Subcellular localization and enzymatic properties of rat liver phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase

The phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase activity in rat liver showed a subcellular distribution different from that of phosphatidylinositol kinase. It was preferentially associated with plasma membrane-rich subcellular fractions, while no or minimal activity could be ascribed to mitochondria, lysosomes, Golgi membranes or the endoplasmic reticulum. The plasma membrane enzyme phosphorylated endogenous and exogenously added phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate at comparable initial rates. The phosphorylation of endogenous substrate was strongly inhibited by Triton X-100, while the phosphorylation of added substrate was enhanced, suggesting that endogenous phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate was readily available to the enzyme in unperturbed plasma membranes. The total activity of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase in rat liver was only 1/20 that of phosphatidylinositol kinase. The enzyme activity showed an unusually broad pH-optimum in the neutral range. Mg2+ was the preferred divalent cation and Km towards ATP was about 3-fold higher than the corresponding value for phosphatidylinositol kinase.     

Characterization of dolichyl diphosphate phosphatase from rat liver

Dolichyl diphosphate phosphatase (DolPPase) has been characterized in rat liver. Subcellular distribution studies indicate that the enzyme is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. The in vitro enzymatic activity is stimulated by EDTA, due to release of inhibition by trivalent cations found in the assay tubes. All di- and trivalent cations tested were inhibitory, with the trivalent ions Al3+ and Fe3+ showing greater than 70% inhibition at a concentration of 10 microM. The assay requires the presence of a detergent for optimal activity, with Triton X-100 giving maximum activity at 0.1%. The substrate specificity of DolPPase toward polyprenyl diphosphates has been determined and indicates that there is little preference of the enzyme for substrates of different chain length, and either stereochemical orientation or degree of saturation of the alpha-isoprene unit. Km values of 11-14 microM were obtained for all substrates tested. Preliminary studies on the transmembrane topology of the DolPPase using latency assays, indicate that the active site of the enzyme may reside on the cytoplasmic face of the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Comparative reactivity of carbamyl phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate with the glucose-6-phosphatase of intact microsomes

The ability of glucose 6-phosphate and carbamyl phosphate to serve as substrates for glucose-6-phosphatase (D-glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase; EC 3.1.3.9) of intact and disrupted microsomes from rat liver was compared at pH 7.0. Results support carbamyl phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate as effective substrates with both. Km values for carbamyl phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate were greater with intact than with disrupted microsomes, but Vmax values were higher with the latter. The substrate translocase-catalytic unit concept of glucose-6-phosphatase function is thus confirmed. The Km values for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose and D-glucose were larger when determined with intact than with disrupted microsomes. This observation is consistent with the involvement of a translocase specific for hexose substrate as a rate-influencing determinant in phosphotransferase activity of glucose-6-phosphatase.     

Retinyl phosphate mannose synthesis in rat liver membranes. Phospholipase sensitivity and phospholipid requirement.

A remarkable and immediate decrease in GDP-mannose:retinyl phosphate mannosyltransferase activity was found on pre-incubation of rat liver postnuclear membranes with phospholipase A2 or phospholipase C. Under the same conditions of pre-incubation (1 min at 37 degrees C) trypsin did not affect the enzyme activity, whereas pre-incubation for 30 min with trypsin and Pronase abolished enzyme activity. The lipid extract of untreated rat liver membranes partially restored enzyme activity after phospholipase treatment. Sphingomyelin was as active as the endogenous lipids. Other phospholipids were less active in the following order: phosphatidylcholine greater than phosphatidylethanolamine greater than phosphatidylinositol = phosphatidylserine. Dolichyl phosphate mannose synthesis was inhibited less (33%) by phospholipase C than was Ret-P-Man synthesis (98.5%) under identical conditions of incubation, which included 0.025% Triton. However, retinyl phosphate mannose synthesis by purified endoplasmic reticulum was found to be resistant to phospholipase C. Mixing experiments failed to demonstrate an inhibitory effect of the phospholipase-treated postnuclear membrane fraction on the synthetic activity of the endoplasmic reticulum, thus excluding the release of an inhibitory factor from the postnuclear membranes.     

