Changes in plasma membrane enzyme activities during liver regeneration in the rat

Changes in activities of plasma membrane enzymes during liver regeneration may be related to the maintenance of hepatic function or to the regulation of cell proliferation. Plasma membranes were isolated from rat livers at various times after partial hepatectomy, and the specific activities of alkaline phosphatase, (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase, leucine aminopeptidase, 5′-nucleotidase, and adenylate cyclase (basal and with glucagon or epinephrine) were measured. Alkaline phosphatase and (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase activity increased 3.6-fold and 2-fold respectively, during the first 48 h after partial hepatectomy. The time of onset and duration of change suggest that these increases in activity are involved in the maintenance of bile secretion. Decreases in leucine aminopeptidase activity at 48–108 h and in 5′-nucleotidase activity at 12–24 h were observed, which may be involved in the restoration of protein and accumulation of RNA. The basal activity of adenylate cyclase increased after partial hepatectomy. The response of adenylate cyclase to epinephrine showed a transitory increase between 36 and 108 h after surgery, while the response to glucagon was decreased by approximately 50% at all time points through 324 h after surgery. These changes in the hormone responsiveness of adenylate cyclase are similar to those previously observed in fetal and preneoplastic liver.     

Hormone responsiveness of plasma membrane-bound enzymes in normal and regenerating rat liver.

The hormonal responsiveness of plasma membrane-bound enzymes (Na-+-K-+)-ATPase and adenylate cyclase has been investigated in normal and regenerating rat liver. (Na-+-K-+)-ATPase basal activity is not affected by surgery and only slightly affected by partial hepatectomy; its response to epinephrine and cyclic AMP is decreased only 15 h after hepatectomy. Adenylate cyclase activity of plasma membranes from untreated animals is stimulated by parathyroid hormone and thyroxine; partial hepatectomy increased basal activity as well as the stimulation exerted by the aforementioned hormones, when glucagon and epinephrine sensitivity is essentially unaltered.     

Changes in some marker enzyme activities of liver plasma membranes during regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats.

Liver plasma membranes were isolated from regenerating rat livers between 20 h and 10 days after partial hepatectomy in order to study the effect of partial hepatectomy on some membrane enzyme activities. Mg2+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.4) activity, but not (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity, decreased slightly at 2 days, whereas leucyl beta-naphthylamidase (EC3.4.1.1) and 5'-nucleotidase (EC3.1.3.5) activities increased considerably at 1-2 and 3-5 days, respectively. These changes were not parallel to a sharp increase in mitotic activity of liver cells which occurred at 36 h.     

Subfractionation of rat liver plasma membrane. Uneven distribution of plasma membrane-bound enzymes on the liver cell surface.

Plasma membranes were isolated from rat liver mainly under isotonic conditions. As marker enzymes for the plasma membrane, 5'-nucleotidase and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase were used. The yield of plasma membrane was 0.6-0.9 mg protein per g wet weight of liver. The recovery of 5'-nucleotidase and (Na+ +K+)-ATPase activity was 18 and 48% of the total activity of the whole-liver homogenate, respectively. Judged from the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase and succinate dehydrogenase in the plasma membrane, and from the electron microscopic observation of it, the contamination by microsomes and mitochondria was very low. A further homogenization of the plasma membrane yielded two fractions, the light and heavy fractions, in a discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. The light fraction showed higher specific activities of 5'-nucleotidase, alkaline phosphatase, (Na+ +K+)-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase, whereas the heavy one showed a higher specific activity of adenylate cyclase. Ligation of the bile duct for 48 h decreased the specific activities of (Na2+ +K+)-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase in the light fraction, whereas it had no significant influence on the activities of these enzymes in the heavy fraction. The specific activity of alkaline phosphate was elevated in both fractions by the obstruction of the bile flow. Electron microscopy on sections of the plasma membrane subfractions showed that the light fraction consisted of vesicles of various sizes and that the heavy fractions contained membrane sheets and paired membrane strips connected by junctional complexes, as well as vesicles. The origin of these two fractions is discussed and it is suggested that the light fraction was derived from the bile front of the liver cell surface and the heavy one contained the blood front and the lateral surface of it.     

