Distribution of xylosyltransferases and glucuronyltransferase within the Golgi apparatus in etiolated pea (Pisum sativum L.) epicotyls

Membranes from etiolated pea epicotyls were fractionated bydiscontinuous sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation into endoplasmicreticulum, Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane. The Golgi apparatuswas further fractionated on a shallow, continuous sucrose densitygradient into Golgi subfractions of low, medium and high density.Xylosyl- and glucuronyltransferases were both found to be concentratedin the Golgi apparatus. The glucuronyltransferase was concentratedin the low-density Golgi membranes, but xylosyltransferaseswere found in all three Golgi subfractions. The multiple locationof xylosyltransferases within the Golgi was found in both youngerand older regions of the epicotyl, and xylan was the major productof the xylosyltransferase in the low- and medium-density subfractions.In the presence of UDPglucose, xylose was also incorporatedinto xyloglucan, but this activity was concentrated in the highdensityGolgi membranes. Key words: Hemicellulose biosynthesis, xylan, xyloglucan, Golgi apparatus     

GDP-fucose uptake into the Golgi apparatus during xyloglucan biosynthesis requires the activity of a transporter-like protein other than the UDP-glucose transporter

The molecular mechanisms regulating hemicelluloses and pectin biosynthesis are poorly understood. An important question in this regard is how glycosyltransferases are oriented in the Golgi cisternae, and how nucleotide sugars are made available for the synthesis of the polymers. Here we show that the branching enzyme xyloglucan alpha,1-2 fucosyltransferase (XG-FucTase) from growing pea (Pisum sativum) epicotyls was latent and protected against proteolytic inactivation on intact, right-side-in pea stem Golgi vesicles. Moreover, much of the XG-FucTase activity was membrane associated. These data indicate that XG-FucTase is a membrane-bound luminal enzyme. GDP-Fuc uptake studies demonstrated that GDP-Fuc was taken up into Golgi vesicles in a protein-mediated process, and that this uptake was not competed by UDP-Glc, suggesting that a specific GDP-Fuc transporter is involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis. Once in the lumen, Fuc was transferred onto endogenous acceptors, including xyloglucan. GDPase activity was detected in the lumen of the vesicles, suggesting than the GDP produced upon transfer of Fuc was hydrolyzed to GMP and inorganic phosphate. We suggest than the GDP-Fuc transporter and GDPase may be regulators of xyloglucan fucosylation in the Golgi apparatus from pea epicotyls.     

Localization of glycoprotein glycosyltransferases in the Golgi apparatus of rat and mouse testis

Golgi fractions prepared from rat testis have been shown to be enriched in the following glycoprotein glycosyltransferases: N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, 47-fold, galactosyltransferase, 33-fold, and N-acetylglucosaminide fucosyltransferase, 15-fold. Appreciably lower transferase levels were obtained in other subcellular fractions. In the mouse, Golgi fractions were prepared from testis homogenates, testis cell suspensions and partially purified testis germinal cells; these fractions were also enriched in the above glycoprotein glycosyltransferases. Electron microscopic analysis indicated that a major portion of the total transferase activity was located in the Golgi apparatus of both rat and mouse testis although these experiments could not rule out the possible presence of some transferase activity in other organelles.     

Distribution of glycosyltransferases among Golgi apparatus subfractions from liver and hepatomas of the rat.

Glycosyltransferase activities of highly purified fractions of Golgi apparatus, plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum, all from the same homogenates, were analyzed and compared. Additionally, Golgi apparatus were unstacked and the individual cisternae separated into fractions enriched in cis, median and trans elements using the technique of preparative free-flow electrophoresis. Golgi apparatus from both liver and hepatomas were enriched in all glycosyltransferases compared to endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membranes. However, Golgi apparatus from hepatomas showed both elevated fucosyltransferase and galactosyltransferase activities but reduced sialyltransferase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) activities compared to liver. Activity of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase was approximately the same in both liver and hepatoma Golgi apparatus. With normal liver, sialyl- and galactosyltransferase activities and DPP IV showed a marked cis-to-trans gradient of activity. Fucosyltransferase was concentrated in two regions of the electrophoretic separations, one corresponding to cis cisternae and one corresponding to trans cisternae. N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity was more widely distributed but the endogenous acceptor activity was predominantly cis. With hepatoma Golgi apparatus, the pattern for DPP IV was similar to that for liver but those of sialyl- and galactosyltransferases differed markedly from liver. Instead of activity increasing cis to trans, the activities for sialyl- and galactosyltransferases decreased. For fucosyltransferases, activity dependent on exogenous acceptor was medial whereas with endogenous acceptor, two activity peaks, cis and trans, still were observed. For N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase the pattern for hepatoma was similar to that for liver. The results indicate alterations in the distribution of glycosyltransferase activities within the Golgi apparatus in hepatotumorigenesis that may reflect altered cell surface glycosylation patterns.     

