Insulin and analogue effects on protein degradation in different cell types. Dissociation between binding and activity

In adult animals, the major effect of insulin on protein turnover is inhibition of protein degradation. Cellular protein degradation is under the control of multiple systems, including lysosomes, proteasomes, calpains, and giant protease. Insulin has been shown to alter proteasome activity in vitro and in vivo. We examined the inhibition of protein degradation by insulin and insulin analogues (Lys(B28),Pro(B29)-insulin (LysPro), Asp(B10)-insulin (B10), and Glu(B4),Gln(B16),Phe(B17)-insulin (EQF)) in H4, HepG2, and L6 cells. These effects were compared with receptor binding. Protein degradation was examined by release of trichloroacetic acid-soluble radioactivity from cells previously labeled with [(3)H]leucine. Short- and intermediate-lived proteins were examined. H4 cells bound insulin with an EC(50) of 4.6 x 10(-9) m. LysPro was similar. The affinity of B10 was increased 2-fold; that of EQF decreased 15-fold. Protein degradation inhibition in H4 cells was highly sensitive to insulin (EC(50) = 4.2 x 10(-11) and 1.6 x 10(-10) m, short- and intermediate-lived protein degradation, respectively) and analogues. Despite similar binding, LysPro was 11- to 18-fold more potent than insulin at inhibiting protein degradation. Conversely, although EQF showed lower binding to H4 cells than insulin, its action was similar. The relative binding potencies of analogues in HepG2 cells were similar to those in H4 cells. Examination of protein degradation showed insulin, LysPro, and B10 were equivalent while EQF was less potent. L6 cells showed no difference in the binding of the analogues compared with insulin, but their effect on protein degradation was similar to that seen in HepG2 cells except B10 inhibited intermediate-lived protein degradation better than insulin. These studies illustrate the complexities of cellular protein degradation and the effects of insulin. The effect of insulin and analogues on protein degradation vary significantly in different cell types and with different experimental conditions. The differences seen in the action of the analogues cannot be attributed to binding differences. Post-receptor mechanisms, including intracellular processing and degradation, must be considered.     

Measurement of phenylalanine hydroxylase turnover in cultured hepatoma cells.

A substantially new method has been developed to measure protein turnover. Its basis is the notion that in labeling experiments a secreted protein can be used to determine the specific radioactivity of the intracellular amino acid precursor pool. To measure protein turnover in the Reuber hepatoma H4 cell line, cultures were labeled with [3H]leucine for specified periods after which phenylalanine hydroxylase was isolated and its leucine specific radioactivity determined. Serum albumin secreted by the cultures was also isolated and used to estimate the leucine precursor pool specific radioactivity. The protein half-life of phenylalanine hydroxylase could them be calculated. Experiments performed at long and short labeling times and with high and low concentrations of leucine in the medium yielded equivalent results. Phenylalanine hydroxylase half-life in the H4 cells was investigated under both normal and hydrocortisone-induced growth conditions. Average half-lives of 7.4 and 8.2 h were found for induced and uninduced cultures, respectively. Although these measured enzyme half-lives were not essentially different, the steady state level of phenylalanine hydroxylase was increased 6.2-fold upon hydrocortisone induction, from 0.076 to 0.47 microgram/10(6) cells. The results demonstrated that hydrocortisone induces phenylalanine hydroxylase in the H4 cells by causing an increase in the rate of enzyme synthesis.     

