Proteolytic processing of rat liver membrane secretory component. Cleavage activity is localized to bile canalicular membranes

Membrane secretory component (mSC) mediates the transcellular movement of polymeric IgA from the sinusoidal to the bile canalicular surface of rat hepatocytes. Prior to or concomitant with arrival at the bile canalicular membrane, mSC is cleaved, producing a soluble proteolytic fragment (fSC) which is released into the bile. Conversion of mSC to fSC occurs at the cell surface of cultured rat hepatocytes (Musil, L. S., and Baenziger, J. U. (1987) J. Cell Biol. 104, 1725-1733), suggesting that vectorial release of fSC into bile in vivo may reflect localization of a mSC-specific protease to bile canalicular membranes. We have established a reconstituted system to examine the process of specific cleavage of mSC to yield fSC and to characterize the protease activity responsible. A membrane fraction highly enriched for endocytic vesicles was found to contain approximately 90% of the [35S]Cys-mSC from metabolically labeled rat liver slices but only 5% of the cellular protein. No cleavage activity was present in these vesicles. Highly enriched bile canalicular membranes were able to mediate cleavage of metabolically labeled mSC to a fragment indistinguishable from authentic fSC. In the absence of nonionic detergent, cleavage was dependent on the presence of polyethylene glycol, presumably to mediate fusion of mSC-enriched membranes with bile canalicular membranes. Following solubilization with nonionic detergent, cleavage was no longer dependent on the addition of polyethylene glycol. Cleavage of mSC was not observed with either intact or detergent-solubilized sinusoidal, microsomal, or lysosomal membranes. We have thus identified a proteolytic activity associated with bile canalicular membranes which has the properties of a membrane protein and is likely to be responsible for production of fSC in vivo. Its highly restricted localization to the bile canalicular membrane would account for the vectorial release of fSC into the bile.     

Halogenation and proteolysis of complement component C3 on Salmonella typhimurium during phagocytosis by human neutrophils

We examined the fate of C component C3 on the surface of Salmonella typhimurium during ingestion by human neutrophils. Initial experiments showed that C3 fragments and C3-acceptor complexes were the major serum ligands which were surface iodinated by canine myeloperoxidase on serum-incubated rough and smooth isolates of S. typhimurium. In contrast, labeled C3 was not identified when the same organisms were ingested by neutrophils in the presence of 125I-Na, a situation previously shown to iodinate particulate targets via the neutrophil myeloperoxidase-halide-H2O2 system. Pretreatment of neutrophils before phagocytosis with the lipid-soluble protease inhibitor diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), but not with other protease inhibitors (p-nitrophenylguanidinobenzoate, leupeptin, pepstatin), substantially blocked proteolysis of 125I-C3 on S. typhimurium strain RG108 during ingestion by neutrophils. Purification of neutrophil phagosomes containing S. typhimurium-bearing 125I-C3 showed that DFP but no other protease inhibitors blocked proteolysis of 125I-C3 within phagosomes. Iodinated C3-acceptor complexes were identified by immunoprecipitation from the detergent-insoluble fraction of phagosomes prepared from DFP-treated cells ingesting S. typhimurium in the presence of 125I-Na. These results show that C3 fragments on the surface of S. typhimurium are the major serum ligands which are halogenated and degraded by proteolysis during phagocytosis by human neutrophils, and suggest that the majority of proteolysis on the ingested target occurs within the neutrophil phagosome.     

Uptake and processing of human platelet factor 4 by hepatocytes

We previously demonstrated rapid clearance of human platelet factor 4 (PF4) from rabbit and rat blood, its accumulation in the liver, and elimination of PF4 degradation products in urine. The purpose of the present experiments was to characterize interaction of PF4 with cultured rat hepatocytes. 125I-PF4 was taken up by hepatocytes reaching maximum at 180 min. The association of 125I-PF4 with hepatocytes was two times greater at 37 degrees C than at 4 degrees C. At 37 degrees C degradation of 125I-PF4 by hepatocytes was also observed as indicated by the increase of 125I-PF4 radioactivity soluble in 6% trichloroacetic acid. By contrast, no uptake of 125I-beta-thromboglobulin antigen was observed. Autoradiography demonstrated that short incubation (5-20 min) of 125I-PF4 with hepatocytes results in the association of 125I-radioactivity with cell membranes while after longer incubation (60 min) radioactivity was also localized in the endosomes. Heparin inhibited binding and uptake of 125I-PF4 radioactivity by hepatocytes. We propose that part of PF4 released in the circulating blood by activated platelets is bound to the surface of hepatocytes and that it is further processed by these cells.     