Characterization of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors and calcium mobilization in a hepatic plasma membrane fraction

The distribution of hepatic binding sites for the calcium-mobilizing second messenger, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), was analyzed in subcellular fractions of the rat liver by binding studies with [32P]IP3 and compared with the Ca2+ release elicited by IP3 in each fraction. Three major subcellular fractions enriched in plasma membrane, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum were characterized for their 5'-nucleotidase, glucose-6-phosphatase, succinate reductase, and angiotensin II binding activities. The fraction enriched in plasma membrane showed 7- and 20-fold increases in IP3 binding capacity over those enriched in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, respectively, and contained a single class of high-affinity binding sites with Kd of 1.7 +/- 1.0 nM and concentration of 239 +/- 91 fmol/mg protein. IP3 binding reached equilibrium in 30 min at 0 degrees C, and the half-time of dissociation was about 15 min. The specificity of the IP3 binding sites was indicated by their markedly lower affinities for inositol 1-phosphate, phytic acid, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate, and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. The Ca2+-releasing activity of IP3 in the subcellular fractions was monitored with the fluorescent indicator, Fura-2. All three fractions showed ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake and rapidly released Ca2+ in response in IP3. The fraction enriched in plasma membrane was the most active in this regard, releasing 174 +/- 67 pmol Ca2+/mg of protein compared to 45 +/- 10 and 48 +/- 7 pmol/mg protein for the fractions enriched in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, respectively. These data suggest that the [32P]IP3 binding sites represent specific intracellular receptors through which IP3 mobilizes Ca2+ from a storage site associated (or co-purifying) with the plasma membrane of the rat liver. It is likely that a specialized vesicular system (to which IP3 can bind and trigger the release of Ca2+) is located in close proximity with the plasma membrane and is thus adjacent to the site at which IP3 is produced during stimulation of the hepatocyte by Ca2+-mobilizing hormones.     

Specific lipids enhance the activity of UDP-GlcNAc: dolichol phosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphate transferase in rat liver endoplasmic reticulum membrane vesicles.

The rate of the reaction catalyzed by UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc):dolichol phosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphate transferase in rat liver endoplasmic reticulum vesicles was shown to be influenced by particular lipids. Utilizing in vitro assay conditions where the membrane vesicles retained latency of glucose-6-phosphatase activity, the addition of phosphatidylethanolamine, cardiolipin, or monogalactosyldiglyceride resulted in severalfold increases in the rate of dolichol pyrophosphate N-acetylglucosamine synthesis. Other phospholipids were not stimulatory. These rates were dependent on the concentrations of the exogenous lipids and of the substrate dolichol phosphate. In the presence of cardiolipin, the membrane-bound enzyme became more susceptible to inactivation by protease K and to inhibition by tunicamycin. Titration of cardiolipin-containing endoplasmic reticulum vesicles with adriamycin indicated that the majority of the cardiolipin was exposed on the outer surface. These results suggest that the particular lipids altered membrane structure in a way that allowed further access of the enzyme to substrate, inhibitor, and other molecules. Lipids observed in these studies to be stimulatory are known to exist in the macromolecular hexagonal phase and may therefore be affecting the GlcNAc-1-phosphate transferase by locally disrupting the bilayer structure of the membrane. As other dolichol-utilizing enzymes have been previously observed by other investigators to be similarly influenced by such lipids, the effects may be common to enzymes of the dolichol cycle.     

Subcellular localization of the enzyme that forms mannosyl retinyl phosphate from guanosine diphosphate [14C]mannose and retinyl phosphate.

The subcellular distribution of the enzyme catalysing the conversion of retinyl phosphate and GDP-[14C]mannose into [14C]mannosyl retinyl phosphate was determined by using subcellular fractions of rat liver. Purity of fractions, as determined by marker enzymes, was 80% or better. The amount of mannosyl retinyl phosphate formed (pmol/min per mg of protein) for each fraction was: rough endoplasmic reticulum 0.48 +/- 0.09 (mean +/- S.D.); smooth membranes (consisting of 60% smooth endoplasmic reticulum and 40% Golgi apparatus), 0.18 +/- 0.03; Golgi apparatus, 0.13 +/- 0.03; and plasma membrane 0.02.     