Detection of terminal N-linked N-acetylglucosamine residues in the Golgi apparatus using galactosyltransferase and endoglucosaminidase F/peptide N-glycosidase F: adaptation of a biochemical approach to electron microscopy

Purified human milk beta-N-acetylglucosaminide beta 1, 4 galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.38) was used to galactosylate N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues present in ultra-thin sections of Lowicryl K4M-embedded rat and pig liver. Both endogenous galactose and galactosylated transferase products could be revealed by Ricinus communis lectin I-gold complexes (RcL I-g15). Without galactosyltransferase (GT) treatment, labeling for galactose (gal) was limited to the trans region of rat and pig hepatocyte Golgi apparatus. After exposure to GT, additional labeling was found over cis Golgi apparatus cisternae. RcL I-g15 labeling was sensitive to a purified preparation of endoglucosaminidase F/peptide N-glycosidase F (at pH 9). This indicates that endogenous gal and gal transferred by GT to terminal GlcNAc residues are present N-linked oligosaccharides. The RcL I-g15 labeling produced by GT was insensitive to extensive washing with solutions containing either EDTA and urea or SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol or 0.1 M GlcNAc. Substrate inhibition studies showed that 50 mM GlcNAc specifically inhibited the additional RcL I-g15 labeling produced by GT. The use of purified glycosyltransferases therefore appears to allow specific detection of oligosaccharide substrates and their high resolution localization in thin sections by electron microscopy.     

Sphingomyelin synthesis in rat liver occurs predominantly at the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi apparatus

The intracellular site of sphingomyelin (SM) synthesis was examined in subcellular fractions from rat liver using a radioactive ceramide analog N-([1-14C]hexanoyl)-D-erythro-sphingosine. This lipid readily transferred from a complex with bovine serum albumin to liver fractions without disrupting the membranes, and was metabolized to radioactive SM. To prevent degradation of the newly synthesized SM to ceramide, all experiments were performed in the presence of EDTA to minimize neutral sphingomyelinase activity and at neutral pH to minimize acid sphingomyelinase activity. An intact Golgi apparatus fraction gave an 85-98-fold enrichment of SM synthesis and a 58-83-fold enrichment of galactosyltransferase activity. Controlled trypsin digestion demonstrated that SM synthesis was localized to the lumen of intact Golgi apparatus vesicles. Although small amounts of SM synthesis were detected in plasma membrane and rough microsome fractions, after accounting for contamination by Golgi apparatus membranes, their combined activity contributed less than 13% of the total SM synthesis in rat liver. Subfractions of the Golgi apparatus were obtained and characterized by immunoblotting and biochemical assays using cis/medial (mannosidase II) and trans (sialyltransferase and galactosyltransferase) Golgi apparatus markers. The specific activity of SM synthesis was highest in enriched cis and medial fractions but far lower in a trans fraction. We conclude that SM synthesis in rat liver occurs predominantly in the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi apparatus and not at the plasma membrane or endoplasmic reticulum as has been previously suggested.     

Localization of cerebroside-sulfotransferase activity in the Golgi apparatus of rat kidney

A Golgi-rich fraction that contains both uridine diphosphogalactose: N-acetylglucosamine galactosyltransferase activity and 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate:cerebroside sulfotransferase activity has been isolated from rat kidney. Both activities are increased about 80-fold in the Golgi fraction compared to the homogenate. Little or no galactosyltransferase or sulfotransferase activity was found in purified nuclei, mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, plasma membranes and supernatant. The results indicate that both galactosyltransferase and sulfotransferase are localized in Golgi apparatus from rat kidney. This is the first evidence that Golgi apparatus functions to modify a lipid component of the cell.     