Degradation of the acetylcholine receptor in cultured muscle cells: Selective inhibitors and the fate of undegraded receptors

To learn more about the pathway for degradation of an intrinsic membrane protein, we studied in cultured chick myotubes the effects of certain protease inhibitors and chloroquine (an inhibitor of lysosomal function) on degradation of the acetylcholine receptor measured with the specific ligand ¹²⁵I-α-bungarotoxin. Leupeptin, chymostatin, anti-pain and chloroquine decreased by 2–10 fold the rate of degradation of the acetylcholine receptor-¹²⁵I-α-bungarotoxin complex to ¹²⁵I-tyrosine (p < 0.01). After removing the inhibitors, the degradative rate returned to control levels. Leupeptin and chloroquine did not appear toxic to the cells; these agents did not alter the overall rate of protein synthesis, and leupeptin did not decrease the incorporation of receptors into the surface membrane. Therefore these inhibitors probably inhibit the degradative process selectively. A lysosomal site for receptor degradation appears probable, since chloroquine slows this process; leupeptin, chymostatin and antipain all inhibit cathepsin B; and chloroquine and to a lesser extent leupeptin altered the ultrastructural appearance of this organelle. Cultures labeled with ¹²⁵I-α-bungarotoxin and then incubated with leupeptin or chloroquine contained more radioactive protein than control cells. This material co-electrophoresed with bungarotoxin on sodium dodecylsulfate-urea-polyacrylamide gels. Thus myotubes exposed to these inhibitors seemed to accumulate undegraded bungarotoxin. They did not, however, contain more acetylcholine receptors on their surface. Instead, the inhibitor-treated cells accumulate toxin and receptors at some internal site. Thus treatment with such inhibitors does not appear to be a useful approach to the therapy of myasthenia gravis. The additional ¹²⁵I-toxin found in cells incubated with leupeptin or chloroquine was less accessible to exogenous protease than the toxin bound to control cells and was more resistant to extraction by Triton X-100. Since internalization of the receptor continued in the presence of these inhibitors, this process must not be coupled tightly to subsequent proteolysis. Measurement of receptors within cells not exposed to ¹²⁵I-α-bungarotoxin showed that incubation of myotubes with leupeptin or chloroquine for 48 hr increased the number of internal bungarotoxin-binding sites 2–11 fold (p < 0.001). Thus cells treated with these agents accumulate receptors intracellularly in a form that sediments at 35,000 × g. Electron microscopy showed that these treated myotubes contain 3–6 times more coated vesicles within their cytoplasm than control cells (p < 0.001). Thus chloroquine and leupeptin may retard receptor degradation in part by interfering with the fusion of coated vesicles with lysosomes.     

Cell surface distribution and intracellular fate of asialoglycoproteins: a morphological and biochemical study of isolated rat hepatocytes and monolayer cultures