Quantitative assay and subcellular distribution of enzymes acting on dolichyl phosphate in rat liver

To establish on a quantitative basis the subcellular distribution of the enzymes that glycosylate dolichyl phosphate in rat liver, preliminary kinetic studies on the transfer of mannose, glucose, and N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate from the respective (14)C- labeled nucleotide sugars to exogenous dolichyl phosphate were conducted in liver microsomes. Mannosyltransferase, glucosyltransferase, and, to a lesser extent, N- acetylglucosamine-phosphotransferase were found to be very unstable at 37 degrees C in the presence of Triton X-100, which was nevertheless required to disperse the membranes and the lipid acceptor in the aqueous reaction medium. The enzymes became fairly stable in the range of 10-17 degrees C and the reactions then proceeded at a constant velocity for at least 15 min. Conditions under which the reaction products are formed in amount proportional to that of microsomes added are described. For N- acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase it was necessary to supplement the incubation medium with microsomal lipids. Subsequently, liver homogenates were fractionated by differential centrifugation, and the microsome fraction, which contained the bulk of the enzymes glycosylating dolichyl phosphate, was analyzed by isopycnic centrifugation in a sucrose gradient without any previous treatment, or after addition of digitonin. The centrifugation behavior of these enzymes was compared to that of a number of reference enzymes for the endoplasmic reticulum, the golgi complex, the plasma membranes, and mitochondria. It was very simily to that of enzymes of the endoplasmic reticulum, especially glucose-6-phosphatase. Subcellular preparations enriched in golgi complex elements, plasma membranes, outer membranes of mitochondira, or mitoplasts showed for the transferases acting on dolichyl phosphate relative activities similar to that of glucose- 6-phosphatase. It is concluded that glycosylations of dolichyl phosphate into mannose, glucose, and N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate derivatives is restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum in liver cells, and that the enzymes involved are similarly active in the smooth and in the rough elements.     

Mannosyl carrier functions of retinyl phosphate and dolichyl phosphate in rat liver endoplasmic reticulum

Of the subcellular fractions of rat liver the endoplasmic reticulum was the most active in GDP-mannose: retinyl phosphate mannosyl-transfer activity. The synthesis of retinyl phosphate mannose reached a maximum at 20-30 min of incubation and declined at later times. Retinyl phosphate mannose and dolichyl phosphate mannose from endogenous retinyl phosphate and dolichyl phosphate could also be assayed in the endoplasmic reticulum. About 1.8 ng (5 pmol) of endogenous retinyl phosphate was mannosylated per mg of endoplasmic reticulum protein (15 min at 37 degrees C, in the presence of 5 mM-MnCl2), and about 0.15 ng (0.41 pmol) of endogenous retinyl phosphate was mannosylated with Golgi-apparatus membranes. About 20 ng (13.4 pmol) of endogenous dolichyl phosphate was mannosylated in endoplasmic reticulum and 4.5 ng (3 pmol) in Golgi apparatus under these conditions. Endoplasmic reticulum, but not Golgi-apparatus membranes, catalysed significant transfer of [14C]mannose to endogenous acceptor proteins in the presence of exogenous retinyl phosphate. Mannosylation of endogenous acceptors in the presence of exogenous dolichyl phosphate required the presence of Triton X-100 and could not be detected when dolichyl phosphate was solubilized in liposomes. Dolichyl phosphate mainly stimulated the incorporation of mannose into the lipid-oligosaccharide-containing fraction, whereas retinyl phosphate transferred mannose directly to protein.     

Distribution of adenylate cyclase among membrane fractions of rat liver.

Adenylate cyclase activity was detected in plasma membranes, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum from rat liver. Adenylate cyclase activities of purified membranes were determined biochemically by two methods. In one, the synthesis of radioactive cyclic AMP from ATalpha32P was monitored. In the other, the synthesis of cyclic AMP was quantitiated using a protein which specifically binds cyclic AMP. The enzyme activity was responsive to activation by both glucagon and sodium fluoride although differences in degree of activation were noted comparing plasma membrane, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum. Cytochemical studies, using both whole tissue and purified cell fractions and conducted in parallel, confirmed the biochemical results. Deposition of lead phosphate, enhanced by glucagon and NaF with samples incubated with appropriate substrates, was not restricted to plasma membranes of hepatocytes but was present in intracellular membranes as well. Adenylate cyclase of rat hepatocytes appears more widely distributed among internal membranes than previously recognized.     

