Alteration of intracellular traffic by monensin; mechanism,specificity and relationship to toxicity

Monensin, a monovalent ion-selective ionophore, facilitates the transmembrane exchange of principally sodium ions for protons. The outer surface of the ionophore-ion comples is composed largely of nonpolar hydrocarbon, which imparts a high solubility to the complexes in nonpolar solvents. In biological systems, these complexes are freely soluble in the lipid components of membranes and, presumably, diffuse or shuttle through the membranes from one aqueous membrane interface to the other. The net effect for monensin is a trans-membrane exchange of sodium ions for protons. However, the interaction of an ionophore with biological membranes, and its ionophoric expression, is highly dependent on the biochemical configuration of the membrane itself.One apparent consequence of this exchange is the neutralization of acidic intracellular compartments such as the trans Golgi apparatus cisternae and associated elements, lysosomes, and certain endosomes. This is accompanied by a disruption of trans Golgi apparatus cisternae and of lysosome and acidic endosome function. At the same time, Golgi apparatus cisternae appear to swell, presumably due to osmotic uptake of water resulting from the inward movement of ions.Monensin effects on Golgi apparatus are observed in cells from a wide range of plant and animal species. The action of monensin is most often exerted on the trans half of the stacked cisternae, often near the point of exit of secretory vesicles at the trans face of the stacked cisternae, or, especially at low monensin concentrations or short exposure times, near the middle of the stacked cisternae. The effects of monensin are quite rapid in both animal and plant cells; i.e., changes in Golgi apparatus may be observed after only 2–5 min of exposure. It is implicit in these observations that the uptake of osmotically active cations is accompanied by a concomitant efflux of H⁺ and that a net influx of protons would be required to sustain the ionic exchange long enough to account for the swelling of cisternae observed in electron micrographs.In the Golgi apparatus, late processing events such as terminal glycosylation and proteolytic cleavages are most susceptible to inhibition by monensin. Yet, many incompletely processed molecules may still be secreted via yet poorly understood mechanisms that appear to bypass the Golgi apparatus.In endocytosis, monensin does not prevent internalization. However, intracellular degradation of internalized ligands may be prevented. It is becoming clear that endocytosis involves both acidic and non-acidic compartments and that monensin inhibits those processes that normally occur in acidic compartments.Thus, monensin, which is capable of collapsing Na⁺ and H⁺ gradients, has gained wide-spread acceptance as a tool for studying Golgi apparatus function and for localizing and identifying the molecular pathways of subcellular vesicular traffic involving acid compartments. Among its advantages are the low concentrations at which inhibitions are produced (0.01–1.0 μM), a minimum of troublesome side effects (e.g., little or no change of protein synthesis or ATP levels) and a reversible action. Because the affinity of monensin for Na⁺ is ten times that for K⁺, its nearest competitor, monensin mediates primarily a Na⁺-H⁺ exchange. Monensin has little tendency to bind calcium.Not only is monensin of importance as an experimental tool, it is of great commercial value as a coccidiostat for poultry and to promote more efficient utilization of feed in cattle. The mechanisms by which monensin interact with coccidia and rumen microflora to achieved these benefits are reasonably well documented. However, the interactions between monensin and the tissues of the host animal are not well understood although the severe toxicological manifestations of monensin poisoning are well known. Equine species are particularly susceptible to monensin poisoning, and a common effect of monensin poisoning is vacuolization and/or swelling of mitochondria in striated muscle. Other pathological injuries to striated muscle, spleen, lung, liver and kidney also have been noted. A consistent observation is cardiac myocyte degeneration as well as vacuolization. Differences in cellular response resulting from exposure to monensin (i.e., Golgi apparatus swelling in cultured cells, isolated tissues, and plants vs.mitochondrial swelling in animals fed monensin) suggest that myocardial damage is due either to a monensin metabolite or is a secondary response to some other derivation. However, as pointed out by Bergen and Bates [26], the underlying mode of action of ionophores is on transmembrane ion fluxes which dissipate cation and proton gradients. Consequently, some or all of the observed monensin effects in vivo in animals could be secondary phenomena caused by disruption of normal membrane physiology resulting from altered ion fluxes.     