A combination of biochemistry and morphology was used to demonstrate that more than 95 percent of the isolated rat hepatocytes prepared by collagenase dissociation of rat livers retained the pathway for receptor-mediated endocytosis of asialoglycoproteins (ASGPs). Maximal specific binding of (125)I-asialoorosomucoid ((125)I-ASOR) to dissociated hepatocytes at 5 degrees C (at which temperature no internalization occurred) averaged 100,000-400,000 molecules per cell. Binding, uptake, and degredation of (125)I- ASOR at 37 degrees C occurred at a rate of 1 x 10(6) molecules per cell over 2 h. Light and electron microscopic autoradiography (LM- and EM-ARG) of (125)I-ASOR were used to visualize the surface binding sites at 5 degrees C and the intracellular pathway at 37 degrees C. In the EM-ARG experiments, ARG grains corresponding to (125)I-ASOR were distributed randomly over the cell surface at 5 degrees C but over time at 37 degrees C were concentrated in the lysosome region. Cytochemical detection of an ASOR-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (ASOR-HRP) at the ultrastructural level revealed that at 5 degrees C this specific ASGP tracer was concentrated in pits at the cell surface as well as diffusely distributed along the rest of the plasma membrane. Such a result indicates that redistribution of ASGP surface receptors had occurred. Because the number of surface binding sites of (125)I-ASOR varied among cell preparations, the effect of collagenase on (125)I-ASOR binding was examined. When collagenase-dissociated hepatocytes were re-exposed to collagenase at 37 degrees C, 10-50 percent of control binding was observed. However, by measuring the extent of (125)I-ASOR binding at 5 degrees C in the same cell population before and after collagenase dissociation, little reduction in the number of ASGP surface receptors was found. Therefore, the possibility that the time and temperature of the cell isolations allowed recovery of cell surface receptors following collagenase exposure was tested. Freshly isolated cells, dissociated cells that were re-exposed to collagenase, and perfused livers exposed to collagenase without a Ca(++)-free pre-perfusion, were found to bind 110-240 percent more(125)I-ASOR after 1 h at 37 degrees C that they did at 0 time. This recovery of surface ASGP binding activity occurred in the absence of significant protein synthesis (i.e., basal medium or 1 mM cycloheximide). Suspensions of isolated, unpolarized hepatocytes were placed in monolayer culture for 24 h and confluent cells were demonstrated to reestablish morphologically distinct plasma membrane regions analogous to bile canalicular, lateral, and sinusoidal surfaces in vivo. More than 95 percent of these cells maintained the capacity to bind, internalize, and degrade (125)I-ASOR at levels comparable to those of the freshly isolated population. ASOR-HRP (at 5 degrees C) was specifically bound to all plasma membrane surfaces of repolarized hepatocytes (cultured for 24 h) except those lining bile canalicular-like spaces. Thus, both isolated, unpolarized hepatocytes and cells cultured under conditions that promote morphological reestablishment of polarity maintain the pathway for receptor- mediated endocytosis of ASGPs.     

Internalization and stepwise degradation of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in rat hepatocytes.

Intracellular transport and degradation of membrane anchored heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) were studied in cultured rat hepatocytes labeled with [35S]sulfate and [3H]glucosamine. Pulse chase experiments showed that membrane anchored HSPGs were constitutively transported to the cell surface after completion of polymerization and modification of the glycosaminoglycan chains in the Golgi apparatus. The intact HSPGs had a relatively short residence time at the cell surface and in non-degrading compartments (T(1/2) approximately 2-3 h), while [35S]sulfate labeled degradation products were found in lysosomes, and to a lesser extent in late endosomes. These degradation products which were free heparan sulfate chains with little or no protein covalently attached, were approximately half the size of the original glycosaminoglycan chains and were the only degradation intermediate found in the course of HSPG catabolism in these cells. In cells incubated in the presence of the microtubule perturbant vinblastine, or in the presence of the vacuolar ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin A1, and in cells incubated at 19 degrees C, the endocytosed HSPGs were retained in endosomes and no degradation products were detected. Disruption of lysosomes with glycyl-phenylalanine 2-naphthylamide (GPN) revealed a GPN resistant degradative compartment with both intact and partially degraded HSPGs. This compartment probably corresponds to late endosomes. Treatment of hepatocytes with the thiol protease inhibitor leupeptin inhibited the final degradation of the protein moiety of the HSPGs. The protein portion seems to be degraded completely before the glycosaminoglycan chains are cleaved. The degradation of the glycosaminoglycan chains is rapid and complete with one observable intermediate.     

