Role of acidic intracellular compartments in the biosynthesis of Dictyostelium lysosomal enzymes. The weak bases ammonium chloride and chloroquine differentially affect proteolytic processing and sorting

Radiolabel pulse-chase and subcellular fractionation procedures were used to analyze the transport, proteolytic processing, and sorting of two lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum cells treated with the weak bases ammonium chloride and chloroquine. Dictyostelium lacks detectable cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptors and represents an excellent system to investigate alternative mechanisms for lysosomal enzyme targeting. Exposure of growing cells to ammonium chloride, which increased the pH in intracellular vacuoles from 5.4 to 5.8-6.1, slowed but did not prevent the proteolytic processing and correct localization of pulse-radiolabeled precursors to the lysosomal enzymes alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase. Additionally, ammonium chloride did not affect transport of the enzymes to the Golgi complex, as they acquired resistance to the enzyme endoglycosidase H at the same rate as in control cells. When the pH of lysosomal and endosomal organelles was raised to 6.4 with higher concentrations of ammonium chloride, the percentage of secreted (apparently mis-sorted) precursor polypeptides increased slightly, but proteolytic processing of intermediate forms of lysosomal enzymes to mature forms was greatly reduced. The intermediate and mature forms of alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase did, however, accumulate intracellularly in vesicles similar in density to lysosomes. In contrast, in cells exposed to low concentrations of chloroquine the intravacuolar pH increased only slightly (to 5.7); however, enzymes were inefficiently processed and, instead, rapidly secreted as precursor molecules. Experiments involving the addition of chloroquine at various times during the chase of pulse-radiolabeled cells demonstrated that this weak base acted on a distal Golgi or prelysosomal compartment to prevent the normal sorting of lysosomal enzymes. These results suggest that although acidic endosomal/lysosomal compartments may be important for the complete proteolytic processing of lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium, low pH is not essential for the proper targeting of precursor polypeptides. Furthermore, certain amines may induce mis-sorting of these enzymes by pH-independent mechanisms.     

Inhibition of intracellular sorting and processing of lysosomal cathepsins H and L at reduced temperature in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

Our recent studies with pulse-chase kinetic analysis in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes suggest that newly synthesized lysosomal cathepsins H and L are initially synthesized as larger proform enzymes, and then the precursor molecules are subsequently converted to the mature enzymes by limited proteolysis during the intracellular sorting process. This proteolytic maturation of procathepsins appears to proceed within an acidic environment, and these processing events are closely connected with the activation of enzymes. To further characterize the intracellular processing site for lysosomal cathepsins H and L, the pulse-chase kinetic study was carried out at 20 degrees C in cultured rat hepatocytes, because the transport of the procathepsins was expected to be blocked at the trans-Golgi compartment at 20 degrees C. We show here that the newly synthesized procathepsins are accumulated intracellularly and the processing for lysosomal cathepsins is completely arrested at 20 degrees C along the sorting pathway. The procathepsins thus accumulated in the cell are presumed to be transported to the Golgi complex, since the oligosaccharide moieties of these polypeptides appear to be phosphorylated. When the cells were shifted to 37 degrees C after an incubation for 4 h at 20 degrees C, a gradual increase of the mature forms was found. However, the processing kinetics generating the mature enzymes were slow compared to those in control cells at 37 degrees C. When the NH4Cl was present in the cells after the temperature shift to 37 degrees C, the intracellular processing of procathepsins was considerably retarded and the release of intracellular procathepsins into the extracellular medium was observed. These results indicate that NH4Cl might exert the inhibitory effect on the mannose 6-phosphate receptor-mediated intracellular targeting mechanism for the lysosomal cathepsins. Hence, the intracellular location of procathepsins accumulated at 20 degrees C is considered to be in proximity to the trans-Golgi compartment. Taken together, the present observations suggest that the propeptide-processing step for procathepsins, which is a critical step for generating the active enzymes, proceeds within the prelysosomal compartment or the lysosomes after the enzymes leave the trans-Golgi compartment.     