Redundant systems of phosphatidic acid biosynthesis via acylation of glycerol-3-phosphate or dihydroxyacetone phosphate in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae lipid particles harbor two acyltransferases, Gat1p and Slc1p, which catalyze subsequent steps of acylation required for the formation of phosphatidic acid. Both enzymes are also components of the endoplasmic reticulum, but this compartment contains additional acyltransferase(s) involved in the biosynthesis of phosphatidic acid (K. Athenstaedt and G. Daum, J. Bacteriol. 179:7611-7616, 1997). Using the gat1 mutant strain TTA1, we show here that Gat1p present in both subcellular fractions accepts glycerol-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate as a substrate. Similarly, the additional acyltransferase(s) present in the endoplasmic reticulum can acylate both precursors. In contrast, yeast mitochondria harbor an enzyme(s) that significantly prefers dihydroxyacetone phosphate as a substrate for acylation, suggesting that at least one additional independent acyltransferase is present in this organelle. Surprisingly, enzymatic activity of 1-acyldihydroxyacetone phosphate reductase, which is required for the conversion of 1-acyldihydroxyacetone phosphate to 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate (lysophosphatidic acid), is detectable only in lipid particles and the endoplasmic reticulum and not in mitochondria. In vivo labeling of wild-type cells with [2-3H, U-14C]glycerol revealed that both glycerol-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate can be incorporated as a backbone of glycerolipids. In the gat1 mutant and the 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase slc1 mutant, the dihydroxyacetone phosphate pathway of phosphatidic acid biosynthesis is slightly preferred as compared to the wild type. Thus, mutations of the major acyltransferases Gat1p and Slc1p lead to an increased contribution of mitochondrial acyltransferase(s) to glycerolipid synthesis due to their substrate preference for dihydroxyacetone phosphate.     

Rat liver glucose-6-phosphatase system: light scattering and chemical characterization

Glucose-6-phosphatase is a multicomponent system located in the endoplasmic reticulum, involving both a catalytic subunit (G6PC) and several substrate and product carriers. The glucose-6-phosphate carrier is called G6PT1. Using light scattering, we determined K(D) values for phosphate and glucose transport in rat liver microsomes (45 and 33mM, respectively), G6PT1 K(D) being too low to be estimated by this technique. We provide evidence that phosphate transport may be carried out by an allosteric multisubunit translocase or by two distinct proteins. Using chemical modifications by sulfhydryl reagents with different solubility properties, we conclude that in G6PT1, one thiol group important for activity is facing the cytosol and could be Cys(121) or Cys(362). Moreover, a different glucose-6-phosphate translocase, representing 20% of total glucose-6-phosphate transport and insensitive to N-ethylmaleimide modification, could coexist with liver G6PT1. In the G6PC protein, an accessible thiol group is facing the cytosol and, according to structural predictions, could be Cys(284).     

Demonstration of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in rat Kupffer cells by a newly-developed ultrastructural enzyme-cytochemistry

Although various tissue macrophages possess high glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity, which is reported to be closely associated with their phagocytotic/bactericidal function, the fine subcellular localization of this enzyme in liver resident macrophages (Kupffer cells) has not been determined. We have investigated the subcellular localization of G6PD in Kupffer cells in rat liver, using a newly developed enzyme-cytochemical (copper-ferrocyanide) method. Electron-dense precipitates indicating G6PD activity were clearly visible in the cytoplasm and on the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum of Kupffer cells. Cytochemical controls ensured specific detection of the enzymatic activity. Rat Kupffer cells abundantly possessed enzyme-cytochemically detectable G6PD activity. Kupffer cell G6PD may play a role in liver defense by delivering NADPH to NADPH-dependent enzymes. G6PD enzyme-cytochemistry may be a useful tool for the study of Kupffer cell functions.     

Localization of Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity on Ribosomes of Granular Endoplasmic Reticulum, in Peroxisomes and Peripheral Cytoplasm of Rat Liver Parenchymal Cells