Diacytosis of 125I-asialoorosomucoid by rat hepatocytes. A non-lysosomal pathway insensitive to inhibition by inhibitors of ligand degradation

Diacytosis of 125I-asialoorosomucoid by rat hepatocytes was studied by preincubating the cells with the labelled ligand at 37 degrees C for 30 min or 18 degrees C for 2 h, washing free of cell surface receptor-bound tracer at 4 degrees C and then reincubating at 37 degrees C. The cells preloaded at 37 degrees C released a maximum of 18% of the total intracellular ligand as undegraded molecules after 1 h of incubation with an apparent first-order rate constant of 0.018 min-1 (t1/2 = 39 min). When the preloaded cells were incubated in the presence of 100 micrograms/ml unlabelled asialoorosomucoid or 5 mM ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, the amount of the released ligand increased to 32 and 37%, respectively, without apparent change in kinetics, indicating that these agents prevented rebinding of the released ligand. In the presence of 5 microM colchicine, 20 microM cytochalasin B, 20 microM chloroquine, 10 mM NH4Cl, 10 microM monensin or 20 microM leupeptin, degradation of the preloaded ligand was inhibited, whereas the release of the ligand was either slightly increased or unchanged. Similar effects of leupeptin, colchicine and asialoorosomucoid were observed with cells preloaded at 18 degrees C. These results indicate that diacytosis of 125I-asialoorosomucoid occurs from a prelysosomal compartment via a route insensitive to inhibition by the inhibitors of ligand degradation.     

Nuclear translocation of the insulin receptor. A possible mediator of insulin's long term effects

The translocation of occupied surface insulin receptors to the nuclei of isolated hepatocytes was studied using the biologically active photosensitive insulin derivative, B2(2-nitro-4-azidophenylacetyl)-des-PheB1-insulin (NAPA-DP-insulin). When hepatocytes were photolabeled at 4 degrees C, extensively washed, and then further incubated at 37 degrees C for 1 h, photolabeled insulin receptors, which were initially localized to the cell surface, accumulated in the subsequently isolated nuclei. When the isolated nuclei were solubilized and subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and radioautography, labeled proteins with Mr identical to the cell surface insulin receptor were detected. Light microscopic radioautography of nuclei isolated from cells incubated for 1 ha at 37 degrees C demonstrated that 28% of these nuclei were specifically labeled with one or more grains. Electron microscopic radioautography of intact cultured hepatocytes, incubated 60 min at 37 degrees C, revealed that 26% of the thin-sectioned nuclei contained at least a single grain and 8.3% of the total cell-associated associated grains were located over the nuclei. Only 1.6% of grains were localized to lysosomes. In contrast, if photolabeled hepatocytes were incubated at 4 degrees C for up to 2 h, negligible accumulation of nuclear radioactivity was observed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis on light or electron microscopic radioautography. Conclusions are as follows. Occupied cell surface insulin receptors can internalize and translocate to the nucleus of intact hepatocytes by a time- and temperature-dependent mechanism. Accumulation and possible degradation of insulin receptors in lysosomes involves only a small percentage of the receptors internalized. Nuclear translocation of occupied cell surface insulin receptors may be a mechanism which mediates insulin's long term effects.     

The extracellular N terminus of the endothelin B (ETB) receptor is cleaved by a metalloprotease in an agonist-dependent process

The extracellular N terminus of the endothelin B (ET(B)) receptor is susceptible to limited proteolysis (cleavage at R64 downward arrow S65), but the regulation and the functional consequences of the proteolysis remain elusive. We analyzed the ET(B) receptor or an ET(B)-GFP fusion protein stably or transiently expressed in HEK293 cells. After incubation of cells at 4 degrees C, only the full-length ET(B) receptor was detected at the cell surface. However, when cells were incubated at 37 degrees C, N-terminal cleavage was observed, provided endothelin 1 was present during the incubation. Cleavage was not inhibited by internalization inhibitors (sucrose, phenylarsine oxide). However, in cells incubated with both internalization inhibitors and metalloprotease inhibitors (batimastat, inhibitor of TNFalpha-convertase) or metal chelators (EDTA, phenanthroline), the cleavage was blocked, indicating that metalloproteases cleave the agonist-occupied ET(B) receptor at the cell surface. Functional analysis of a mutant ET(B) receptor lacking the first 64 amino acids ([Delta2-64]ET(B) receptor) revealed normal functional properties, but a 15-fold reduced cell surface expression. The results suggest a role of the N-terminal proteolysis in the regulation of cell surface expression of the ET(B) receptor. This is the first example of a multispanning membrane protein, which is cleaved by a metalloprotease, but retains its functional activity and overall structure.     