Biosynthesis and processing of lysosomal cathepsin L in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

The biosynthesis and proteolytic processing of lysosomal cathepsin L was studied using in vitro translation system and in vivo pulse-chase analysis with [35S]methionine and [32P]phosphate in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Messenger RNA prepared from membrane-bound but not free polysomes directed the synthesis of a primary translation product of an immunoprecipitable 37.5-kDa cathepsin L in vitro. The 37.5-kDa form was converted to the 39-kDa form when translated in the presence of dog pancreas microsomes. During pulse-chase experiments with [35S]methionine in cultured rat hepatocytes, cathepsin L was first synthesized as a 39-kDa protein, presumably the proform, after a short time of labeling, and was subsequently processed into the mature forms of 30 and 25 kDa in the cell. On the other hand, considerable amounts of the proenzyme were found to be secreted into the culture medium without further proteolytic processing during the chase. The precursor and mature enzymes were N-glycosylated with high-mannose-type oligosaccharides, and the proenzyme molecule contained phosphorylated oligosaccharides. The effects of tunicamycin and chloroquine were also investigated. In the presence of tunicamycin, a 36-kDa unglycosylated polypeptide appeared in the cell and this protein was exclusively secreted from the cells without undergoing proteolytic processing. These results suggest that cathepsin L is initially synthesized on membrane-bound polysomes as a 37.5-kDa prepropeptide and that the cotranslational cleavage of the 1.5-kDa signal peptide and the core glycosylation convert the precursor to the 39-kDa proform, which is subsequently processed to the mature form during biosynthesis. Thus, the biosynthesis and secretion of lysosomal cathepsin L in rat hepatocytes seem to be analogous to those of the major excreted protein of transformed mouse fibroblasts [S. Gal, M. C. Willingham, and M. M. Gottesman (1985) J. Cell Biol. 100, 535-544] and the mouse cysteine proteinase of activated macrophages [D.A. Portnoy, A. H. Erickson, J. Kochan, J. V. Ravetch, and J. C. Unkeless (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 14697-14703].     

Cysteine proteinases in bronchoalveolar epithelial cells and lavage fluid of rat lung

We examined the presence of cathepsins B, H, and L in bronchoalveolar epithelial cells, including alveolar macrophages, and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), using immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting. By light and electron microscopy, immunoreactivity for cathepsins B, H, and L was detected in lysosomes of ciliated and non-ciliated epithelial cells of bronchi and bronchioles, and in macrophages. Immunodeposits for cathepsin H only were demonstrated in lamellar bodies of Type II alveolar epithelial cells, suggesting the cosecretion of surfactants and cathepsin H from the cells into the alveolar space. By immunoblotting, cathepsins B and H were found to be present in BALF. To further investigate the origin of these enzymes in BALF, alveolar macrophages obtained from BALF were cultured for 6 hr in a serum-free medium. Immunoblotting revealed that protein bands corresponding to the pro-form and mature form of cathepsin B and the mature form of cathepsin H were present in the culture medium. From these results, the presence of cathepsins B and H in BALF can be explained by the fact that cathepsin B is secreted from alveolar macrophages and cathepsin H is secreted mainly with surfactants from Type II cells and also from macrophages.     

Identification of latent procathepsins B and L in microsomal lumen: characterization of enzymatic activation and proteolytic processing in vitro

Procathepsins B and L in the hepatic endoplasmic lumen were identified as having a molecular weight of 39,000 by immunoblot analysis. The proenzymes were then purified to remove the mature enzymes by concanavalin A-Sepharose chromatography. The concanavalin A-adsorbed fractions containing the proenzymes showed no appreciable activities of cathepsins B and L. When those fractions were incubated at pH 3.0, the enzymatic activities markedly increased: the activities of cathepsins B and L after 36 h incubation were 60 and 210 times those of the controls, respectively. Immunoblot analysis showed that after 36 h incubation the proenzymes disappeared and the mature enzymes increased. Thus the proenzymes were processed to the mature enzymes under acidic conditions of pH 3.0. The marked increases of enzymatic activities and the conversion of the proenzymes to the mature forms were completely blocked with pepstatin, which is a potent inhibitor of aspartic proteases. The results strongly suggested that a processing protease for procathepsins B and L might be cathepsin D, a major lysosomal aspartic protease. Indeed, lysosomal cathepsin D could convert microsomal procathepsin B to the mature enzyme in vitro. Therefore, procathepsins B and L seem first to be synthesized as enzymatically inactive forms in endoplasmic reticulum and successively may be converted into active forms by cathepsin D in lysosomal compartments.     