Effect of colchicine on rat liver plasma membrane

Colchicine effect has been tested on rat liver plasma membrane-bound enzymes after in vitro or in vivo treatment. It appears that the in vitro treatment does not affect 5'-nucleotidase, Mg2+-ATPase and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, whereas adenylate cyclase is sensitive to both in vitro and in vivo treatment, the latter condition being also effective for 5'-nucleotidase.     

Effect of vanadium compounds on the enzymic activity in sarcolemma of developing muscles

Sodium metavanadate (10(-4)-10(-6) M) stimulates the activity of adenylate cyclase and decreases the activity of Na+, K+-ATRase and 5'-nucleotidase in the sarcolemma fraction of chicken skeletal muscles at the embryonal and postembryonal developmental stages. Under conditions of a combined action of vanadate and guanylic nucleotides on the adenylate cyclase activity their effects are found to be potentiated. Epinephrine in vitro removes an inhibitory influence of vanadate on Na+, K+-ATPase from the third week of twe embryonal period. The restoring effect of epinephrine is blocked by propranol--a beta-adrenoblocker.     

Two site binding of bepridil and modulation of adenylate cyclase in cardiac sarcolemmal membranes

A preparation of cardiac sarcolemmal membranes is described. These membranes exhibit 9-24-fold purification of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, potassium-stimulated nitrophenolphosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase, adenylate cyclase, sialic acid content, and beta-receptor number. Sarcolemmal membranes have two classes of binding sites for the calcium entry blocker, bepridil, 70 X 10(12) high-affinity sites/mg, Kd 25-40 nM; and 30 X 10(15) low-affinity sites/mg, Kd 54-70 microM. Binding of bepridil to these sites appears responsible for inhibition of isoprenaline-stimulated and activation of fluoride-stimulated adenylate cyclase. Since basal adenylate cyclase activity is not influenced, bepridil must act not at the catalytic site, but by altering the interactions between beta-receptor and catalytic and regulatory components of adenylate cyclase.     

The influence of changes in the phospholipid pattern of intact fibroblasts on the activities of four membrane-bound enzymes.

Human skin fibroblasts, grown to confluency in the presence of 32P for random labelling of the phospholipids, showed upon 24 h incubation in the presence of either 8 mM L-serine or 4 mM ethanolamine an increased content of phosphatidylserine (150% of control cells) or phosphatidylethanolamine (116% of control cells), respectively. Concomitantly the phosphatidylcholine correspondingly decreased. Upon cell harvesting and gentle enzyme preparation the base-treated cells demonstrated a significantly higher unstimulated, fluoride- and thyrotropin-stimulated activity of adenylate cyclase. The activities of total ATPase, ouabain-sensitive ATPase, 5'-nucleotidase and gamma-glutamyltransferase remained unaltered. When subjecting enzyme preparations from fibroblasts to ultrasonication the activity of adenylate cyclase decreased progressively with energy applied, whereas the activities of the other enzymes were unaltered ((K+ + Na+)-ATPase, 5'-nucleotidase) or even increased (Mg2+-ATPase, gamma-glutamyltransferase). The results have a bearing upon the regulatory function of the phospholipid microenvironment of membrane-bound enzymes.     

The surface membrane of the small intestinal epithelial cell. I. Localization of adenyl cyclase.

The subcellular distribution of adenyl cyclase was investigated in small intestinal epithelial cells. Enterocytes were isolated, disrupted and the resulting membranes fractionated by differential and sucrose gradient centrifugation. Separation of luminal (brush border) and contra-luminal (basolateral) plasma membrane was achieved on a discontinuous sucrose gradient. The activity of adenyl cyclase was followed during fractionation in relation to other enzymes, notably those considered as markers for luminal and contraluminal plasma membrane. The luminal membrane was identified by the membrane-bound enzymes sucrase and alkaline phosphatase and the basolateral region by (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. Enrichment of the former two enzymes in purified luminal plasma membrane was 8-fold over cells and that of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in purified bisolateral plasma membranes was 13-fold. F--activated adenyl cyclase co-purified with (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, suggesting a common localization on the plasma membrane. The distribution of K+-stimulated phosphatase and 5'-nucleotidase also followed (Na+ + K+)-ATPase during fractionation.     