The V-ATPase inhibitors concanamycin A and bafilomycin A lead to Golgi swelling in tobacco BY-2 cells

Summary. Concanamycin A and bafilomycin A are well-known inhibitors of V-ATPase activity. It is known that they interfere with intracellular protein trafficking in both animal and plant cells, but a cellular target for their action in plant cells has not been defined. Here we show that treatment with these inhibitors leads to a massive vacuolation of the Golgi apparatus. The effect is similar, but not identical, to that previously described for the Na⁺/K⁺ ionophores and is reversible after washing.     

Double immunofluorescent staining of α2,6 sialyltransferase and β1,4 galactosyltransferase in monensin-treated cells: Evidence for different Golgi compartments?

β1,4 galactosyl- and α2,6 sialyltransferase (gal-T EC 2.4.1.22 and sialyl-T EC 2.4.99.1) sequentially elongate and terminate complex N-glycan chains of glycoproteins. Both enzymes reside in trans Golgi cisternae; their ultrastructural relationship, however, is unknown. To delineate their respective Golgi compartment(s) we conducted a double label immunofluorescent study by conventional and confocal laser scanning microscopy in HepG2, HeLa, and other cells in presence of Golgi-disturbing agents. Polyclonal, peptide-specific antibodies to human sialyl-T expressed as a β-galactosidase-sialyl-T fusion protein in E. coli were developed and applied together with mABs to human milk gal-T. In untreated HepG2 and HeLa cells Golgi morphology identified by immunofluorescent labeling of sialyl-T and gal-T, respectively, was nearly identical. Treatment of cells with brefeldin A (BFA) led to rapid and coordinated disappearance of immunostaining of both enzymes; after BFA washout, vesicular structures reappeared which first stained for gal-T followed by sialyl-T; in the reassembled Golgi apparatus sialyl-T and gal-T were co-localized again. In contrast, monensin treatment produced a reversible swelling and scattering of gal-T positive Golgi elements while sialyl-T positive structures showed little change. Treatment with nocodazole led to dispersal of Golgi elements in which gal-T and sialyl-T remained co-localized. Treatment with chloroquine affected Golgi structure less than monensin and led to condensation of gal-T positive and to slight enlargement of sialyl-T positive structures. Sequential recovery from BFA of gal-T and sialyl-T and their segregation by monensin suggest that these enzymes are targeted to different Golgi subcompartments.     

Retinoic acid disrupts the Golgi apparatus and increases the cytosolic routing of specific protein toxins

All-trans retinoic acid can specifically increase receptor mediated intoxication of ricin A chain immunotoxins more than 10,000 times, whereas fluid phase endocytosis of ricin A chain alone or ricin A chain immunotoxins was not influenced by retinoic acid. The immunotoxin activation by retinoic acid does not require RNA or protein synthesis and is not a consequence of increased receptor binding of the immunotoxin. Vitamin D3 and thyroid hormone T3, that activate retinoic acid receptor (RAR) cognates, forming heterodimers with retinoid X receptor (RXR), do not affect the potency of immunotoxins. Among other retinoids tested, 13-cis retinoic acid, which binds neither RAR nor RXR, also increases the potency of the ricin A chain immunotoxin. Therefore, retinoic acid receptor activation does not appear to be necessary for immunotoxin activity. Retinoic acid potentiation of immunotoxins is prevented by brefeldin A (BFA) indicating that in the presence of retinoic acid, the immunotoxin is efficiently routed through the Golgi apparatus en route to the cytoplasm. Directly examining cells with a monoclonal antibody (Mab) against mannosidase II, a Golgi apparatus marker enzyme, demonstrates that the Golgi apparatus changes upon treatment with retinoic acid from a perinuclear network to a diffuse aggregate. Within 60 min after removal of retinoic acid the cell reassembles the perinuclear Golgi network indistinguishable with that of normal control cells. C6-NBD-ceramide, a vital stain for the Golgi apparatus, shows that retinoic acid prevents the fluorescent staining of the Golgi apparatus and eliminates fluorescence of C6-NBD-ceramide prestained Golgi apparatus. Electron microscopy of retinoic acid-treated cells demonstrates the specific absence of any normal looking Golgi apparatus and a perinuclear vacuolar structure very similar to that seen in monensin-treated cells. This vacuolization disappears after removal of the retinoic acid and a perinuclear Golgi stacking reappears. These results indicate that retinoic acid alters intracellular routing, probably through the Golgi apparatus, potentiating immunotoxin activity indepedently of new gene expression. Retinoic acid appears to be a new reagent to manipulate the Golgi apparatus and intracellular traffic. As retinoic acid and immunotoxins are both in clinical trials for cancer therapy, their combined activity in vivo would be interesting to examine.     