Pulse-chase studies of the synthesis of apolipoprotein B in a human hepatoma cell line, Hep G2

We have used pulse-chase methodology to study the synthesis of apolipoprotein B in a human hepatoma-derived cell line, the Hep G2 cells. A 2-min pulse with [35S]methionine was followed by a chase period varying from 5-90 min. A protein of large molecular mass (estimated molecular mass: 312 +/- 41 kDa, mean +/- SD, n = 8) could be immunoprecipitated from the cells at all chase periods between 5 min and 60 min with both monoclonal antibodies to a narrow density cut of the low density lipoprotein LDL-2 (density: 1.030-1.055 g/ml) and polyclonal antibodies to the apolipoprotein B apo B 100 or to a narrow density cut of LDL-2 (density: 1.030-1.055 g/ml). In addition to this large molecular mass protein, nascent polypeptides could be precipitated after 5, 10 and 15 min of chase. The apolipoprotein B molecules that had been labelled during the pulse disappeared from the cells after 60-90 min of chase, while they started to appear in the medium after 30-35 min of chase. The results obtained indicate (a) that apolipoprotein B is synthesized as one polypeptide with a large molecular mass, (b) that newly synthesized apolipoprotein B molecules are secreted after a delay of 30-35 min, (c) that no intracellular accumulation of apolipoprotein B occurs, and (d) that apolipoprotein B is recovered in the density fraction less than 1.21 g/ml of the medium suggesting that it is secreted in lipoprotein form.     

Protease activity in protein-free NSO myeloma cell cultures

Summary Zymography of concentrated conditioned medium (CM) from protein-free NS0 myeloma cell cultures showed that this cell line produced and released/secreted several proteases. Two caseinolytic activities at 45–50 and 90 kDa were identified as aspartic acid proteases, and at least two cathepsins of the papain-like cysteine protease family with molecular masses of 30–35 kDa were found by gelatin zymography. One of these cathepsins was identified as cathepsin L by using an enzyme assay exploiting the substrate Z-Phe-Arg-AMC and the inhibitor Z-Phe-Tyr-t(Bu)-DMK. The aspartic acid and cysteine proteases were active only at acidic pH and are therefore not a potential risk for degrading the product or affecting cell growth during culture. Secreted proforms of cathepsins may, however, possess mitogenic functions, but addition of anti-procathepsin L antibodies to NS0 cultures did not influence proliferation. The recombinant antibody product was not degraded in cell-free CM incubated at pH 7, but when the pH was decreased to 3.5–4, the aspartic acid proteases degraded the product. Gelatin zymography also revealed the presence of several serine proteases in NS0 CM, one at 85 kDa and two at 50 kDa, with pH optima close to culture pH. Addition of the serine protease inhibitor aprotinin significantly increased the specific proliferation rate as compared to the control. In addition to these data, N-terminal amino acid sequencing identified two proteins in NS0 CM as the protease inhibitors secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor and cystatin C.     

Carboxypeptidase H. A regulatory peptide-processing enzyme produced by human hepatoma Hep G2 cells

Human hepatoma (Hep G2) cells have been shown to secrete nanogram quantities of carboxypeptidase N (Grimwood, B. G., Plummer, T. H., Jr., and Tarentino, A. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 14397-14401). A second carboxypeptidase with an acidic pH optimum (pH 5.5) is also secreted at levels 2-3-fold greater than carboxypeptidase N. This enzyme was partially purified from the conditioned medium and compared with pure bovine pituitary carboxypeptidase H. The two enzymes behaved in a similar fashion in DE52 ion-exchange chromatography and on gel filtration, with the Hep G2 enzyme being slightly larger than the bovine pituitary enzyme (52-54 versus 50-52 kDa). Both enzymes hydrolyzed COOH-terminal basic amino acids from typical synthetic substrates as well as from natural leuenkephalin peptides and were identical based on pH activity profiles, inhibition by EDTA or guanidinoethyl mercaptosuccinic acid, and stimulation by Co2+ ions. Inhibition of enzyme secretion from Hep G2 cells by tunicamycin indicated that the Hep G2 enzyme was glycosylated. This finding was confirmed by a parallel deglycosylation of the Hep G2 and bovine pituitary carboxypeptidase H enzymes with peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F. Immunoblots using mouse antiserum to bovine pituitary carboxypeptidase H revealed that the Hep G2 enzyme was immunocross-reactive with the bovine enzyme but was slightly larger in size (54 versus 52 kDa). Continuous [35S]methionine labeling and purification to near homogeneity using an affinity matrix corroborated the observations that the secreted Hep G2 carboxypeptidase H was slightly larger than bovine pituitary carboxypeptidase H. The Hep G2-secreted enzyme in pulse-chase experiments was initially detected intracellularly after a 15-min pulse as a single protein of about 54 kDa and was present in the 30-min chase medium with no evidence for pre- or postsecretion proteolytic processing. The human adrenergic cell line IMR-32 continuously labeled with [35S]methionine also secreted carboxypeptidase H of the same size as the Hep G2 enzyme.     