Degradation of zinc-metallothionein in monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes

The degradation of zinc-metallothionein (MT) was studied in monolayer cultures of adult rat hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were incubated overnight in serum-free medium containing either [35S]cysteine or [3H]leucine and 100 microM zinc to induce MT synthesis. Total cellular 35S-MT was measured in the heat-stable extract of cell homogenate and quantified by fast protein liquid chromatography. When zinc was removed from the medium, 35S-MT turnover was almost 3-fold faster than that of [3H]Leu protein (t1/2 = 11 and 29 hr, respectively). The decrease in the cellular level of 35S-MT reflected degradation since less than 1% of total cellular 35S-MT was secreted into the medium. The rate of MT degradation was inversely proportional to cellular zinc content. In contrast, the degradation of [3H]Leu protein was not affected by changes in cellular zinc concentration. Chloroquine, a lysosomotrophic amine, and tosyl lysine chloromethyl ketone, an inhibitor of trypsin-like neutral protease activity, inhibited 35S-MT degradation by 65% and 50%, respectively, when cells were incubated in medium with 1 microM zinc. Turnover of [3H]Leu protein, but not 35S-MT, was enhanced by insulin deprivation. These data suggest that the degradation of hepatic MT (i) is primarily regulated by cellular zinc content and (ii) occurs in both lysosomal and nonlysosomal compartments.     

Kinetics of insulin action on protein synthesis in isolated adipocytes. Ability of glucose to selectively desensitize the glucose transport system without altering insulin stimulation of protein synthesis

When adipocytes were exposed to [3H]leucine for times ranging from 5 to 180 s, leucine was found to enter cells rapidly and equilibrate with the cell interior within 5 s. After an additional 15-30 s [3H]leucine was incorporated into nascent protein, and the rate of incorporation was linear for up to 6 h in both control and insulin-treated cells. Since treatment of adipocytes with 10 ng/ml insulin enhanced the rate of leucine incorporation 2-3-fold with minimal or no effect on the rate of protein degradation or leucine uptake, we conclude that the predominant effect of insulin is on enhancement of protein synthesis. To assess the time required for insulin to stimulate protein synthesis, we preincubated cells with 10 ng/ml of insulin for various times from 2 to 30 min and then measured [3H]leucine incorporation into protein during a 4-min assay. These results revealed that the insulin stimulation of protein synthesis is rapid (t 1/2 of 4.4 min), but 9-fold slower than insulin activation of glucose transport (t 1/2 less than 0.5 min under identical conditions). In contrast to the rapidity of insulin activation, we found that deactivation proceeded at much slower rates (t 1/2 of 32 and 21 min for protein synthesis and glucose transport, respectively). Desensitization of the glucose transport system has previously been shown to occur after adipocytes are exposed to high glucose and insulin. To examine the specificity of desensitization, we treated cells for 6 h with 20 mM glucose and 25 ng/ml insulin and then examined insulin sensitivity and maximal insulin responsiveness of both the glucose transport and protein synthesis systems. After treatment, the glucose transport was markedly insulin-resistant (60% loss in maximal insulin responsiveness and a marked loss in insulin sensitivity), whereas the protein synthesis system exhibited neither diminished insulin responsiveness nor loss of insulin sensitivity. In fact, insulin sensitivity actually increased, as indicated by the finding that less insulin was required to stimulate protein synthesis (insulin ED50 values of 0.25 and 18 ng/ml at 0 and 6 h of treatment). From these studies we conclude that desensitization of the glucose transport system by glucose and insulin treatment appears to be specific for this particular effector system and does not reflect a state of generalized cellular insulin resistance.     

Protein degradation in skin fibroblasts from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The rates of degradation of [3H]leucine-labelled proteins have been measured in cultures of skin fibroblasts obtained from normal controls (five subjects) and patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (six subjects). Cultures were incubated with [3H]leucine (10 microCi/ml) for 60 min to label "short-lived" proteins, and with [3H]leucine (5 microCi/ml) for 60 h to label "long-lived" proteins. Optimal wash procedures were devised for removal of [3H]leucine from the extracellular space and from cell pools before beginning degradation measurements. Re-utilization of [3H]leucine released from degraded labelled proteins was prevented by supplementing the medium with 4mM-leucine. Rates of degradation did not depend on the growth state of the cells or on cell age over the range used (passages eight-20). Degradation of long-lived proteins was approximately linear over a 24h period, at a rate of 1.0% per h. 30% of short-lived protein was degraded within 6h. No differences were observed between protein degradation in normal fibroblasts and in those from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.     