Regulation of the golgi structure by the alpha subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins

Disassembly of the Golgi apparatus is elicited by the action of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and this disassembly is prevented by the activation of heterotrimeric G proteins. In the present study we showed that overexpression of Galpha(z) or Galpha(i2) significantly suppresses the disassembly of the Golgi apparatus induced by NDGA. Overexpression of Gbeta(1)gamma(2), on the other hand, had no effect on NDGA-induced Golgi disassembly. Galpha(z) neither blocked Golgi disassembly induced by brefeldin A or nocodazole, nor interfered with protein transport, suggesting its specificity on the action of NDGA. Our results suggest that the alpha subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins are responsible for the maintenance of the Golgi structure.     

Ilimaquinone inhibits gap-junctional communication prior to Golgi fragmentation and block in protein transport

Brefeldin A and ilimaquinone are compounds known to affect Golgi structure and function. In particular, the transport of proteins is blocked either at the level of exit from endoplasmic reticulum (brefeldin) or at cis-Golgi (ilimaquinone). Brefeldin caused a slow decrease in gap-junctional communication and a slow loss of all phosphorylated forms of connexin43 in hamster and rat fibroblasts, while ilimaquinone caused an abrupt decrease in gap-junctional communication and rapid loss of only the slowest migrating phosphorylated connexin43 band (P2). Ilimaquinone caused these effects prior to any significant Golgi fragmentation, especially in hamster fibroblasts. Concurrently, ilimaquinone minimally affected protein secretion, while brefeldin caused an instantaneous decrease. These results show that ilimaquinone inhibits gap-junctional communication in connexin43-expressing cells by a mechanism not dependent on Golgi fragmentation or block in protein transport.     

A role for clathrin in reassembly of the Golgi apparatus

The Golgi apparatus is a highly dynamic organelle whose organization is maintained by a proteinaceous matrix, cytoskeletal components, and inositol phospholipids. In mammalian cells, disassembly of the organelle occurs reversibly at the onset of mitosis and irreversibly during apoptosis. Several pharmacological agents including nocodazole, brefeldin A (BFA), and primary alcohols (1-butanol) induce reversible fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus. To dissect the mechanism of Golgi reassembly, rat NRK and GH3 cells were treated with 1-butanol, BFA, or nocodazole. During washout of 1-butanol, clathrin, a ubiquitous coat protein implicated in vesicle traffic at the trans-Golgi network and plasma membrane, and abundant clathrin coated vesicles were recruited to the region of nascent Golgi cisternae. Knockdown of endogenous clathrin heavy chain showed that the Golgi apparatus failed to reform efficiently after BFA or 1-butanol removal. Instead, upon 1-butanol washout, it maintained a compact, tight morphology. Our results suggest that clathrin is required to reassemble fragmented Golgi elements. In addition, we show that after butanol treatment the Golgi apparatus reforms via an initial compact intermediate structure that is subsequently remodeled into the characteristic interphase lace-like morphology and that reassembly requires clathrin.     