Biosynthesis, assembly and secretion of fibrinogen in cultured rat hepatocytes.

The biosynthesis, assembly and secretion of fibrinogen were investigated in cultured rat hepatocytes which were incubated with [35S]methionine. When initial rates of the synthesis of three fibrinogen subunits were compared, the A alpha-subunit was found to be synthesized significantly slower than the B beta- and gamma-subunits. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that the secreted fibrinogen contained different proportions of the newly synthesized subunits, depending upon the chase times. Radioactivity in the A alpha subunit, which initially had the highest level of the three, was rapidly decreased in parallel with the chase time. The gamma-subunit had an increasing amount of the radioactivity in the secreted molecule during the chase periods, whereas that in the B beta-subunit was gradually decreased at the later stages of chase. Analysis of intracellular components of fibrinogen confirmed that the nascent A alpha-subunit was most rapidly exhausted, and the gamma-subunit occupied the largest proportion among the non-assembled subunits at later stages of chase. Taken together, these results suggest that the synthesis of A alpha-subunit, which has the lowest rate, could be the rate-limiting step in the production and secretion of fibrinogen in cultured rat hepatocytes, in contrast with what has been proposed for human and rabbit fibrinogen, namely that the synthesis of B beta-subunit is the rate-limiting step. The results also indicate that there is a large intracellular pool of gamma-subunit.     

Biosynthesis of lysosomal endopeptidases

Despite the clear differences between the amino acid sequence and enzymatic specificity of aspartic and cysteine endopeptidases, the biosynthetic processing of lysosomal members of these two families is very similar. With in vitro translation and pulse-chase analysis in tissue culture cells, the biosynthesis of cathepsin D, a aspartic protease, and cathepsins B, H and L, cysteine proteases, are compared. Both aspartic and cysteine endopeptidases undergo cotranslational cleavage of an amino-terminal signal peptide that mediates transport across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Addition of high-mannose carbohydrate also occurs cotranslationally in the lumen of the ER. Proteases of both enzyme classes are initially synthesized as inactive proenzymes possessing amino-terminal activation peptides. Removal of the propeptide generates an active single-chain enzyme. Whether the single-chain enzyme undergoes asymmetric cleavage into a light and a heavy chain appears to be cell type specific. Finally, late during their biosynthesis both classes of enzymes undergo amino acid trimming, losing a few amino acid residues at the cleavage site between the light and heavy chains and/or at their carboxyltermini. During biosynthesis these enzymes are also secreted to some extent. In most cells the secreted enzyme is the proenzyme bearing some complex carbohydrate. Under certain physiological conditions the inactive secreted enzymes may become activated as a result of a conformational change that may or may not result in autolysis. Analysis of the biochemical nature of the various processing steps helps define the cellular pathway followed by newly synthesized proteases targeted to the lysosome.     

Variations in immunoreactivity of angiotensinogen and cathepsins B and H in rat hepatocytes over 24 hours

To examine variations in immunoreactivity of angiotensinogen and cathepsins B and H in hepatocytes over 24 hr, rat liver was examined immunohistochemically. Immunoreactivity of angiotensinogen and cathepsins B and H in periportal and perivenous hepatocytes varied significantly over 24 hr, when analyzed by an image analyzer. In periportal and perivenous hepatocytes, immunoreactivity of angiotensinogen was highest at 0800 hr and lowest at 2000 hr or 0000 hr, whereas that of cathepsins B and H was maximal at 1600 hr and minimal at 0400 hr or 0800 hr. Proteolytic activities of cathepsins B and H in liver extracts varied in parallel to the variations in immunoreactivity of these enzymes. Localization of angiotensinogen in the liver acinus was inversely correlated to that of cathepsins B and H; angiotensinogen was predominantly localized in periportal hepatocytes, but cathepsins B and H were in perivenous hepatocytes at each time point examined. These results suggest that angiotensinogen in hepatocytes is actively synthesized and secreted early in the light period, whereas proteolytic activities in lysosomes of hepatocytes are augmented late in the light period.     