Regulation of amino acid transport and protein metabolism in myotubes derived from chicken muscle satellite cells by insulin-like growth factor-I

The effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on amino acid transport and protein metabolism were compared in myotubes derived from chicken breast muscle satellite cells. Protein synthesis was assessed by continuous labelling with [³H]-tyrosine. Protein degradation was estimated by the release of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) soluble radioactivity by cells which had been previously labelled with [³H]-tyrosine for 3 days. Amino acid transport was measured in myotubes incubated in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) 0.5% bovine serum albumin (BSA) with or without insulin or IGF-I. Subsequent [³H]-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) uptake was then measured in amino acid-free medium. IGF-I was more efficient than insulin at equimolar concentration (3.2 nmol/l) in stimulating protein synthesis (127 and 113% of basal, respectively) and inhibiting protein degradation (32% and 13% inhibition of protein degradation following 4 h incubation). Half maximal effective concentrations for stimulation of AIB uptake were 0.27 ± 0.03 nmol/l and 34.8 ± 3.1 nmol/l for IGF-I and insulin respectively, with maximal stimulation of about 340% of basal. Cycloheximide (3.6 μmol/l) diminished IGF-I-stimulated AIB uptake by 55%. Chicken growth hormone had no effect on basal AIB uptake in these cells and neither glucagon nor dexamethasone had an effect on basal or IGF-I-stimulated AIB uptake. This study demonstrates an anabolic effect for IGF-I in myotubes derived from primary chicken satellite cells which is mediated by the type I IGF receptor, since the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor does not bind IGF-II in chicken cells. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Biosynthesis and degradation of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase of rat kidney

gamma-Glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma GTP) of rat kidney is an intrinsic glycoprotein bound to the plasma membrane and composed of two nonidentical subunits and an amino-terminal portion of the heavy subunit anchors the enzyme to the membrane. The mechanisms of biosynthesis, post-translational processing and degradation of the enzyme were studied using mono-specific antibody raised to gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase purified from rat kidney. The following results were obtained. Double isotope labeling in vivo showed that gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase is synthesized as a precursor form with a single polypeptide chain of 78,000 daltons, and then processed post-translationally by limited proteolysis, resulting in two subunits of 50,000 and 23,000 daltons. Incorporation of [3H]leucine or [35S]methionine into the precursor form increased until 60 min after their intravenous injection, and a pulse-chase experiment showed that the half life of the precursor form was 53 min. [3H]Fucose and [3H]glucosamine could also be incorporated into the precursor form, showing that glycosylation of the enzyme occurs at the stage of the precursor form. Rat kidney labeled with [3H]fucose was subjected to subcellular fractionation. The Golgi fraction contained the glycosylated precursor form and a small amount of subunits, and the plasma membrane fraction contained mostly subunits with a significant amount of precursor, suggesting that post-translational processing of the precursor occurs on the plasma membrane. The apparent half lives of the native enzyme and the heavy and light subunits were all estimated as 4.3 +/- 0.5 days by labeling with [3H]leucine or [3H]fucose. gamma-Glutamyltranspeptidase has a different turnover rate from aminopeptidase M, which is located in the microvillus membrane close to gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase.     

Inhibition of hepatic proteolysis by insulin. Role of hormone-induced alterations of the cellular K+ balance

