Fig. 7: Rab27a recruits SPIRE1 to melanosomes in melanocytes.

Melanocytes were transfected with plasmids allowing expression of the indicated proteins as fusions to the C-terminus of EGFP. Cells were fixed after 48 h, stained with GFP-specific antibodies to detect the expressed proteins, and the intracellular distribution of expressed protein and melanosomes was observed using a confocal microscope (see Experimental procedures). a–e Single confocal z-sections of the distribution of each protein, pigmented melanosomes (transmitted light/phase contract images) and merge images (melanosomes pseudo-coloured magenta). Upper panels show whole cells. Boxes indicate regions shown in lower panels at high magnification allowing comparison of the distribution of melanosomes and fluorescent protein. Line plots are fluorescence intensity profile plots of the boxed regions in high-magnification images averaged along the vertical axis. a–c, d and e are melan-a, melan-ln and melan-ash cells. d, e Yellow lines indicate the borders of transfected cells. Scale bars = 20 μm and 3 μm in main images and magnified portions. Source data are provided in the Supplementary Source data file.