Effect of proteinase inhibitors on intracellular processing of cathepsin B, H and L in rat macrophages

The effects of various proteinase inhibitors on the processing of lysosomal cathepsins B, H and L were investigated in cultured rat peritoneal macrophages. The processing of newly synthesized pro-cathepsins B, H and L to the mature single-chain enzymes was sensitive to a metal chelator,1,10-phenanthroline, and a synthetic metalloendopeptidase substrate, Z-Gly-Leu-NH2, and insensitive to inhibitors of serine proteinases, aspartic proteinases and cysteine proteinases. Inhibitors of cysteine proteinases, E-64-d and leupeptin, inhibited the processing of the single-chain forms of cathepsins B, H and L to the two-chain forms. These results suggest that (a) metal endopeptidase(s) is (are) involved in the propeptide processing of cathepsin B, H and L, and that proteolytic cleavages of the mature single-chain cathepsins are accomplished by cysteine proteinases in lysosomes.     

Biosynthesis and intracellular transport of alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase in rat hepatoma cells.

We investigated biosynthesis, intracellular transport and release of beta-galactoside alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase in a dexamethasone-inducible rat hepatoma cell line. Confluent cells were induced by 10 microM dexamethasone for 24 h, and metabolically labelled with [35S]methionine/cysteine, followed by immunoprecipitation of sialyltransferase and electrophoretic/fluorographic analysis. The 35S-labelled enzyme was synthesized as a 46-kDa precursor, converted to an intermediate 47-kDa form after 1 h, and gradually to a mature form of 48 kDa within the following 3 h. By means of either tunicamycin inhibition of N-glycosylation or cleavage of N-glycans from isolated sialyltransferase using N-glycosidase F, the sizes of the precursor and the mature form were reduced to 41 kDa and 43 kDa, respectively. After a 4-h chase, treatment with endoglycosidase H revealed two distinct molecular forms of sialyltransferase, bearing either two N-acetyllactosamine-type or one oligomannose-type and one N-acetyllactosamine-type N-linked sugar chain. In addition, sialyltransferase became sensitive to neuraminidase digestion after a 4-h chase. The half-life of intracellular [35S]sialyltransferase was estimated at 3 h. A soluble form was detectable in the supernatant, 2 h after the pulse. Only 12% of the initially labelled sialyltransferase was found in the medium after 12 h, while 73% of the enzyme was degraded intracellularly. To characterize a possible intracellular degradation site, we studied intracellular transport in the presence of either secretion-blocking or acidotropic agents or protease inhibitors. Degradation was significantly delayed by all treatments. Our results show that sialyltransferase follows the secretory pathway as a membrane protein and is retained at a late Golgi stage. We suggest that the bulk of sialyltransferase in rat hepatoma cells is diverted to a post-Golgi degradation pathway. This route contrasts with the post-Golgi trafficking of beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase in HeLa cells, which is constitutively secreted [Strous, G. J. A. M. & Berger, E. G. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 7623-7628].     

Cysteine cathepsins in human silicotic bronchoalveolar lavage fluids

Mature, active cysteine cathepsins (CPs) were identified in human inflammatory bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) supernatants from patients suffering from silicosis by both western blot and surface plasmon resonance analyses. BALFs are not a reservoir of activatable proforms, since no autocatalytic maturation at acidic pH occurs. Cathepsin H is the most profuse among studied CPs (median value: 36.5 nM), while cathepsins B and L are the two most abundant thiol-dependent endoproteases. The overall concentration of active cathepsins B, H, K, L, and S is approximately 10-fold lower than their concentration in BALF supernatants from patients suffering from inflammatory acute lung injuries (962+/-347 nM).The cathepsins (approximately 70 nM)/cystatin-like inhibitors (approximately 9 nM) ratio is unbalanced in favor of enzymes ( approximately 8-fold). This presence of uncontrolled CPs suggests that they may contribute, in addition to matrix metalloproteases, to the lung tissue breakdown/remodeling occurring during silicosis, although their exact contribution to interstitial inflammation remains to be evaluated.     