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity has been localized ultrastructurally in fixed tissues. Activity was found in particular in association with ribosomes of granular endoplasmatic reticulum. Biochemical studies indicated that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is also present in the cytoplasm and in peroxisomes. Fixation may be held responsible for selective inactivation of part of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. In the present study, we applied the ferricyanide method for the demonstration of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in unfixed cryostat sections of rat liver in combination with the semipermeable membrane technique and in isolated rat liver parenchymal cells. Isolated liver parenchymal cells were permeabilized with 0.025% glutaraldehyde after NADP⁺ protection of the active site of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. This treatment resulted in only slight inactivation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. The composition of the incubation medium was optimized on the basis of rapid light microscopical analysis of the formation of reddish-brown final reaction product in sections. With the optimized method, electron dense reaction product was observed in cryostat sections on granular endoplasmic reticulum, in mitochondria and at the cell border. However, the ultrastructural morphology was rather poor. In contrast, the morphology of incubated isolated cells was preserved much better. Electron dense precipitate was found on ribosomes of the granular endoplasmic reticulum, in peroxisomes and the cytoplasm, particularly at the periphery of cells. In conclusion, our ultrastructural study clearly demonstrates that it is essential to use mildly-fixed cells to allow detection of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in all cellular compartments where activity is present.     

An anion-exchange radioassay for glucose 6-phosphate phosphatase: use in topological studies with endoplasmic reticulum vesicles.

A simple procedure is presented for the enzymatic preparation of [2-3H]mannose 6-phosphate (Man 6-P) with purified yeast hexokinase and unlabeled ATP. The enzymatically synthesized [2-3H]Man 6-P is utilized as the radiolabeled substrate in a new rapid assay for glucose 6-phosphate (Glc 6-P) phosphatase. The principle of the assay procedure is that the unreacted substrate, [2-3H]Man 6-P, is retained by the anion-exchange resin, AG 1-X8 (acetate), while the enzymatic product, [2-3H]-mannose, is eluted directly into a scintillation counting vial. When Glc 6-P phosphatase activity associated with mouse liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) vesicles is assayed by the new chromatographic assay, the same characteristic latency and properties are observed, as determined by the commonly used colorimetric assay of inorganic phosphate produced. The anion-exchange radioassay described should be useful for a variety of topological studies on enzymes associated with membrane vesicles derived from liver and kidney ER.     

The sugar phosphate specificity of rat hepatic 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase

The sugar phosphate specificity of the active site of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase and of the inhibitory site of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase was investigated. The Michaelis constants and relative Vmax values of the sugar phosphates for the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase were: D-fructose 6-phosphate, Km = 0.035 mM, Vmax = 1; L-sorbose 6-phosphate, Km = 0.175 mM, Vmax = 1.1; D-tagatose 6-phosphate, Km = 15 mM, Vmax = 0.15; and D-psicose 6-phosphate, Km = 7.4 mM, Vmax = 0.42. The enzyme did not catalyze the phosphorylation of 1-O-methyl-D-fructose 6-phosphate, alpha- and beta-methyl-D-fructofuranoside 6-phosphate, 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 6-phosphate, D-ribose 5-phosphate, or D-arabinose 5-phosphate. These results indicate that the hydroxyl group at C-3 of the tetrahydrofuran ring must be cis to the beta-anomeric hydroxyl group and that the hydroxyl group at C-4 must be trans. The presence of a hydroxymethyl group at C-2 is required; however, the orientation of the phosphonoxymethyl group at C-5 has little effect on activity. Of all the sugar monophosphates tested, only 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 6-phosphate was an effective inhibitor of the kinase with a Ki = 95 microM. The sugar phosphate specificity for the inhibition of the fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase was similar to the substrate specificity for the kinase. The apparent I0.5 values for inhibition were: D-fructose 6-phosphate, 0.01 mM; L-sorbose 6-phosphate, 0.05 mM; D-psicose 6-phosphate, 1 mM; D-tagatose 6-phosphate, greater than 2 mM; 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol 6-phosphate, 0.5 mM. 1-O-Methyl-D-fructose 6-phosphate, alpha- and beta-methyl-D-fructofuranoside 6-phosphate, and D-arabinose 5-phosphate did not inhibit. Treatment of the enzyme with iodoacetamide decreased sugar phosphate affinity in the kinase reaction but had no effect on the sensitivity of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase to sugar phosphate inhibition. The results suggest a high degree of homology between two separate sugar phosphate binding sites for the bifunctional enzyme.     

Partial purification, properties, and subcellulsr distribution of rat liver phosphatidate phosphatase.