Receptor-bound somatostatin and epidermal growth factor are processed differently in GH4C1 rat pituitary cells

GH4C1 cells, a clonal strain of rat pituitary tumor cells, have high-affinity, functional receptors for the inhibitory hypothalamic peptide somatostatin (SRIF) and for epidermal growth factor (EGF). In this study we have examined the events that follow the initial binding of SRIF to its specific plasma membrane receptors in GH4C1 cells and have compared the processing of receptor-bound SRIF with that of EGF. When cells were incubated with [125I-Tyr1]SRIF at temperatures ranging from 4 to 37 degrees C, greater than 80% of the specifically bound peptide was removed by extraction with 0.2 M acetic acid, 0.5 M NaCl, pH 2.5. In contrast, the subcellular distribution of receptor-bound 125I-EGF was temperature dependent. Whereas greater than 95% of specifically bound 125I-EGF was removed by acid treatment after a 4 degrees C binding incubation, less than 10% was removed when the binding reaction was performed at 22 or 37 degrees C. In pulse-chase experiments, receptor-bound 125I-EGF was transferred from an acid-sensitive to an acid-resistant compartment with a half-time of 2 min at 37 degrees C. In contrast, the small amount of [125I-Tyr1]SRIF that was resistant to acid treatment did not increase during a 2-h chase incubation at 37 degrees C. Chromatographic analysis of the radioactivity released from cells during dissociation incubations at 37 degrees C showed that greater than 90% of prebound 125I-EGF was released as 125I-tyrosine, whereas prebound [125I-Tyr1]SRIF was released as a mixture of intact peptide (55%) and 125I-tyrosine (45%). Neither chloroquine (0.1 mM), ammonium chloride (20 mM), nor leupeptin (0.1 mg/ml) increased the amount of [125I-Tyr1]SRIF bound to cells at 37 degrees C. Furthermore, chloroquine and leupeptin did not alter the rate of dissociation or degradation of prebound [125I-Tyr1]SRIF. In contrast, these inhibitors increased the amount of cell-associated 125I-EGF during 37 degrees C binding incubations and decreased the subsequent rate of release of 125I-tyrosine. The results presented indicate that, as in other cell types, EGF underwent rapid receptor-mediated endocytosis in GH4C1 cells and was subsequently degraded in lysosomes. In contrast, SRIF remained at the cell surface for several hours although it elicits its biological effects within minutes. Furthermore, a constant fraction of the receptor-bound [125I-Tyr1]SRIF was degraded at the cell surface before dissociation. Therefore, after initial binding of [125I-Tyr1]SRIF and 125I-EGF to their specific membrane receptors, these peptides are processed very differently in GH4C1 cells.     

Protease inhibitors reduce lysosomal acid phospholipase A1 activity in cultured rat hepatocytes

When rat hepatocytes were cultured in the presence of various specific protease inhibitors, lysosomal acid phospholipase A1 activity decreased progressively. Exposure of the cultured cells to 0.1 micrograms/ml of pepstatin, E 64, leupeptin or chymostatin also reduced the catalytic activities of several lysosomal marker enzymes. Irrespective of the protease inhibitor type employed, acid phospholipase A1 activity reacted most sensitively, followed by acid phosphatase, acid beta-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase and acid beta-glucuronidase. Of the protease inhibitors studied, pepstatin appeared to be most potent in reducing lysosomal enzyme activities in cultured hepatocytes. These findings suggest that proteolytic processes at as yet unknown, possibly extralysosomal sites play an important role in the turnover rates of lysosomal enzymes.     

Identification and partial characterization of two classes of receptors for human hepatocyte growth factor on adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture.