Preparation of renal cortex basal-lateral and bursh border membranes. Localization of adenylate cyclase and guanylate cyclase activities.

Luminal brush border and contraluminal basal-lateral segments of the plasma membrane from the same kidney cortex were prepared. The brush border membrane preparation was enriched in trehalase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, whereas the basal-lateral membrane preparation was enriched in (Na+ + K+1)-ATPase. However, the specific activity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in brush border membranes also increased relative to that in the crude plasma membrane fraction, suggesting that (Na+ + K+)-ATPase may be an intrinsic constituent of the renal brush border membrane in addition to being prevalent in the basal-lateral membrane. Adenylate cyclase had the same distribution pattern as (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, i.e. higher specific activity in basal-lateral membranes and present in brush border membranes. Adenylate cyclase in both membrane preparations was stimulated by parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, epinephrine, prostaglandins and 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate. When the agonists were used in combination enhancements were additive. In contrast to the distribution of adenylate cyclase, guanylate cyclase was found in the cytosol and in basal-lateral membranes with a maximal specific activity (NaN3 plus Triton X-100) 10-fold that in brush border membranes. ATP enhanced guanylate cyclase activity only in basal-lateral membranes. It is proposed that guanylate cyclase, in addition to (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, be used as an enzyme "marker" for the renal basal-lateral membrane.     

Cholera toxin blocks glucagon-mediated inhibition of the liver plasma membrane (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase

We have previously shown that liver plasma membrane (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase activity is inhibited by glucagon. To investigate the possible involvement of a GTP-binding (G) protein in this regulation, we have examined the effects of pertussis toxin and cholera toxin on inhibition of (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase by glucagon. Treatment of liver plasma membranes with pertussis toxin did not affect the sensitivity of (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase to the hormone. In contrast, treatment of plasma membranes or prior injection of animals with cholera toxin prevented inhibition of the (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase by glucagon. Even though adenylate cyclase activity was increased by cholera toxin treatment, addition of cyclic AMP did not mimic the effect of cholera toxin in blocking glucagon-mediated inhibition of (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase activity. These data suggest that a cholera toxin-sensitive protein, perhaps Gs or a Gs-like protein, is involved in the regulation of liver (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase activity. The results emphasize the possible role of Gs-like proteins in regulation of enzymes other than adenylate cyclase and suggest that the study of (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase may provide a useful enzymatic system to examine such regulation.     

Isolation of a unique peptide inhibitor of hormone-responsive adenylate cyclase.

We have perfused isolated rat livers with hypocalcemic (4.4 mg 100 ml) Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate albumin buffer. After 15 min of perfusion, a substance appeared in the perfusate which decreased rat renal adenylate cyclase activation by parathyroid hormone (PTH). The material in the perfusate was purified greater than 50,000-fold by Bio-Gel P-10 chromatography. The purified antagonist decreased the activation of rat renal cortical adenylate cyclase by PTH, glucagon, and epinephrine 75 to 100%. Concentration response curves for each of the hormones indicated a noncompetitive interaction of the inhibitor with the hormone. The inhibition was not species-specific, as the activation of the parathyroid hormone-responsive adenylate cyclase in cat renal cortex was also abolished by the inhibitor from the perfused rat liver. The inhibitor is a peptide, Mr equal to similar to 1000, which is heat-stable, acid-stable, alkai-labile, and is destroyed by trypsin, leucine aminopeptidase, and elastase. It is not destroyed by phosphodiesterase, 5'-nucleotidase, alkaline phosphatase, neuraminidase, RNase, or phospholipase A. The inhibitor is not produced by isolated rat livers perfused with normocalcemic perfusion media. It is unclear whether the peptide is synthesized by the liver or whether it is a breakdown product of a larger peptide or protein in the liver. This is the first reported peptide inhibitor of adenylate cyclase.     

Separation of the microvillous (maternal) from the basal (fetal) plasma membrane of human term placenta: methods and physiological significance of marker enzyme distribution.