1. Proteolysis was measured as [3H]leucine release from isolated perfused livers from rats, which had been labeled in vivo by an intraperitoneal injection of [3H]leucine about 16 h prior to the perfusion experiment. In livers from fed rats, insulin (35 nM) inhibited [3H]leucine release by 24.5 +/- 1.3% (n = 15) and led to an amiloride-sensitive, bumetanide-sensitive and furosemide-sensitive net K+ uptake of 5.53 +/- 0.31 mumol.g-1 (n = 15). Both the insulin effects on net K+ uptake and on [3H]leucine release were diminished by about 65% or 55% in presence of furosemide (0.1 mM) or bumetanide (5 microM), respectively. The insulin-induced net K+ uptake was virtually abolished in the presence of amiloride (1 mM) plus furosemide (0.1 mM). 2. In perfused livers from 24-h-starved rats, both the insulin-stimulated net K+ uptake and the insulin-induced inhibition of [3H]leucine release were about 80% lower than observed in experiments with livers from fed rats. The insulin effects on K+ balance and [3H]leucine release were not significantly influenced in the presence of glycine (2 mM), although glycine itself inhibited [3H]leucine release by 30.3 +/- 0.3% (n = 4) and 13.8 +/- 1.2% (n = 5) in livers from starved and fed rats, respectively. When livers from fed rats were preswollen by hypoosmotic perfusion (225 mOsmol.l-1), both the insulin-induced net K+ uptake and the inhibition of [3H]leucine release were diminished by 50-60%. 3. During inhibition of [3H]leucine release by insulin, further addition of glucagon (100 nM) led to a marked net K+ release from the liver (3.82 +/- 0.24 mumol.g-1), which was accompanied by stimulation of [3H]leucine release by 16.4 +/- 4.6% (n = 4). 4. Ba2+ (1 mM) infusion led to a net K+ uptake by the liver of 3.2 +/- 0.2 mumol.g-1 (n = 4) and simultaneously inhibited [3H]leucine release by 12.4 +/- 1.7% (n = 4). 5. There was a close relationship between the Ba2+ or insulin-induced net K+ uptake and the degree of inhibition of [3H]leucine release, even when the K+ response to insulin was modulated by bumetanide, furosemide, glucagon, hypotonic or glycine-induced cell swelling or the nutritional state. 6. The data suggest that the insulin-induced net K+ uptake involves activation of both NaCl/KCl cotransport and Na+/H+ exchange.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Incorporation of [h]leucine and [h]valine into protein of freshwater bacteria: uptake kinetics and intracellular isotope dilution

Incorporation of [H]leucine and [H]valine into proteins of freshwater bacteria was studied in two eutrophic lakes. Incorporation of both amino acids had a saturation level of about 50 nM external concentration. Only a fraction of the two amino acids taken up was used in protein synthesis. At 100 nM, the bacteria respired 91 and 78% of leucine and valine taken up, respectively. Respiration of H and C isotopes of leucine gave similar results. Most of the nonrespired leucine was recovered in bacterial proteins, while only up to one-half of the nonrespired valine occurred in proteins. In intracellular pools of the bacteria, [H]leucine reached an isotope saturation of 88 to 100% at concentrations of >40 nM. For [H]valine, an isotope equilibrium of about 90% was obtained at concentrations of >80 nM. Within an incubation period of typically 1 h, tritiated leucine and valine incorporated into proteins of the bacteria reached an isotope saturation of 2 to 6%. In a 99-h batch experiment, bacterial protein synthesis calculated from incorporation of leucine and valine corresponded to 31 and 51% (10 nM) and 89 and 97% (100 nM), respectively, of the chemically determined protein production. Measured conversion factors of 100 nM leucine and valine were 6.4 x 10 and 6.6 x 10 cells per mol, respectively, and fell within the expected theoretical values. The present study demonstrates that incorporation of both valine and leucine produces realistic measurements of protein synthesis in freshwater bacteria and that the incorporation can be used as a measure of bacterial production.     

Intracellular protein degradation in serum-deprived human fibroblasts.

IMR90 human fibroblasts were labelled by incubation of cells for 48 h in medium containing 10% serum and [3H]leucine. The labelled protein was degraded at a rate of 1%/h during a subsequent incubation in medium with 10% serum. Incubation in medium without serum caused a transient enhancement of the degradation of endogenous protein, which was also found in cells labelled in medium without serum. The degradation of micro-injected haemoglobin was enhanced by serum deprivation in a non-transient manner. These results suggest that enhanced degradation in serum-free medium occurs only for a subpopulation of cell proteins and that it appears transient because the major part of the pool of susceptible endogenous proteins is being degraded during the first 20-30 h in serum-free unlabelled medium. Protein turnover in various cell compartments was measured by a double-labelling technique. Most of the enhanced degradation in serum-deprived cultures (73-83%) was due to breakdown of cytosolic proteins. The enhanced degradation of cytosolic proteins seemed to affect several proteins irrespective of their molecular mass or metabolic stability.     