Monoclonal antibodies to antigens in the peribacteroid membrane from Rhizobium-induced root nodules of pea cross-react with plasma membranes and Golgi bodies

Three rat hybridoma lines that produced monoclonal antibodies reacting with the peribacteroid membrane from Pisum sativum were isolated, and these all appeared to recognize the same antigenic structure. Using one of these monoclonal antibodies, AFRC MAC 64, electron microscopy of immunogold-stained thin sections of nodule tissue revealed that the antigen, present in the peribacteroid membrane, was also found in the plant plasma membranes and in the Golgi bodies, but not in the endoplasmic reticulum. When peribacteroid membrane proteins were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose by electro-blotting, it was found that MAC 64 bound to a series of protease-sensitive bands that migrated in the mol. wt. range 50-85 K. The epitope was sensitive to periodate oxidation and its structure may therefore involve the carbohydrate component of a membrane glycoprotein. We suggest that this structure originates in the Golgi apparatus and is subsequently transferred to the peribacteroid membranes and plasma membranes. The monoclonal antibody also reacted with peribacteroid membranes from nodules of Vicia and lupin, and with plasma membranes and Golgi membranes from uninfected plant cells, including root tip cells from onion (Allium cepa), indicating that the antigen is highly conserved in the plasma membranes of plant cells.     

An intrinsic membrane glycoprotein of the golgi apparatus with O-linked N-acetylglucosamine facing the cytosol

We have recently described the occurrence of integral membrane glycoproteins in rat liver smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum with O-N-acetylglucosamine facing the cytosolic and luminal sides of the membrane (Abeijon, C., and Hirschberg, C. B. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 1010-1014). We now report that integral membrane glycoproteins with cytosolic facing O-N-acetylglucosamine also occur in membranes of rat liver Golgi apparatus. This was determined following incubation of vesicles from the Golgi apparatus, which were sealed and of the same membrane topographical orientation as in vivo, with UDP-[14C]galactose and saturating amounts of bovine milk galactosyltransferase. This enzyme does not enter the lumen of the vesicles and specifically catalyzes the addition of galactose, in a beta 1-4 linkage, to terminal N-acetylglucosamine. Under these conditions, galactose was transferred to a glycoprotein of molecular mass of 92 kDa. This protein was insoluble in sodium carbonate, pH 11.5, conditions under which integral membrane proteins remain membrane bound and was insensitive to treatment with peptide:N-glycosidase F. beta Elimination and chromatography showed that radiolabeled galactose was part of a disaccharide which was characterized as Gal beta 1-4GlcNAcitol. This glycoprotein is specific of the Golgi apparatus membrane. Intrinsic membrane glycoproteins with this unusual carbohydrate membrane orientation thus occur in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus of rat liver.     

Functional compartments of the yeast Golgi apparatus are defined by the sec7 mutation.

The role of the SEC7 gene product in yeast intercompartmental protein transport was examined. A spectrum of N-linked oligosaccharide structures, ranging from core to nearly complete outer chain carbohydrate, was observed on glycoproteins accumulated in secretion-defective sec7 mutant cells. Terminal alpha 1-3-linked outer chain mannose residues failed to be added to N-linked glycoproteins in sec7 cells at the restrictive temperature. These results suggest that outer chain glycosyl modifications do not occur within a single compartment. Additional evidence consistent with subdivision of the yeast Golgi apparatus came from a cell-free glycoprotein transport reaction in which wild-type membranes sustained outer chain carbohydrate growth up to, but not including, addition of alpha 1-3 mannose residues. Golgi apparatus compartments may specialize in addition of distinct outer chain determinants. The SEC7 gene product was suggested to regulate protein transport between and from functional compartments of the yeast Golgi apparatus.     