Plasma membranes from normal, full-term human placental trophoblast have been isolated by a new procedure. The method depends upon isopycnic zonal centrifugation using linear sucrose/Ficoll density gradients. Enrichment of plasma membrane marker enzymes with respect to trophoblast homogenate is found in two distinct peaks (designated B and D) of the fractionated effluent recovered from the rotor. Fraction B is enriched with membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase and 5'-nucleotidase, but not with (Na+, K+)-ATPase of F(-)-stimulated adenylate cyclase. It is suggested that this material is derived from the maternal-facing microvillous plasma membrane. Fraction D, enriched with (Na+, K+)-ATPase, F(-)-stimulated adenylate cyclase and, to a smaller extent, with 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphatase is, by exclusion, proposed to be derived from the fetal-facing basal plasma membrane. Both plasma membrane fractions are shown to be free of appreciable contamination, using specific markers for endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, nuclei and lysosomes. The separation of the two membrane fractions is shown to depend both upon these membranes forming closed vesicles during homogenization and upon the buoyant densities of such vesicles differing in such a way that microvillous plasma membranes band at a lower density than basal plasma membranes. No separation of the membranes is achieved in gradients in which the vesicles are collapsed.     

Inhibition by glucagon of the calcium pump in liver plasma membranes

The ATP-dependent calcium transport in plasma membrane vesicles prepared from rat liver was inhibited by 0.1 to 10 microM glucagon. Inhibition of the high affinity (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase was observed concomitantly. This effect was neither mimicked by cyclic AMP nor by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. A study of the structure-activity relationships of six glucagon derivatives demonstrated the specificity of glucagon action since only one or two analogs markedly altered the (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase activity. The study also demonstrated the total absence of correlation between adenylate cyclase activation and (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase inhibition induced by these glucagon derivatives. The decrease in the maximal velocities induced by glucagon of both calcium transport and (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase activity were related to a reduction in the rate of dephosphorylation of the Ca-dependent phosphorylated intermediate of the enzyme. This phosphorylated intermediate was characterized as a 32P-labeled 110,000-dalton protein which accumulated to 50 to 150% over the basal level in the presence of glucagon. The present results demonstrate a novel aspect of the role of glucagon as a calcium-mobilizing agent.     

Studies on isolated subcellular components of cat pancreas. I. Isolation and enzymatic characterization.

Pancreas of the cat was fractionated into its subcellular components by centrifugation through an exponential ficoll-sucrose density gradient in a zonal rotor. This enables a preparation of four fractions enriched in plasma membranes, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and zymogen granules, respectively. The first fraction, enriched by 9- to 15-fold in the plasma membrane marker enzymes, hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase, (Na+K+)-ATPase, and 5'-nucleotidase, is contaminated by membranes derived from endoplasmic reticulum but is virtually free from mitochondrial and zymogen-granule contamination. The second fraction from the zonal gradient shows only moderate enrichment of the above marker enzymes but contains a considerable quantity of plasma membrane marker enzymes and represents mostly rough endoplasmic reticulum. The third fraction contains the bulk of mitochondria and the fourth mainly zymogen granules as assessed by electron microscopy and marker enzymes for both mitochondria and zymogen granules, namely succinic dehydrogenase, trypsin and amylase. Further purification of the plasma membrane fractions by differential and sucrose step-gradient centrifugation yields plasma membranes enriched 40-fold in basal and hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase and (Na+K+)-ATPase.     

Purification of plasma membrane fractions from the bovine pars intermedia and neurohypophyseal lobe and properties of associated adenylate cyclase.

A procedure for the isolation of plasma-membrane-enriched fractions from bovine 'pars intermedia' and neurohypophysis is described. Various fractions are isolated by differential centrifugation and discontinuous sucrose density gradients. The plasma-membrane-enriched fractions have a density in sucrose of 1.14 and 1.16 and the yields are 1.8 mg and 1.5 mg per gram of tissue for the pars intermedia and neural lobe, respectively. The fractions are characterized by electron microscopy and enzymatic assays. The plasma membrane fractions are mainly vesicular in nature and are free of nuclei, mitochondria, and microsomes when examined by electron microscopy. 5'-Nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) and Mg2+-(Na+ + K+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) activities are concentrated in the plasma-membrane-enriched fraction. Also, adenylate cyclase (EC 4.61.1) shows a 5 to 10-fold purification in the isolated membrane fraction. NaF (10mM) gives a two to three-fold stimulation of enzymatic activity in all fractions studied The yields of adenylate cyclase, 5'-nucleotidase, and Mg2+-(Na+ +K+)-ATPase are about 6% in the membrane fraction.     