S-adenosylmethionine reverses ilimaquinone's vesiculation of the Golgi apparatus: a fluorescence study on the cellular interactions of ilimaquinone

The marine sponge metabolite ilimaquinone has a wide range of biological activities, including vesiculation of the Golgi apparatus and interference with intracellular protein trafficking. Some of these activities may arise from ilimaquinone's influence on the activated methyl cycle. To visualize the morphological effects of ilimaquinone on the Golgi apparatus, NRK (normal rat kidney) cells were labeled with fluorescent wheat germ agglutinin and treated with ilimaquinone in the presence and absence of the methylating agent S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). While ilimaquinone alone fragments the Golgi apparatus, the organelle remains intact when SAMe is included in the incubation mixture. This observation supports ilimaquinone's interaction with methylation enzymes as the cause of Golgi vesiculation. The examination of a fluorescently labeled ilimaquinone analogue in NRK cells suggests that the cellular interactions of ilimaquinone are not localized to the Golgi apparatus.     

Stimulation of sphingomyelin biosynthesis by brefeldin A and sphingomyelin breakdown by okadaic acid treatment of rat hepatocytes.

Studies on sphingomyelin metabolism in rat hepatocytes were facilitated by the use of choline-deficient cells which allowed for the rapid labeling of phosphatidylcholine and as a result sphingomyelin. Pulse and pulse-chase studies with [methyl-3H]choline and [methyl-3H]methionine demonstrated that both compounds were effectively used for sphingomyelin biosynthesis and that newly made and pre-existing phosphatidylcholine could be used for sphingomyelin biosynthesis. When hepatocytes were incubated with brefeldin A, there was a 2.4-fold stimulation of the conversion of phosphatidylcholine into sphingomyelin. Since brefeldin A causes collapse of the cis/medial Golgi into the endoplasmic reticulum the stimulation of sphingomyelin biosynthesis could be due to more rapid access of the labeled phosphatidylcholine in the endoplasmic reticulum to sphingomyelin synthase in the collapsed Golgi. Forskolin inhibited the brefeldin A-induced stimulation of sphingomyelin biosynthesis. To investigate whether or not phosphorylation reactions regulate sphingomyelin metabolism, hepatocytes were incubated with okadaic acid, a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. Rather than stimulating sphingomyelin biosynthesis, okadaic acid enhanced the catabolism of sphingomyelin. In contrast, a cyclic AMP analogue and forskolin had no effect on sphingomyelin biosynthesis or catabolism. Surprisingly, other pulse-chase studies demonstrated that okadaic acid stimulated the catabolism of only newly made sphingomyelin. The brefeldin A and okadaic acid effects were independent of lysosomal involvement. Subcellular fractionation studies revealed that brefeldin A and okadaic acid effects were generalized in all sphingomyelin containing membranes. The brefeldin A studies suggest that the rate of transfer of phosphatidylcholine from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi might be limiting for sphingomyelin biosynthesis. The okadaic acid studies indicate that the catabolism of sphingomyelin by a sphingomyelinase is regulated by an unidentified protein kinase and by either protein phosphatase 1 and/or 2A activity in hepatocytes.     

Possible implication of Golgi-nucleating function for the centrosome

The Golgi apparatus breaks down at mitosis, resulting in the dispersal of Golgi-resident proteins. In NRK cells, however, subsets of both TGN38 and golgin-97, but not ManII and GM130, remained associated with the centrosome throughout the cell cycle. This centrosome association of TGN38 and golgin-97 was not disrupted by treatment with brefeldin A, additional inducers of retrograde trafficking and inhibitors of either kinases or protein phosphatases. Anchoring of the Golgi apparatus within the juxtanuclear region depends on microtubules; the association of TGN38 and golgin-97 subsets with the centrosome, however, was insensitive to nocodazole treatment. Drugs such as PDMP, which block Golgi dispersal both by nocodazole, despite microtubule depolymerization, and by inducers of retrograde trafficking, strengthened the microtubule-nucleating activity of the centrosome. These observations cumulatively suggest the centrosome is implicated in nucleation of the Golgi apparatus through interactions with Golgi-resident proteins, such as TGN38 and golgin-97.     