Phosphatidate phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.4Y was purified 15- to 20-fold from the soluble fraction of rat liver. The purification procedure involved calcium phosphate gel adsorption and elution, ammonium sulfact precipitation, and molecular-sieve chromatography. For the enzyme assay, and aqueous dispersion of phosphatidate, rather than "membrane-bound" phosphatidate, was used as substrate. The partially purified enzyme depends almost entirely on the presence of Mg2+ for its activity. Morover, the activity of the enzyme is stimulated by phosphatidylcholine. The enzyme exhibits a high substrate specificity for phosphatidate. The apparent Km for phosphatidate is approximately 0.05 mM. The optimum pH is between 7.4 and 7.6. The enzyme is inhibited by fluoride and by p-chloromercuribenzoate. The subcellular distribution of phosphatidate phosphatase in rat liver was studied by assaying the activity of the enzyme in the presence of Mg2+ and phosphatidylcholine. In contrast ot the results of previous studies, most of the enzyme activity was found in the soluble fraction.     

Regulation by cytidine nucleotides of the acylation of sn-[14C]glycerol 3-phosphate. Regional and subcellular distribution of the enzymes responsible for phosphatidic acid synthesis de novo in the central nervous system of the rat

1. The regional and subcellular distribution of the incorporation of sn-[(14)C]glycerol 3-phosphate into rat brain lipids in vitro was investigated and compared with the relative specific activity of various chemical and enzyme markers. The similarity between the subcellular distribution of this incorporation and of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity indicated that the synthesis of phosphatidic acid via this route correlated with the presence of endoplasmic reticulum. 2. Experiments in which various amounts of the microsomal fraction were added to fixed amounts of nuclear, myelin, nerve-ending and mitochondrial preparations clearly demonstrated that the endoplasmic-reticulum contamination of these fractions was entirely responsible for the incorporation of sn-[(14)C]glycerol 3-phosphate. 3. The presence of CMP or CTP inhibited the incorporation of sn-[(14)C]glycerol 3-phosphate into the whole homogenate. Similar effects were observed with individual fractions, except for the mitochondria. With the mitochondrial fraction the effect of these cytidine nucleotides varied with the preparation, stimulating in some preparations and inhibiting with other preparations. The presence of CDP-choline stimulated the incorporation into the whole homogenate and to a lesser extent into the subcellular fractions. 4. These results indicate that the various organelles of the central nervous system are more dependent on endoplasmic reticulum for the production of glycerolipids de novo than has previously been appreciated.     

Characterization of sulfate transport in the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum

The transport of sulfate ion across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane was investigated using rapid filtration and light scattering assays. We found a protein-mediated, bi-directional, low-affinity, and high-capacity, facilitative sulfate transport in rat liver microsomes, which could be inhibited by the prototypical anion transport inhibitor, 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid. It was resistant to various phosphate transport inhibitors and was not influenced by high concentration of phosphate or pyrophosphate, which is contradictory to involvement of phosphate transporters. It was sensitive to S3483 that has been reported to inhibit the glucose 6-phosphate transporter (G6PT), but the weak competition between sulfate and glucose 6-phosphate did not confirm the participation of this transporter. Moreover, the comparison of the activity and S3483 sensitivity of sulfate transport in microsomes prepared from G6PT-overexpressing or wild type COS-7 cells did not show any significant difference. Our results indicate that sulfate fluxes in the endoplasmic reticulum are mediated by a novel, S3483-sensitive transport pathway(s).     

Choline deficiency causes translocation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase from cytosol to endoplasmic reticulum in rat liver

The choline-deficient rat liver has been chosen as a physiologically relevant model system in which to study the regulation of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis. When 50-g rats were placed on a choline-deficient diet for 3 days, the activity of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) was increased 2-fold in the microsomes and decreased proportionately in the cytosol. A low titer antibody to CT was obtained from chickens and used to identify the amount of CT protein in cytosol from rat liver. The amount of CT recovered from the choline-deficient cytosol was significantly less than in cytosol from choline-supplemented rats. When hepatocytes were prepared from choline-deficient livers, supplementation of the medium of the cells with choline caused CT to move from the membranes to cytosol within 1-2 h. The activity of another translocatable enzyme of glycerolipid metabolism, phosphatidate phosphohydrolase, was unchanged in cytosol from choline-deficient rat livers, and the microsomal activity of this enzyme was only minimally increased. When the livers were fractionated into endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi, there was a 2-fold increase in the activity on the endoplasmic reticulum from choline-deficient livers but no change in activity associated with Golgi. Thus, the increased association of CT with endoplasmic reticulum in choline-deficient livers appears to be specific to that subcellular fraction, and the subcellular location of other enzymes may not be affected.