To characterize the receptor(s) for human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF), a physiological hepatotrophic factor involved in liver regeneration following hepatic injury, recombinant hHGF (rhHGF) was radioiodinated. The labeled rhHGF retained its full biological activity on adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture. The specific binding of [125I]iodo-rhHGF to hepatocytes reached a plateau within 240 min at 4 degrees C. Scatchard plot analysis of the binding data suggested the presence of two classes of high affinity binding sites for [125I]iodo-rhHGF. One of the sites had a dissociation constant (Kd) of about 4.6 pM with 300 sites/cell and the other has a Kd of about 275 pM with 15,160 sites/cell. Unlabeled rhHGF displaced cell surface-bound [125I]iodo-rhHGF in a dose-dependent manner as did native hHGF purified from plasma of patients with fulminant hepatic failure. However, other growth factors to rat hepatocytes in primary culture such as insulin and human epidermal growth factor, and proteins which have high amino acid sequence-homology to hHGF such as plasminogen and prothrombin, did not compete with [125I]iodo-rhHGF in the binding, which suggests the binding was specific to hHGF. Covalent cross-linking experiment of [125I]iodo-rhHGF to cell surface receptor(s) on hepatocytes showed there were two macromolecular species with apparent molecular weights of 330,000 and 230,000. Unlabeled rhHGF and native hHGF competed for the binding of [125I]iodo-rhHGF to the two macromolecular species, but insulin, human epidermal growth factor, plasminogen, and prothrombin did not. Based upon our estimated molecular weight of rhHGF = 84,000, these results suggest that hHGF specifically binds to two polypeptides of 246,000 and 146,000 daltons which are likely to represent the hHGF receptors of primary cultured rat hepatocytes.     

Endocytosis and recycling of subunit H1 of the asialoglycoprotein receptor is independent of oligomerization with H2.

The human asialoglycoprotein receptor is composed of two homologous subunits, H1 and H2. By expressing the two subunits in transfected fibroblast cell lines, it has been shown previously that the formation of a hetero-oligomeric complex is necessary for the transport of H2 to the plasma membrane and for high-affinity ligand binding. Here we show that subunit H1, when expressed in the absence of H2, is capable of internalization through coated pits and recycling. The kinetics of these processes are very similar to those of the H1-H2 complex. To study endocytosis in the absence of ligand binding, the cell surface was labeled at 4 degrees C with the 125I-iodinated impermeant reagent sulfosuccinimidyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, the cells were incubated at 37 degrees C for different times and the amount of internalized receptor was determined by protease digestion of surface proteins and immunoprecipitation. Similarly, recycling of surface-labeled and then internalized receptor protein was studied by monitoring its reappearance on the surface in the presence of exogenous protease. Our results show that subunit H1 contains all the signals necessary for receptor endocytosis and recycling independent of ligand binding.     

Biochemical and morphological evidence that the insulin receptor is internalized with insulin in hepatocytes

There is morphological and biochemical evidence that insulin is internalized in hepatocytes. The present study was designed to investigate the fate of the insulin receptor itself, subsequently to the initial binding step of the hormone to the hepatocyte plasma membrane. The insulin receptor was labeled with a 125I-photoreactive insulin analogue (B2[2-nitro,4-azidophenylacetyl]des-PheB1-insulin). This photoprobe was covalently coupled to the receptor by UV irradiation of hepatocytes after an initial binding step of 2-4 h at 15 degrees C. At this temperature, only limited (approximately 20%) internalization of the ligand occurred. In a second step, hepatocytes were resuspended in insulin-free buffer and further incubated for 2-4 h at 37 degrees C. After h at 37 degrees C, no significant radioactivity could be detected in non-UV-irradiated cells, whereas 12-15 % of the radioactivity initially bound remained associated to UV-irradiated cells. Morphological analysis after electron microscopy revealed that approximately 70% of this radioactivity was internalized and preferentially associated with lysosomal structures. SDS PAGE analysis under reducing conditions revealed that most of the radioactivity was associated with a 130,000-dalton band, previously identified as the major subunit of the insulin receptor in a variety of tissues. Internalization of the labeled insulin-receptor complex at the end of the 37 degrees C incubation was further demonstrated by its inaccessibility to trypsin. Conversely, at the end of the association step, the receptor (also characterized as a predominant 130,000-dalton species) was localized on the cell surface since it was cleaved by trypsin. We conclude that in hepatocytes the insulin receptor is internalized with insulin.     