Characterization of Opioid Receptors in Cultured Neurons

The appearance of mu-, delta-, and kappa-opioid receptors was examined in primary cultures of embryonic rat brain. Membranes prepared from striatal, hippocampal, and hypothalamic neurons grown in dissociated cell culture each exhibited high-affinity opioid binding sites as determined by equilibrium binding of the universal opioid ligand (-)-[3H]bremazocine. The highest density of binding sites (per mg of protein) was found in membranes prepared from cultured striatal neurons (Bmax = 210 +/- 40 fmol/mg protein); this density is approximately two-thirds that of adult striatal membranes. By contrast, membranes of cultured cerebellar neurons and cultured astrocytes were devoid of opioid binding sites. The opioid receptor types expressed in cultured striatal neurons were characterized by equilibrium binding of highly selective radioligands. Scatchard analysis of binding of the mu-specific ligand [3H]D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly-ol5-enkephalin to embryonic striatal cell membranes revealed an apparent single class of sites with an affinity (KD) of 0.4 +/- 0.1 nM and a density (Bmax) of 160 +/- 20 fmol/mg of protein. Specific binding of (-)-[3H]bremazocine under conditions in which mu- and delta-receptor binding was suppressed (kappa-receptor labeling conditions) occurred to an apparent single class of sites (KD = 2 +/- 1 nM; Bmax = 40 +/- 15 fmol/mg of protein). There was no detectable binding of the selective delta-ligand [3H]D-Pen2,D-Pen5-enkephalin. Thus, cultured striatal neurons expressed mu- and kappa-receptor sites at densities comparable to those found in vivo for embryonic rat brain, but not delta-receptors.     

The beta-cell glibenclamide receptor is an ADP-binding protein.

Pathways of bulk protein degradation controlled by insulin and isoprenaline (isoproterenol) were distinguished in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Proteins were biosynthetically labelled in vitro with [3H]leucine, followed by addition of 2 mM non-radioactive leucine to competitively prevent reincorporation. Rapidly degraded proteins were eliminated during a 3 h preliminary perfusion period without insulin. One third of bulk myocardial protein degradation was inhibited by isoprenaline as described previously. An insulin concentration of 5 nM maximally inhibited proteolysis, beginning within 2 min. Inhibition reached 32% within 1.25 h and 35% after 1.5 h. The minimum effective insulin concentration was approx. 10-50 pM, which caused 10-20% inhibition. Following 3 h of perfusion without insulin, the lysosomal inhibitor, chloroquine (30 microM), inhibited 38% of bulk degradation. The 35% proteolytic inhibition caused by insulin was followed by very little further inhibition on subsequent concurrent infusion of chloroquine, i.e. the inhibitory effects of insulin and chloroquine were not additive. In contrast, prior inhibition of lysosomal proteolysis by insulin or chloroquine did not prevent the subsequent additive inhibition caused by isoprenaline. Insulin and beta-agonists additively inhibited approx. two-thirds of bulk degradation. The biguanide antihyperglycaemic agent phenformin (2 microM) inhibited 35% of bulk degradation, beginning at 2 min and reaching a near maximum at approx. 1.25-1.5 h. Following inhibition of proteolysis with phenformin (20 microM), subsequent infusion of chloroquine (30 microM) produced only a slight additional inhibition. Following inhibition of 35% of degradation by 1.5 h of perfusion with insulin (5 nM), subsequent exposure to phenformin (2 microM) produced only a slight additional inhibition which did not exceed 38% of basal proteolysis. Thus insulin and phenformin both inhibit lysosomal proteolysis; however, the adrenergic-responsive pathway is distinct.     