Correction of Defective Early Tyrosinase Processing by Bafilomycin A1 and Monensin in Pink‐Eyed Dilution Melanocytes

Mutations in the human P gene result in oculocutaneous albinism type 2, the most common form of albinism. Mouse melan‐p1 melanocytes, cultured from mice null at the homologous pink‐eyed dilution (p) locus, exhibit defective melanin production. A variety of compounds including tyrosine, NH₄Cl, bafilomycin A1, concanamycin, monensin, and nigericin are capable of restoring melanin synthesis in these cells. In the current study, we investigated the subcellular effects of bafilomycin A1 and monensin treatment of melan‐p1 cells. Both agents play two roles in the processing of tyrosinase (Tyr) in melan‐p1 cells. First, combined glycosidase digestion and immunoblotting analysis showed that these agents reduce levels of Tyr retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and facilitate the release of Tyr from the ER to the Golgi. Secondly, treatment with these compounds resulted in the stabilization of Tyr. Surprisingly, induction of melanin synthesis corresponds more closely with diminution of ER‐retained Tyr, rather than the absolute amount of Tyr. Our results suggest that bafilomycin A1 and monensin induce melanin synthesis in melan‐p1 cells mainly by facilitating Tyr processing from the ER to the Golgi by increasing the pH in either the ER or the ER–Golgi intermediate compartment.     

Human Organic Solute Transporter (hOST): protein interaction and membrane sorting process

The human organic solute transporter (hOST) is a heterodimer composed of alpha and beta subunits. Physical association of hOSTα and β subunits is essential for their polarized basolateral plasma membrane localization and function in the export of bile acids and steroids. To understand the role of carboxyl- and amino-tails of OSTβ and mechanisms underlying membrane localization of hOST, the effects of tail deletion of the hOSTβ subunit and biological reagents on membrane distribution and transport function of hOST were investigated in stably transfected MDCK cells. After deletion of 35 amino acids from the amino-tail of hOSTβ, the efflux transport activity and polarized membrane distribution of the truncated hOSTβ was abolished. A co-immunoprecipitation study verified that the amino-tail of hOSTβ is essential for the association with hOSTα subunit. Treatments with acytochalasin D (interrupting ctin-filaments), bafilomycin A1 (inhibiting vacuolar H⁺-ATPase), brefeldin A (disrupting the Golgi complex), and calphostin C (inhibiting protein kinase C), significantly disrupted the polarized membrane distribution of hOST and markedly reduced transport activity in stably transfected MDCK cells. In summary, the 35 amino acid amino-terminal fragment of hOSTβ contains critical information for interaction with the hOSTα subunit and subsequent trafficking to the plasma membrane. These studies suggest that the membrane sorting process of hOST is mediated by a bafilomycin A1-sensitive vesicular pathway that is associated with the actin-cytoskeleton network. The membrane localization of hOST is also partially mediated through a brefeldin A sensitive mechanism, which controls its transit from the ER to Golgi and is regulated by PKC.     

