and decreased after stimulation. Our results indicate that Munc18-2 dynamically couples the membrane fusion machinery to the microtubule cytoskeleton and demonstrate that Munc18-2 and STX3 perform distinct, but complementary, functions to support, respectively, SG translocation and membrane fusion in mast cells.

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