The recycling of a secretory granule membrane protein

We have used N-hydroxysuccinimido-d-biotin as a reagent for labeling proteins exposed at the surface of cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells during Ba2+-stimulated secretion. A specific secretory granule membrane constituent, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), has been investigated using immunoprecipitation followed by electrophoresis. Within 30 min of stimulation, exposed DBH had been cleared from the cell surface. Nevertheless, quantitation of labeled DBH using [125I] streptavidin suggested that it remained undegraded over a period of 24 h, a time during which secretory granule stores of catecholamines were being replenished. Subcellular fractionation of the cultured cells suggested that, after 3 or 4 h, the biotinylated DBH, which was still membrane-bound, was located in particulate material that also contained cytochrome b561, another major secretory granule membrane component.     

Liver endothelium mediates the hepatocyte''s uptake of ceruloplasmin

The mode of transport of ceruloplasmin (CP) into the liver was investigated in fractionated liver cell suspensions. Incubation of 125I-CP at 4 degrees C with these different fractions led to its binding only to endothelial cells but not Kupffer cells and hepatocytes. Incubation at 37 degrees C led to rapid uptake of 125I-CP by endothelium, but cell-associated radioactivity declined after 15 min, which suggests the release of the labeled substance. Internalization was confirmed by fractionation of surface-bound and internalized ligand. The released label now acquired binding potential for fresh target hepatocytes, and the binding was inhibitable with asialoceruloplasmin but not native CP. This suggested that the released molecule was modified in the endothelium by desialation. Desialation was confirmed by incubation of endothelium with double-labeled CP (3H label on sialic acid and 125I on the protein part). We conclude that in the liver, CP is first recognized and taken up by endothelial cells that are endowed with appropriate surface receptors for the protein. Endothelium then modifies the molecule by desialation to expose the penultimate galactosyl residues. The modified molecule is then released, recognized, and taken up by hepatocytes through their membrane galactosyl-recognition system. These findings are consistent with the role of endothelium as an active mediator of molecular transport between blood and tissue, and further assign a biological role for the galactosyl-recognition system in hepatocytes.     

Calcium-dependent and phosphorylation-stimulated proteolysis of lipocortin I by an endogenous A431 cell membrane protease

Purified placental lipocortin I but not lipocortin II was proteolyzed during A431 cell membrane-catalyzed phosphorylation reactions. Proteolysis was Ca2+-dependent but was not prevented in the presence of a variety of inhibitors of Ca2+-dependent proteases, suggesting that the Ca2+ effect is a property of lipocortin I itself. Proteolysis was inhibited by Triton X-100 or dithiothreitol and was temperature-dependent, occurring at 30 degrees C but not at 0 degrees C. Tyrosine phosphorylation and proteolysis are distinct events as both phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated lipocortins could be cleaved by the membrane protease, but prephosphorylation enhanced the rate of proteolysis 2-fold during the initial reaction and by 60 min almost half of the phosphorylated lipocortin was proteolyzed. Cleavage of the 38-kDa phosphotyrosyl lipocortin I generated a truncated 37-kDa form of lipocortin which retained the phosphate label, indicating that proteolysis occurred at a site N-terminal to the site of tyrosine phosphorylation, possibly at tryptophan 12. Ando, Y., Imamura, S., Hong, Y.-M., Owada, M.K., Kakunaga, T., and Kannagi, R. [1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 6948-6955) have recently reported that in vitro cleavage at sites in the N-terminal tail region of lipocortin I by exogenously added proteases dramatically enhanced the Ca2+ sensitivity of phospholipid binding by lipocortin. The demonstrated ability of an endogenous membrane protease to catalyze a similar and specific cleavage in a Ca2+-dependent manner indicates that this event may occur in the cell where it would have important effects on the functional properties of lipocortin I.     