Glycoprotein synthesis in the adult rat pancreas: II. Characterization of Golgi-rich fractions

Golgi-rich fractions were prepared from homogenates of adult rat pancreas by discontinuous gradient centrifugation. These fractions were characterized by stacks of cisternae associated with large, irregular vesicles and were relatively free of rough microsomes, mitochondria, and zymogen granules. The Golgi-rich fractions contained 50% of the UDP-galactose: glycoprotein galactosyltransferase activity; the specific activity was 12-fold greater than the homogenate. Such fractions represented < 19% of thiamine pyrophosphatase, uridine diphosphatase, adenosine diphosphatase, and Mg²⁺-adenosine triphosphatase. Zymogen granules and the Golgi-rich fractions were extracted with 0.2 m NaHCO3, pH 8.2, and the membranes were isolated by centrifugation. The glycoprotein galactosyltransferase could not be detected in granule membranes, while the specific activity in Golgi membranes was 25-fold greater than the homogenate.At least 35 polypeptide species were detected in Golgi membranes by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in 1% sodium dodecylsulfate. These ranged in molecular weight from 12,000 to <160,000. There were only minor differences between Golgi membranes and smooth microsomal membrane. In contrast, zymogen granule membranes contained fewer polypeptides. A major polypeptide, which represented 30–40% of the granule membrane profile, accounted for less than 3% of the polypeptides of Golgi membranes or smooth microsomal membranes.     

Solubilization of galactosyltransferase that synthesizes 1,4-beta-galactan side chains in pectic rhamnogalacturonan I

β -1,4-Galactan galactosyltransferase (GT) activity was solubilized from potato microsomal membranes in the presence of 78 m M 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulphonic acid. The solubilized GT activity transferred ¹⁴[C]galactose from UDP-¹⁴[C]galactose onto the acceptor-substrates composed of rhamnogalacturonan (RG) with short galactan chains (RG-A, approximately 1.2 MDa, mol% Gal/Rha = 0.7; RG-B, approximately 21 kDa, mol% Gal/Rha = 1.2). However, shorter RG containing short galactan chains (approximately 2 kDa and 1.2 kDa), RG oligomers without galactosyl-residues, galactan, and galactooligomers did not act as acceptor-substrates. Optimal pH for ¹⁴[C] incorporation onto RG-A and RG-B was around 5.6 and 7.5, respectively. The ¹⁴[C]-labelled products synthesized upon RG-A and RG-B could be digested with a RG specific lyase into smaller RG fragments. 1,4- β - Endog alactanase could not digest the former product, whereas the latter product was digested to ¹⁴[C]galactobiose and ¹⁴[C]galactose. This demonstrates that at least two GT activities were solubilized from potato microsomal membranes. One had optimal pH around 5.6 to transfer galactosyl residues onto RG-A, whereas the other had optimal pH around 7.5 to transfer galactosyl residues onto RG-B. Both synthesized galactan attached to the RG backbone of RG-A and RG-B, and the galactan synthesized onto the RG-B acceptor was 1,4- β -linked.     

Enzymic characteristics of fat globule membranes from bovine colostrum and bovine milk

Fat globule membranes have been isolated from bovine colostrum and bovine milk by the dispersion of the fat in sucrose solutions at 4 degrees C and fractionation by centrifugation through discontinuous sucrose gradients. The morphology and enzymic characteristics of the separated fractions were examined. Fractions comprising a large proportion of the total extracted membrane were thus obtained having high levels of the Golgi marker enzymes UDP-galactose N-acetylglucosamine beta-4-galactosyltransferase and thiamine pyrophosphatase. A membrane-derived form of the galactosyltransferase has been solubilized from fat and purified to homogeneity. This enzyme is larger in molecular weight than previously studied soluble galactosyltransferases, but resembles in size the galactosyltransferase of lactating mammary Golgi membranes. In contrast, when fat globule membranes were prepared by traditional procedures, which involved washing the fat at higher temperatures, before extraction, galactosyltransferase was not present in the membranes, having been released into supernatant fractions, When the enzyme released by this procedure was partially purified and examined by gel filtration, it was found to be of a degraded form resembling in size the soluble galactosyltransferase of milk. The release is therefore attributed to the action of proteolytic enzymes. Our observations contrast with previous biochemical studies which suggested that Golgi membranes do not contribute to the milk fat globule membrane. They are, however, consistent with electron microscope studies of the fat secretion process, which indicate that secretory vesicle membranes, derived from the Golgi apparatus, may provide a large proportion of the fat globule membrane.     