Effect of insulin at dilution endpoint concentrations on macromolecular synthesis in normal mouse mammary and human breast cancer epithelial cells

Employing defined media conditions, the insulin sensitivities of mouse mammary gland epithelial cells in primary culture and MCF-7 human mammary epithelial cells were determined. Insulin stimulated the rates of (3H] uridine incorporation into RNA and [3H] leucine incorporation into protein in both primary mouse mammary gland epithelial cell cultures and MCF-7 cell cultures at concentrations approximating the dilution endpoint of the hormone (10-21 M). Insulin stimulated the rate of [3H] thymidine incorporation into DNA in primary mouse mammary gland epithelial cells at the dilution endpoint concentrations. However, MCF-7 cells required insulin concentrations 100-1000-times that necessary in mouse mammary epithelial cultures to elicit an increased rate of [3H] thymidine incorporation into DNA. Evidence is presented which suggests that the increased rates of uptake of 3H- uridine, [3H] thymidine and [3H] leucine into their respective precursor pools is not responsible for the apparent stimulation of RNA, DNA and protein synthesis.     

Protein turnover in the extreme thermophile Thermus aquaticus.

Protein turnover in the extreme bacterial thermophile Thermus aquaticus was examined in exponential cultures at 75 degrees C. The relative amount of [3H]leucine incorporated into trichloroacetic acid-insoluble material was stable in pulse-chase experiments assayed over 2.5 h. The trichloroacetic acid-insoluble radioactive leucine was stable upon the addition of chloramphenicol, which blocks protein synthesis in T. aquaticus. The specific activity of a phosphate-repressible alkaline phosphatase, investigated in the presence of chloramphenicol, did not decrease. The addition of excess orthophosphate to cultures derepressed for the alkaline phosphatase did not show a marked effect on the specific activity over a 2-h period. On the basis of these four experiments, it does not appear that a high protein turnover rate is essential for the thermophily of T. aquaticus at 75 degrees C.     

Stimulation of phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides by endothelin in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells

Incubation of the [3H] inositol-labeled cultured rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with either endothelin or angiotensin II caused a rapid formation of inositol mono-, bis- and trisphosphates (IP1, IP2 and IP3, respectively). Time courses of the endothelin- and angiotensin II-induced formation of these inositol phosphates were similar. The maximal levels of IP1, IP2 and IP3 formation induced by endothelin were about 50%, 25% and 40%, respectively, of those induced by angiotensin II. The doses of endothelin necessary for the half maximal and maximal extents of the formation of IP1 were about 1 nM and 100 nM, respectively. Protein kinase C-activating 12-Q-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) inhibited the endothelin-induced formation of IP1 with the half maximal extent of inhibition seen at 3 nM. The inhibitory action of TPA was mimicked by another protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester, phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate, but not by 4 alpha-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate, known to be inactive for this enzyme. These results indicate that endothelin causes the phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides, though to a lesser extent than angiotensin II, in cultured VSMCs and suggest that protein kinase C modulates the signaling mechanism of endothelin to the phospholipase C.     

Mechanisms of protein degradation in growing and non-growing L-cell cultures.

