Neutrophil (PMN) inflammatory functions, including cell adhesion, diapedesis, and phagocyto-sis, are dependent on the mobilization and release of various intracellular granules/vesicles. In this study, I found that treating PMN with damnacanthal, a Ras family GTPase inhibitor, resulted in a specific release of secondary granules, but not primary or tertiary granules, and caused dy-sregulation of PMN chemotactic transmigration and cell surface protein interactions. Analysis of the activities of Ras members identified Ral GTPase as a key regulator during PMN activation and degranulation. In particular, Ral was active in freshly isolated PMN, while chemoattractant stimulation induced a quick deactivation of Ral that correlated with PMN degranulation. Over-expression of a constitutively active Ral (Ral23V) in PMN inhibited chemoattractant-induced secondary granule release. By subcellular fractionation, I found that Ral, which was associatedwith the plasma membrane under the resting condition, was redistributed to secondary granules after chemoattractant stimulation. Blockage of cell endocytosis appeared to inhibit Ral transloca-tion intracellularly. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that Ral is a critical regulator in PMN that specifically controls secondary granule release during PMN response to chemoattrac-tant stimulation.

Neutrophil (PMN) inflammatory functions, including cell adhesion, diapedesis, and phagocyto-sis, are dependent on the mobilization and release of various intracellular granules/vesicles. In this study, I found that treating PMN with damnacanthal, a Ras family GTPase inhibitor, resulted in a specific release of secondary granules, but not primary or tertiary granules, and caused dy-sregulation of PMN chemotactic transmigration and cell surface protein interactions. Analysis of the activities of Ras members identified Ral GTPase as a key regulator during PMN activation and degranulation. In particular, Ral was active in freshly isolated PMN, while chemoattractant stimulation induced a quick deactivation of Ral that correlated with PMN degranulation. Over-expression of a constitutively active Ral (Ral23V) in PMN inhibited chemoattractant-induced secondary granule release. By subcellular fractionation, I found that Ral, which was associatedwith the plasma membrane under the resting condition, was redistributed to secondary granules after chemoattractant stimulation. Blockage of cell endocytosis appeared to inhibit Ral transloca-tion intracellularly. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that Ral is a critical regulator in PMN that specifically controls secondary granule release during PMN response to chemoattrac-tant stimulation.