Intracellular localization of phospholipase D1 in mammalian cells

Phospholipase D (PLD) hydrolyzes phosphatidylcholine to generate phosphatidic acid. In mammalian cells this reaction has been implicated in the recruitment of coatomer to Golgi membranes and release of nascent secretory vesicles from the trans-Golgi network. These observations suggest that PLD is associated with the Golgi complex; however, to date, because of its low abundance, the intracellular localization of PLD has been characterized only indirectly through overexpression of chimeric proteins. We have used highly sensitive antibodies to PLD1 together with immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy as well as cell fractionation to identify the intracellular localization of endogenous PLD1 in several cell types. Although PLD1 had a diffuse staining pattern, it was enriched significantly in the Golgi apparatus and was also present in cell nuclei. On fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus by treatment with nocodazole, PLD1 closely associated with membrane fragments, whereas after inhibition of PA synthesis, PLD1 dissociated from the membranes. Overexpression of an hemagglutinin-tagged form of PLD1 resulted in displacement of the endogenous enzyme from its perinuclear localization to large vesicular structures. Surprisingly, when the Golgi apparatus collapsed in response to brefeldin A, the nuclear localization of PLD1 was enhanced significantly. Our data show that the intracellular localization of PLD1 is consistent with a role in vesicle trafficking from the Golgi apparatus and suggest that it also functions in the cell nucleus.     

Targeting of the Yersinia pestis YopM protein into HeLa cells and intracellular trafficking to the nucleus

The YopM virulence protein of Yersinia pestis has been described as binding human α-thrombin and inhibiting thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in vitro . However, recent studies have shown that a YopM–CyaA fusion protein could be targeted vectorially into eukaryotic cells through the Yersinia type III secretion system. In this study, our objective was to characterize YopM's fate in more detail. We followed YopM in the culture medium and inside infected HeLa cells. We confirmed that the native YopM is targeted into HeLa cells, where it is insensitive to exogenous trypsin. The bacteria must be surface located to target YopM, and YopB and YopD are necessary, whereas the LcrE protein (called also YopN) makes this process more efficient. Immunofluorescence localization revealed that YopM, in contrast to YopE, is not only targeted to the cytoplasm but also trafficks to the cell's nucleus by means of a vesicle-associated pathway that is strongly inhibited by brefeldin A, perturbed by monensin or bafilomycin A1 and dependent upon microtubules (decreased by colchicine and nocodazole). These findings revealed a novel interaction of Yersinia pestis with its eukaryotic host.     

Studies of the sites of intracellular degradation of apolipoprotein B in Hep G2 cells.

We previously reported that treatment of Hep G2 cells with oleate significantly increased apolipoprotein B (apoB) secretion by reducing early intracellular degradation of nascent apoB. In the current study, inhibitors of secretory protein transport (brefeldin A and monensin), cell fractionation studies, and protease protection assays were utilized to determine the location of apoB degradation and to better define the mechanism whereby oleate treatment reduces nascent apoB intracellular degradation. When cells were treated with brefeldin A, which blocks endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to Golgi protein transport, apoB degradation continued in control cells, suggesting that apoB is degraded in the ER. When oleate-treated cells were blocked with brefeldin A, oleate failed to protect apoB from intracellular degradation. The effects of brefeldin A were not due to effects on lipid synthesis as brefeldin A did not inhibit the synthesis of triglyceride, phospholipid, free cholesterol, or cholesteryl ester in control cells and did not prevent the increases in triglyceride (14-fold) and phospholipid (1.4-fold) synthesis seen in oleate-treated cells. Simultaneous treatment of cells with brefeldin A and nocodazole, which inhibits retrograde transport of proteins from Golgi to ER, added to the evidence for the ER as the site of apoB degradation. This conclusion received further support from experiments in which cells were treated with monensin, a Na+ ionophore which halts protein secretion at the level of the trans-Golgi network. Early degradation of nascent apoB (between 10 and 20 min of chase) was observed in monensin-treated cells, but then cellular apoB degradation ceased and apoB was stable during the remaining chase period. More apoB accumulated in the Golgi of cells that had been treated with oleate and monensin. These results suggest that ER degradation occurs in monensin-treated cells, but then stops as apoB is transferred to the Golgi. The results obtained in whole cells were confirmed in studies using isolated ER and Golgi, which indicated that ER contains a proteolytic activity which degrades apoB, in vitro, whereas Golgi does not. ApoB degradation in isolated ER was not reduced by pretreatment with oleate. Finally, protease protection assays carried out with isolated microsomes indicated that a majority of the apoB in both control or oleate-treated HepG2 cells was located on the cytosolic side of the membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Physical membrane displacement: Reconstitution in a cell-free system and relationship to cell growth+