L-cells prelabelled with [14C]leucine and [3H]thymidine were placed in either fresh growth medium (minimal essential medium with 10% serum) or stepdown medium (minimal essential medium) for 3 days. The 14C/3H ratio remained constant in the growing cultures and decreased in the stationary-phase cultures, indicating no protein turnover in growing cultures and a degradative rate of 0.6%/h in the stationary-phase cultures. Media analysis, however, indicated that 14C-labelled proteins were being degraded at approx. 1.2%/h in growing cultures and 1.7%/h in stationary-phase cultures. Additional studies indicated that a subpopulation of L-cells in the monolayer, comprising approx. 20--30% of the total, were lost in the original processing procedure. Experiments in which recoveries approached 100% by fixation of the monolayer in situ indicated that a protein-degrading subpopulation accounted for all the observed proteolysis in the growing cultures. Proteolysis in these cultures was only partially inhibited with NH4Cl, indicating that only a small part of the protein degradation was occurring in an activated lysosomal-autophagic system. NaF produced a more effective inhibition of proteolysis, but we were not able to distinguish whether this effect was on an ATP-requiring basal-turnover mechanism or a direct effect on unregulated activity of proteinases in the cell hyaloplasm. However, NH4Cl inhibited the proteolysis induced when cells were placed in stepdown medium, suggesting that the induced proteolysis was occurring via the autophagic system. We conclude that L-cells exist in at least two states with respect to protein degradation: (a) a subpopulation that is actively replicating and does not degrade cellular proteins, and (b) a second subpopulation of cells, derived from the preceding one, which degraded most of their labelled proteins, are not capable of further replication, and are not sedimented in an iso-osmotic EDTA buffer solution. In addition, proliferating L-cells, when placed in stepdown medium, begin to degrade cell protein through a mechanism involving autophagolysosomes.     

Effects of hormones on protein and amino acid metabolism in mammary-gland explants of mice.

The effects of insulin, cortisol and prolactin on amino acid uptake and protein biosynthesis were determined in mammary-gland explants from mid-pregnant mice. Insulin stimulated [3H]leucine incorporation into protein within 15 min of adding insulin to the incubation medium. Insulin also had a rapid stimulatory effect on the rate of aminoiso[14C]butyric acid uptake, but it had no effect on the intracellular accumulation of [3H]leucine. Cortisol inhibited the rate of [3H]leucine incorporation into protein during the initial 4h of incubation, but it had no effect at subsequent times. [3H]Leucine uptake was unaffected by cortisol, but amino[14C]isobutyric acid uptake was inhibited after a 4h exposure period to this hormone. Prolactin stimulated the rate of [3H]leucine incorporation into protein when tissues were exposed to this hormone for 4h or more; up to 4h, however, no effect of prolactin was detected. At all times tested, prolactin had no effect on the uptake of either amino[14C]isobutyric acid or [3H]leucine. Incubation with actinomycin D abolished the prolactin stimulation of protein biosynthesis, but this antibiotic did not affect the insulin response. A distinct difference in the mechanism of action of these hormones on protein biosynthesis in the mammary gland is thus apparent.     

Biosynthesis of cartilage proteoglycan and link protein by articular chondrocytes from immature and mature rabbits

Chondrocytes from immature and mature rabbits have been compared in biosynthetic studies with [3H] leucine and [35S]sulfate as precursors. The time course of incorporation of [3H]leucine into general protein, proteoglycan monomer core protein, and link protein and of [35S]sulfate into proteoglycan monomer has been examined. Proteoglycan monomer was isolated from the high buoyant density (p greater than 1.60) fractions of dissociative CsCl gradients and link protein by immunoprecipitation with antibody 8A4 followed by gel electrophoresis. Results based on the period of linear isotope incorporation showed that mature cells synthesize protein at about 40% of the rate of immature cells and both proteoglycan and link protein at about 20% of the rate of immature cells. The labeling rates obtained suggest that immature cells synthesize an approximate 1:1 molar ratio of link protein to proteoglycan monomer, and for mature cells this ratio is about 0.8:1. While cell layer retention of newly synthesized proteoglycan was markedly lower in mature relative to immature cell cultures, link protein retention was high in both immature and mature cultures; this finding provides an explanation for our previous observation (Plaas, A. H. K., and Sandy, J. D. (1984) Biochem, J. 220, 337-340) that link-free monomer accumulates in the medium of mature but not immature cultures. The link protein synthesized by both ages of cells and isolated from cell layer or medium was a single major species of apparent molecular mass 48-51 kDa. The results suggest that mature chondrocytes are less efficient than immature chondrocytes in the coordinated assembly of link-stabilized proteoglycan aggregates in this culture system.