Brefeldin A inhibits the targeting of cathepsin D and cathepsin H to lysosomes in rat hepatocytes

Effect of brefeldin A on the transport of lysosomal acid hydrolases (cathepsins D and H) was investigated in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Both cathepsins were synthesized as proenzymes and progressively converted to mature enzymes in the control cells. However, BFA strongly inhibited the appearance of the mature enzymes in the cells in a dose dependent manner, suggesting that transport of newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes from the endoplasmic reticulum to lysosomes is blocked by the drug. The inhibitory effect by brefeldin A was reversible. Upon recovery from brefeldin A-intoxication, procathepsin D was effectively targeted into lysosomes, whereas a substantial amount of procathepsin H was found to be missorted, resulting in its secretion into the culture medium.     

Biosynthesis of platelet glycoprotein V expressed as a single subunit or in association with GPIb-IX.

Glycoprotein (GP) V is noncovalently linked to GPIbalpha, GPIbbeta and GPIX within the platelet GPIb-V-IX complex, a receptor for von Willebrand factor and thrombin. Two functions have been ascribed to GPV, namely, the modulation of thrombin- and collagen-dependent platelet responses. The biosynthesis of this molecule was investigated in pulse-chase metabolic labelling experiments performed in CHO cell lines transfected with GPV, alone or in the presence of GPIb-IX. GPV could not be detected at the surface of cells expressing the single subunit but was found instead as a soluble form in the culture medium. In pulse-chase studies, an immature 70 kDa protein was detected in cell lysates, whereas a fully processed 80-82 kDa form was only observed in the culture supernatants at later chase times. Immature GPV was N-glycosylated and retained before the medial Golgi while the secreted molecule contained complex sialylated sugars. The mature soluble form of GPV was produced by an enzymatic cleavage which was not affected by inhibitors of proteasome, calpain or metalloproteinases. When GPV was cotransfected with GPIb-IX, the former was no longer found in the culture supernatant but was retained in the cell membrane as shown by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and confocal microscopy analyses. Surface expressed GPV was processed from an immature 70 kDa form to produce a mature 80 kDa protein, processing similar to the intracellular trafficking of GPIbalpha. These results indicate that correct biosynthesis and surface expression of GPV in platelets requires the presence of the other subunits of the GPIb-V-IX complex.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Intracellular processing of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase

The biosynthesis of pig small intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.23-62) was studied by labelling of organ cultured mucosal explants with [35S]methionine. The earliest detactable form of the enzyme was an intracellular, membrane-bound polypeptide of Mr 225 000, sensitive to endo H as judged by its increased electrophoretic mobility (Mr 210 000 after treatment). The labelling of this form decreased during a chase of 120 min and instead two polypeptides of Mr 245 000 and 160 000 occurred, which both barely had their electrophoretic mobility changed by treatment with endo H. The Mr 160 000 polypeptide is of the same size as the mature lactase-phlorizin hydrolase and was the only form expressed in the microvillar membrane. Together, these data are indicative of an intracellular proteolytic cleavage during transport. The presence of leupeptin during labelling prevented the appearance of the Mr 160 000 form but not that of the Mr 245 000 polypeptide, suggesting that the proteolytic cleavage takes place after trimming and complex glycosylation. The proteolytic cleavage was not essential for the transport since the precursor was expressed in the microvillar membrane in the presence of leupeptin.     

Synthesis, intracellular processing and secretion of thrombospondin in human endothelial cells

The biosynthesis of thrombospondin, a glycoprotein first described in platelets, has been studied in human endothelial cells. This glycoprotein has a molecular mass of 450 kDa. It is secreted and incorporated into the extracellular matrix of several cell types in culture. Pulse-chase experiments with [3H]leucine were performed and the synthesis and secretion of the glycoprotein was studied by immunoprecipitation and sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results of these experiments show that the three subunits of thrombospondin are identical in molecular mass. During synthesis there is a small but significant increase in molecular mass within 20 min after pulse labeling. The early form of thrombospondin is sensitive to endoglucosaminidase H treatment, indicating that a transformation of the oligosaccharide structures from 'high-mannose' to 'complex' structures takes place. Within 60 min after synthesis only the mature form of the glycoprotein is secreted into the medium. In the presence of tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-glycosylation, there is a reduction in molecular mass of the subunit from 165 kDa to 155 kDa. Pulse-chase experiments in the presence of tunicamycin supported the conclusion that the carbohydrate part is processed during biosynthesis. Inhibition of glycosylation had a pronounced effect on the secretion of thrombospondin. The decreased occurrence of thrombospondin in the culture medium seemed to be due to a high intracellular degradation rate of unglycosylated thrombospondin. Characterization of the glycopeptide structures of thrombospondin metabolically labeled with [3H]mannose by Bio-Gel P-4 and concanavalin-A-Sepharose column chromatography revealed that the oligosaccharide structures of the cellular and secreted forms of thrombospondin differ in their composition.     

Lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum are transported to lysosomes at distinctly different rates

We are investigating the molecular mechanisms involved in the localization of lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum, an organism that lacks any detectable mannose-6-phosphate receptors. The lysosomal enzymes alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase are both initially synthesized as precursor polypeptides that are proteolytically processed to mature forms and deposited in lysosomes. Time course experiments revealed that 20 min into the chase period, the pulse-labeled alpha-mannosidase precursor (140 kD) begins to be processed, and 35 min into the chase 50% of the polypeptides are cleaved to mature 60 and 58-kD forms. In contrast, the pulse-labeled beta-glucosidase precursor (105 kD) begins to be processed 10 min into the chase period, and by 30 min of the chase all of the precursor has been converted into mature 100-kD subunits. Between 5 and 10% of both precursors escape processing and are rapidly secreted from cells. Endoglycosidase H treatment of immunopurified radioactively labeled alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase precursor polypeptides demonstrated that the beta-glucosidase precursor becomes resistant to enzyme digestion 10 min sooner than the alpha-mannosidase precursor. Moreover, subcellular fractionation studies have revealed that 70-75% of the pulse-labeled beta-glucosidase molecules move from the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) to the Golgi complex less than 10 min into the chase. In contrast, 20 min of chase are required before 50% of the pulse-labeled alpha-mannosidase precursor exits the RER. The beta-glucosidase and alpha-mannosidase precursor polypeptides are both membrane associated along the entire transport pathway. After proteolytic cleavage, the mature forms of both enzymes are released into the lumen of lysosomes. These results suggest that beta-glucosidase is transported from the RER to the Golgi complex and ultimately lysosomes at a distinctly faster rate than the alpha-mannosidase precursor. Thus, our results are consistent with the presence of a receptor that recognizes the beta-glucosidase precursor more readily than the alpha-mannosidase precursor and therefore more quickly directs these polypeptides to the Golgi complex.     

Insulin modulation of hepatic synthesis and secretion of apolipoprotein B by rat hepatocytes

Insulin inhibition of apolipoprotein B (apoB) secretion by primary cultures of rat hepatocytes was investigated in pulse-chase experiments using [35S]methionine as label. Radioactivity incorporation into apoBH and apoBL, the higher and lower molecular weight forms, was assessed after immunoprecipitation of detergent-solubilized cells and media and separation of the apoB forms using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Hepatocyte monolayers were incubated for 12-14 h in medium with and without an inhibitory concentration of insulin. Cells were then incubated for 10 min with label, and, after differing periods of chase with unlabeled methionine, cellular medium and media labeled apoB were analyzed; greater than 90% of labeled apoB was present in cells at 10 and 20 min after pulse, and labeled apoB did not appear in the medium until 40 min of chase. Insulin treatment inhibited the incorporation of label into total apoB by 48%, into apoBH by 62%, and into apoBL by 40% relative to other cellular proteins. Insulin treatment favored the more rapid disappearance of labeled cellular apoBH with an intra-cellular retention half-time of 50 min (initial half-life of decay, t1/2 = 25 min) compared with 85 min in control (t1/2 = 60 min). Intracellular retention half-times of labeled apoBL were similar in control and insulin-treated hepatocytes and ranged from 80 to 100 min. After 180 min of chase, 44% of labeled apoBL in control and 32% in insulin-treated hepatocytes remained cell associated. Recovery studies indicated that insulin stimulated the degradation of 45 and 27% of newly synthesized apoBH and apoBL, respectively. When hepatocyte monolayers were continuously labeled with [35S]methionine and then incubated in chase medium with and without insulin, labeled apoBH was secreted rapidly, reaching a plateau by 1 h of chase, whereas labeled apoBL was secreted linearly over 3-5 h of chase. Insulin inhibited the secretion of immunoassayable apoB but not labeled apoB. Results demonstrate that 1) insulin inhibits synthesis of apoB from [35S]methionine, 2) insulin stimulates degradation of freshly translated apoB favoring apoBH over apoBL, and 3) an intracellular pool of apoB, primarily apoBL, exists that is largely unaffected by insulin. Overall, insulin action in primary hepatocyte cultures reduces the secretion of freshly synthesized apoB and favors secretion of preformed apoB enriched in apoBL.