Golgi-specific localization of transglycosylases engaged in glycoprotein biosynthesis in suspension-cultured cells of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.)

Golgi complex and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) were isolated from suspension-cultured cells of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) by stepwise sucrose density gradient centrifugation using protoplasts as starting material. The purity of the two organelle fractions isolated was assessed by measuring marker enzyme activities. Localization of glycolipid and glycoprotein glycosyltransferase activities in the isolated Golgi and ER fractions was examined; three glycosyltransferases, i.e., galactosyltransferase, fucosyltransferase, and xylosyltransferase, proved to be almost exclusively confined to the Golgi, whereas the ER fractions contained glycolipid glycosyltransferase. The Golgi complex was further subfractionated on a discontinuous sucrose density gradient into two components, migrating at densities of 1.118 and 1.127 g/cm3. The two fractions differed in their compositional polypeptide bands discernible from Na-dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis. Galactosyltransferase distributed nearly equally between the two protein peaks and xylosyltransferase activities using the endogenous acceptor also appeared to be localized in the two subcompartments. By contrast, fucosyltransferase, engaged in the terminal stage of glycosylation, banded in the lower density fractions. Golgi-specific alpha-mannosidase, which is presumably engaged in the sugar trimming of Asn-N-linked glycoprotein carbohydrate core, was enriched fourfold in specific activity in the fractions of the higher density. The overall experimental results indicate that the cotranslational glycosylation of Asn-N-linked glycoproteins, e.g., polyphenol oxidase (laccase), takes place in the ER, while subsequent post-translational processing of the oligosaccharide moiety proceeds successively in the two physically separable compartments of the Golgi complex.     

In vivo uptake of insulin into hepatic Golgi fractions: application of the diaminobenzidine-shift protocol

The hypothesis that insulin is internalized into the hepatic Golgi apparatus was tested by the diaminobenzidine-shift protocol of Courtoy et al. (1984, J. Cell Biol. 98, 870). Highly purified Golgi fractions were isolated after the coinjection of [125I]insulin and the synthetic ligand, galactose-bovine serum albumin-horseradish peroxidase. Golgi fractions were subsequently reacted in the presence or absence of diaminobenzidine, then subjected to Percoll gradient centrifugation. For incubations carried out in the absence of diaminobenzidine, [125I]insulin-containing components were found at a low density (peak density congruent to 1.042) identical to that of the Golgi marker enzyme galactosyltransferase. However after incubations carried out in the presence of diaminobenzidine, the majority of [125I]insulin-containing components was shifted to a higher density of greater than 1.06 while that of galactosyltransferase remained unchanged (peak congruent to 1.042). These observations indicate that the majority of internalized insulin is not located in galactosyltransferase-containing Golgi components.     

Xylosylation and glucuronosylation reactions in rat liver Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum

We have studied in rat liver the subcellular sites and topography of xylosylation and galactosylation reactions occurring in the biosynthesis of the D-glucuronic acid-galactose-galactose-D-xylose linkage region of proteoglycans and of glucuronosylation reactions involved in both glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis and bile acid and bilirubin conjugation. The specific translocation rate of UDP-xylose into sealed, "right-side-out" vesicles from the Golgi apparatus was 2-5-fold higher than into sealed right-side-out vesicles from the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). Using the above vesicle preparations, we only detected endogenous acceptors for xylosylation in the Golgi apparatus-rich fraction. The specific activity of xylosyltransferase (using silk fibroin as exogenous acceptor) was 50-100-fold higher in Golgi apparatus membranes than in those from the RER. Previous studies had shown that UDP-galactose is translocated solely into vesicles from the Golgi apparatus. In these studies, we found the specific activity of galactosyltransferase I to be 40-140-fold higher in membranes from the Golgi apparatus than in those from the RER. The specific translocation rate of UDP-D-glucuronic acid into vesicles from the Golgi apparatus was 10-fold higher than into those from the RER, whereas the specific activity of glucuronosyltransferase (using chondroitin nonasaccharide as exogenous acceptor) was 12-30-fold higher in Golgi apparatus membranes than in those from the RER. Together, the above results strongly suggest that, in rat liver, the biosynthesis of the above-described proteoglycan linkage region occurs in the Golgi apparatus. The specific activity of glucuronosyltransferase, using bile acids and bilirubin as exogenous acceptor, was 10-25-fold higher in RER membranes than those from the Golgi apparatus. This suggests that transport of UDP-D-glucuronic acid into the RER lumen is not required for such reactions.     