Summary Physical membrane displacement is a process common to all forms of vesicle budding as well as cell enlargement and pleomorphic shape changes. Cell-free reconstitution of membrane budding has been achieved with transitional endoplasmic reticulum fractions from both plants and animals where 50 to 70 nm transition vesicles have been observed to bud from the part-rough, part-smooth membrane elements that define transitional endoplasmic reticulum. This budding phenomenon requires ATP, is facilitated by cytosol and guanine nucleotides, and is both time- and temperature-dependent. The transitional endoplasmic reticulum buds that form when concentrated by preparative free-flow electrophoresis will attach specifically to cis Golgi apparatus membranes immobilized on nitrocellulose as an acceptor compartment. Golgi apparatus membranes derived from the trans compartment do not serve as an efficient acceptor compartment. Transfer of the vesicles once formed is rapid, nearly complete and no longer dependent upon added ATP. Transfer shows a strict temperature dependency corresponding to that of the intact cell where at temperatures of 16°C or below, vesicles form but do not attach to cis Golgi whereas at temperatures of greater than 16°C, vesicles both form and fuse. The principle ATPase of transitional endoplasmic reticulum which may be involved in the budding process has been identified, characterized and isolated. A 38 kDa cis Golgi apparatus associated protein also has been identified as a potential candidate as a docking protein. Transfer between trans Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane also has been studied by cell-free analysis. Here, transfer has been found to be stimulated by NADH or NADH plus ascorbate. The role of NADH is unknown but the ability of plant and Golgi apparatus to oxidize NADH is inhibited by brefeldin A, a compound known to block membrane trafficking even at the level of the trans Golgi network. NADH oxidase activity of plasma membranes also has been described and is inhibited as well by brefeldin. Recent observations suggest that brefeldin A may block both the formation of vesicles at the trans Golgi apparatus as well as auxin hormone-stimulated cell elongation in plants. This once again raises the possibility of whether or not plant cell elongation is obligatorily mediated by membrane input from the Golgi apparatus. The latter seems unlikely based on two additional lines of evidence. The first is that auxin-induced cell elongation in plants shows no sharp temperature transition over the range of 4 to 24°C, whereas production of secretory vesicles from the trans Golgi apparatus appears to be largely prevented at temperatures of 18°C or less. Secondly, the sodium selective ionophore, monensin, which effectively blocks the formation of functional secretory vesicles at the trans Golgi apparatus, is also largely without effect on auxin-induced cell elongation for periods of 4 h or longer. Taken together the findings suggest that the action of brefeldin A on vesicle budding at the Golgi apparatus and cell enlargement, are not directly correlated but may represent a common action of the drug on some constituent essential to membrane displacement mechanisms.Abbreviations BFA brefeldin A - IAA indole-3-acetic acid; 2, 4-D 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - NSF N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor Much of the information summarized in this report was presented as a plenary lecture at the XV International Botanical Congress Tokyo, Yokohama, Japan, August 28–September 3, 1993.     

Acute perturbations in Golgi organization impact de novo sphingomyelin synthesis

The mammalian Golgi apparatus is composed of multiple stacks of cisternal membranes organized laterally into a ribbon-like structure, with close apposition of trans Golgi regions with specialized endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes. These contacts may be the site of ceramide transfer from its site of synthesis (ER) to sphingomyelin (SM) synthase through ceramide transfer protein (CERT). CERT extracts ceramide from the ER and transfers it to Golgi membranes but the role of overall Golgi structure in this process is unknown. We show here that localization of CERT in puncta around the Golgi complex requires both ER- and Golgi-binding domains of CERT. To examine how Golgi structure contributes to SM synthesis, we treated cells with Golgi-perturbing drugs and measured newly synthesized SM. Interestingly, disruption of Golgi morphology with nocodazole, but not ilimaquinone inhibited SM synthesis. Decreased localization of CERT with a Golgi marker correlated with decreased SM synthesis. We propose that some Golgi structural perturbations interfere with efficient ceramide trafficking through CERT, and thus SM synthesis. The organization of the mammalian Golgi ribbon together with CERT may promote specific ER-Golgi interactions for efficient delivery of ceramide for SM synthesis.     