Decay accelerating factor of complement is anchored to cells by a C-terminal glycolipid

Membrane-associated decay accelerating factor (DAF) of human erythrocytes (Ehu) was analyzed for a C-terminal glycolipid anchoring structure. Automated amino acid analysis of DAF following reductive radiomethylation revealed ethanolamine and glucosamine residues in proportions identical with those present in the Ehu acetylcholinesterase (AChE) anchor. Cleavage of radiomethylated 70-kilodalton (kDa) DAF with papain released the labeled ethanolamine and glucosamine and generated 61- and 55-kDa DAF products that retained all labeled Lys and labeled N-terminal Asp. Incubation of intact Ehu with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), which cleaves the anchors in trypanosome membrane form variant surface glycoproteins (mfVSGs) and murine thymocyte Thy-1 antigen, released 15% of the cell-associated DAF antigen. The released 67-kDa PI-PLC DAF derivative retained its ability to decay the classical C3 convertase C4b2a but was unable to membrane-incorporate and displayed physicochemical properties similar to urine DAF, a hydrophilic DAF form that can be isolated from urine. Nitrous acid deamination cleavage of Ehu DAF at glucosamine following labeling with the lipophilic photoreagent 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)diazirine ([125I]TID) released the [125I]TID label in a parallel fashion as from [125I]TID-labeled AChE. Biosynthetic labeling of HeLa cells with [3H]ethanolamine resulted in rapid 3H incorporation into both 48-kDa pro-DAF and 72-kDa mature epithelial cell DAF. Our findings indicate that DAF and AChE are anchored in Ehu by the same or a similar glycolipid structure and that, like VSGs, this structure is incorporated into DAF early in DAF biosynthesis prior to processing of pro-DAF in the Golgi.     

Degradation of acetylcholine receptors in muscle cells: effect of leupeptin on turnover rate, intracellular pool sizes, and receptor properties

The cellular mechanisms of degradation of a transmembrane protein, the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), have been examined in a mouse muscle cell line, BC3H-1. The halftime of degradation of cell surface receptors labeled with [125I] alpha-Bungarotoxin ([125I] alpha-BuTx) is 11-16 h. Leupeptin, a lysosomal protease inhibitor, slows the degradation rate two- to sixfold, depending on the concentration of inhibitor used. The inhibition is reversible since the normal degradation rate is regained within 20 h after removal of the inhibitor. Cells incubated with leupeptin accumulate AChR. Little change in the number of surface AChR occurs but the amount of intracellular AChR increases two- to threefold. Accumulated AChR are unable to bind [125I] alpha-BuTx if excess, unlabeled alpha-BuTx is present in the culture medium during leupeptin treatment. Thus, leupeptin causes the accumulation of a surface-derived receptor population not previously described in these cells. Subcellular fractionation studies utilizing Percoll and metrizamide gradient centrifugation in addition to molecular exclusion chromatography suggest that the accumulated AChR reside in a compartment with lysosomal characteristics. In contrast, the subcellular component containing another intracellular pool of AChR not derived from the surface is clearly separated from lysosomes on Percoll gradients. The sedimentation properties of AChR solubilized from the plasma membrane and the lysosomal fraction have been compared. The plasma membrane AChR exhibits a sedimentation coefficient of 9S in sucrose gradients containing Triton, whereas the AChR derived from the lysosomal fraction exists in part in a high molecular weight form. The large aggregate and the organelle in which it resides may represent important intermediates in the degradative pathway of this membrane protein.     

Cleavage of membrane-anchored growth factors involves distinct protease activities regulated through common mechanisms.

The membrane-anchored forms of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and stem cell growth factors (Kit ligands) KL-1 and KL-2 are converted to soluble growth factor forms by a regulated proteolytic cleavage process. Each of these proteins is cleaved at a distinct site, however their cleavage is activated via a common set of intracellular signaling mechanisms. By using a panel of protease inhibitors, we show here that at least two cell-associated serine protease activities with distinct specificities participate in membrane growth factor cleavage. Two serine protease inhibitors of broad specificity, diisopropylfluorophosphate and 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, prevent the cleavage of proTGF-alpha and KL-1 but not that of KL-2. Of the agents tested, N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone and various haloenol lactone derivatives are the most potent inhibitors of cleavage of all three membrane growth factors. It is concluded that cleavage of membrane-anchored growth factors involves a proteolytic system with multiple serine protease activities regulated through common mechanisms.