Isolation of a Golgi-apparatus-enriched fraction from leukaemic cells.

1. A Golgi-apparatus-enriched fraction was isolated from acute leukaemic lymphoblasts of AKR mice by using an homogenate stabilized with 1 mM-glutaraldehyde. 2. The isolated fraction, which was shown morphologically to be enriched in dictyosomes, possessed between 44- and 76-fold increase in specific activity, compared with the tumour homogenate, of UDP-galactose-glycoprotein galactosyltransferase and between 3- and10.5-fold increase in relative specific activity of UDP-N-acetygalactosamine-polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase. 3. Plasma membranes isolated from the leukaemic lymphoblasts also possessed glycoprotein galactosyltransferase activity, though in contrast with Golgi-apparatus-enriched material had no detectable polypeptide N-acetygalactosaminyltransferase. 4. The difficulties associated with maintaining the morphological integrity of the Golgi apparatus in subcellular fractionation are discussed.     

Properties of uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase from Golgi apparatus of liver

Golgi apparatus isolated from cat liver contained UDPglucose pyrophosphorylase (UTP:alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.9) activity. The results of washing suggested that pyrophosphorylase was bound firmly to Golgi membranes. Moreover, the enzyme was activated by Triton X-100 in the same extent as galactosyltransferase, a typical Golgi apparatus enzyme. Two-substrate kinetic studies were performed with the enzymes from cytosol and Golgi fractions. The soluble enzyme showed an apparent 2.5-fold greater activity for the glucose 1-phosphate than for UTP, while pyrophosphorylase of Golgi apparatus had the same affinity for the two substrates. A random mechanism was observed with a direct dependence of apparent Michaelis constant values on the concentration of second substrate for soluble enzyme. In contrast, with Golgi enzyme one ligand had no effect on the binding of the other.     

Rat liver Golgi galactosyltransferases. Distinct enzymes for glycolipid and glycoprotein acceptor substrates.

Two enzymes that catalyse the transfer of galactose from UDP-galactose to GM2 ganglioside were partially purified from rat liver Golgi membranes. These preparations, designated enzyme I (basic) and enzyme II (acidic), utilized as acceptors GM2 ganglioside and asialo GM2 ganglioside as well as ovalbumin, desialodegalactofetuin, desialodegalacto-orosomucoid, desialo bovine submaxillary mucin and GM2 oligosaccharide. Enzyme II catalysed disaccharide synthesis in the presence of the monosaccharide acceptors N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine. The affinity adsorbent alpha-lactalbumin-agarose, which did not retard GM2 ganglioside galactosyltransferase, was used to remove most or all of galactosyltransferase activity towards glycoprotein and monosaccharide acceptors from the extracted Golgi preparation. After treatment of the extracted Golgi preparation with alpha-lactalbumin-agarose, enzyme I and enzyme II GM2 ganglioside galactosyltransferase activities, prepared by using DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, were distinguishable from transferase activity towards GM2 oligosaccharide and glycoproteins by the criterion of thermolability. This residual galactosyltransferase activity towards glycoprotein substrates was also shown to be distinct from GM2 ganglioside galactosyltransferase in both enzyme preparations I and II by the absence of competition between the two acceptor substrates. The two types of transferase activities could be further distinguished by their response to the presence of the protein effector alpha-lactalbumin. GM2 ganglioside galactosyltransferase was stimulated in the presence of alpha-lactalbumin, whereas the transferase activity towards desialodegalactofetuin was inhibited in the presence of this protein. The results of purification studies, comparison of thermolability properties and competition analysis suggested the presence of a minimum of five galactosyltransferase species in the Golgi extract. Five peaks of galactosyltransferase activity were resolved by isoelectric focusing. Two of these peaks (pI 8.6 and 6.3) catalysed transfer of galactose to GM2 ganglioside, and three peaks (pI 8.1, 6.8 and 6.3) catalysed transfer to glycoprotein acceptors.