Correction of defective early tyrosinase processing by bafilomycin A1 and monensin in pink-eyed dilution melanocytes

Mutations in the human P gene result in oculocutaneous albinism type 2, the most common form of albinism. Mouse melan-p1 melanocytes, cultured from mice null at the homologous pink-eyed dilution (p) locus, exhibit defective melanin production. A variety of compounds including tyrosine, NH4Cl, bafilomycin A1, concanamycin, monensin, and nigericin are capable of restoring melanin synthesis in these cells. In the current study, we investigated the subcellular effects of bafilomycin A1 and monensin treatment of melan-p1 cells. Both agents play two roles in the processing of tyrosinase (Tyr) in melan-p1 cells. First, combined glycosidase digestion and immunoblotting analysis showed that these agents reduce levels of Tyr retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and facilitate the release of Tyr from the ER to the Golgi. Secondly, treatment with these compounds resulted in the stabilization of Tyr. Surprisingly, induction of melanin synthesis corresponds more closely with diminution of ER-retained Tyr, rather than the absolute amount of Tyr. Our results suggest that bafilomycin A1 and monensin induce melanin synthesis in melan-p1 cells mainly by facilitating Tyr processing from the ER to the Golgi by increasing the pH in either the ER or the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment.     

Role of microtubules in LPS-induced macrophage inflammatory protein-2 production from rat pneumocytes

We have recently demonstrated that primary cultured rat pneumocytes produce macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. In this study, we found that brefeldin A, by blocking anterograde transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus, decreased LPS-induced MIP-2 in the culture medium and increased its storage in cells. This suggests that MIP-2 is secreted via a pathway from the ER to the Golgi apparatus, a process commonly regulated by microtubules. We further found that LPS induced depolymerization of microtubules as early as 1 min after LPS stimulation, and it lasted at least for 4 h. Preventing depolymerization of microtubules with paclitaxel (Taxol; 10 nM to 10 microM) partially inhibited LPS-induced MIP-2 production, whereas the microtubule-depolymerizing agents colchicine (1-10 microM) and nocodazole (1-100 microM) increased LPS-induced MIP-2 protein production without affecting MIP-2 mRNA expression. These results suggest that in pneumocytes, LPS-induced microtubule depolymerization is involved in LPS-induced MIP-2 production and that secretion of MIP-2 from pneumocytes is via the ER-Golgi pathway.     

Microtubule-dependent retrograde transport of proteins into the ER in the presence of brefeldin A suggests an ER recycling pathway

Characteristics of brefeldin A (BFA)-induced redistribution of Golgi proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and its relationship to an ER retrieval pathway were investigated. Retrograde movement of Golgi proteins into the ER occurred via long, tubulovesicular processes extending out of the Golgi along microtubules. Microtubule-disrupting agents (i.e., nocodazole), energy poisons, and reduced temperatures inhibited this pathway. In BFA-treated cells Golgi proteins appeared to cycle between the ER and an intermediate compartment marked by a 53 kd protein. Addition of nocodazole disrupted this dynamic cycle by preferentially inhibiting retrograde movement, causing Golgi proteins to accumulate in the intermediate compartment. In the absence of BFA, such an ER cycling pathway appeared to be followed normally by the 53 kd protein but not by Golgi proteins, as revealed by temperature shift experiments. We propose that BFA induces the interaction of the Golgi with an intermediate "recycling" compartment that utilizes a microtubule-dependent pathway into the ER.