Muscarinic receptor regulation of NG108-15 adenylate cyclase: requirement for Na+ and GTP

Cholinergic agonists inhibit the basal and PGE1-activated adenylate cyclase activity in membranes isolated from the mouse neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cell NG108-15. Inhibition is observed with acetylcholine, acetyl-beta-methylcholine and carbachol and is blocked by two specific muscarinic antagonists, atropine and quinuclydinylbenzilate. Inhibition of basal and PGE1-activated activity is only partial. Carbachol-directed inhibition has an apparent Km of 6 microM in the presence or absence of PGE1. Both the guanine nucleotide GTP and the monovalent cation Na+ are required for this muscarinic inhibition of basal and PGE1-activated NG108-15 adenylate cyclase. The selectivity observed for monovalent cations (all chloride salts) in this process is Na+ congruent to Li+ greater than K+ greater than Choline+ with the ED50 for Na+ congruent 40 microM. Of the nucleotides tested, only IT (and not ATP, UTP or CTP) replaces GTP in this process. GTP at 10 microM represents a saturating nucleotide concentration. Opiate-directed inhibition of NG108-15 adenylate cyclase has recently been shown to exhibit a similar requirement for GTP and Na+ [Blume, A. J., Lichtshtein, D. and Boone, G. (1979) Proc. National Academy of Sciences, USA, in press]. The data presented here therefore support the hypothesis that the general transfer of inhibitory information from membrane receptors to adenylate cyclase involves both a Na+ and GTP-sensitive process.     

Effect of vanadate on amino acid transport in rat jejunum

Vanadate has been reported to inhibit (Na+ + K+)-ATPase of many cells and in some systems to stimulate adenylate cyclase. Since intestinal transport is influenced by these enzymes, we studied the effects of varying concentrations of orthovanadate (VO-4) on alanine transport in the in vitro rat jejunum. At the higher concentrations tested (10(-3) and 10(-2) M) vanadate had a ouabainlike action on alanine transport. It decreased the mucosal-to-serosal flux and the influx of alanine into the intestinal epithelium and it caused a reduction of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity of basolateral membranes. The relatively lower vanadate concentration of 10(-4) M increased the influx and the efflux of alanine across the mucosal border of the jejunum. The increase was associated with elevation of cyclic AMP in the intestinal mucosa. The studies suggest the presence of a dual action of vanadate on amino acid transport, a stimulatory effect at low concentration, due to increased adenylate cyclase activity, and an inhibitory effect at higher concentrations, due to a decreased activity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase.     

Ca2+-stimulated, Mg2+-dependent ATPase in bovine thyroid plasma membranes

An isolated plasma membrane fraction from bovine thyroid glands contained a Ca2+-stimulated, Mg2+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase ((Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase) activity which was purified in parallel to (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and adenylate cyclase. The (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase activity was maximally stimulated by approx. 200 microM added calcium in the presence of approx. 200 microM EGTA (69.7 +/- 5.2 nmol/mg protein per min). In EGTA-washed membranes, the enzyme was stimulated by calmodulin and inhibited by trifluoperazine.     

Plasma membrane changes associated with rat liver regeneration

The lipid composition and fluidity of plasma membranes have been studied at different stages of liver regeneration (4, 15 and 24 h after surgery). The phospholipid and fatty acid composition is not modified, whereas the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio is lower with respect to control membranes. The modification of the physical properties of the membranes has been studied directly by EPR analysis and indirectly by temperature dependence and cooperativity of some membrane-bound enzymes (Mg2+-ATPase, (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and 5'nucleotidase). Surgical operation or anaesthesia alone causes an early increase in fluidity; such an effect appears to be markedly reduced at a later stage. There seems to be a marked effect of regeneration on plasma membrane fluidity 15 h after partial hepatectomy when several parameters--surface fluidity, cholesterol/phospholipid ratio, and 5'-nucleotidase activity in the presence of concanavalin A -- are modified and indicate an increase in membrane fluidity. It is suggested that this modification of membrane properties could be related to the proliferative process.