Kinetics of endosome acidification in mutant and wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells

Acidification of endocytic compartments is necessary for the proper sorting and processing of many ligands and their receptors. Robbins and co-workers have obtained Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutants that are pleiotropically defective in endocytosis and deficient in ATP- dependent acidification of endosomes isolated by density centrifugation (Robbins, A. R., S. S. Peng, and J. L. Marshall. 1983. J. Cell Biol. 96:1064-1071; Robbins, A. R., C. Oliver, J. L. Bateman, S. S. Krag, C. J. Galloway, and I. Mellman. 1984. J. Cell Biol. 99:1296-1308). In this and the following paper (Yamashiro, D. J., and F. R. Maxfield. 1987. J. Cell Biol. 105:2723-2733) we describe detailed studies of endosome acidification in the mutant and wild-type CHO cells. Here we describe a new microspectrofluorometry method based on changes in fluorescein fluorescence when all cellular compartments are equilibrated to the same pH value. Using this method we measured the pH of endocytic compartments during the first minutes of endocytosis. We found in wild- type CHO cells that after 3 min, fluorescein-labeled dextran (F-Dex) was in endosomes having an average pH of 6.3. By 10 min, both F-Dex and fluorescein-labeled alpha 2-macroglobulin (F-alpha 2M) had reached acidic endosomes having an average pH of 6.0 or below. In contrast, endosome acidification in the CHO mutants DTG 1-5-4 and DTF 1-5-1 was markedly slowed. The average endosomal pH after 5 min was 6.7 in both mutant cell lines. At least 15 min was required for F-Dex and F-alpha 2M to reach an average pH of 6.0 in DTG 1-5-4. Acidification of early endocytic compartments is defective in the CHO mutants DTG 1-5-4 and DTF 1-5-1, but pH regulation of later compartments on both the recycling pathway and lysosomal pathway is nearly normal. The properties of the mutant cells suggest that proper functioning of pH regulatory mechanisms in early endocytic compartments is critical for many pH-mediated processes of endocytosis.     

Impaired secretion and fluid-phase endocytosis in the End4 mutant of Chinese hamster ovary cells

Mutant V.24.1 defines the End4 complementation group of temperature-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants selected for resistance to protein toxins. We investigated the secretory pathway in the mutant cells and found: 1) The hemagglutinin of influenza virus failed to reach the plasma membrane and was retained in a form sensitive to endoglycosidase H at the restrictive temperature. 2) Transferrin receptors synthesized at the restrictive temperature remained sensitive to endoglycosidase H. 3) Secretion of total soluble protein into the medium was strongly reduced at high temperature. These data indicate that V.24.1 cells are defective in secretion at the restrictive temperature. To see what effect the lesion had on the endocytic pathway, we measured the accumulation and recycling of the fluid-phase marker horseradish peroxidase. Accumulation was inhibited by 50% while recycling was barely affected, suggesting that the rate of fluid-phase endocytosis was reduced. We previously showed that the clathrin-coated pit pathway of endocytosis was not affected in the mutant, indicated by a normal transferrin cycle (Colbaugh, P. A., Stookey, M., and Draper, R. K. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 108, 2211-2219). Thus, the secretory lesion correlates with reduced fluid-phase endocytosis without impairing the clathrin-dependent pathway of receptor-mediated endocytosis. We also investigated the delivery of endocytosed material to lysosomes and found that delivery was partially, but not completely, impaired in the mutant. This suggests that endocytosed material can enter lysosomes, although slowly, in the absence of a functional secretory pathway.     

Mutant Chinese hamster ovary cells pleiotropically defective in receptor-mediated endocytosis

Populations of Chinese hamster ovary cells selected for resistance to diphtheria toxin were found to be highly enriched for mutants deficient in the uptake of lysosomal hydrolases via the mannose 6-phosphate receptor. One doubly defective mutant, DTF 1-5-1, exhibited increased resistance to Sindbis virus, although it was able to bind and internalize virus normally. Normal production of virus was obtained when, subsequent to virus binding, the mutant was exposed for 2 min to acidic pH. Similarly, a shift to acidic pH increased the sensitivity of DTF 1-5-1 to diphtheria toxin 12-fold. Decreased uptake of lysosomal hydrolases by the mutant correlated with decreased mannose 6-phosphate receptor activity at the cell surface; results of lactoperoxidase- catalyzed iodination indicated that the surface-associated receptor was present but inactive on DTF 1-5-1. Total mannose 6-phosphate receptor activity was also decreased in the mutant and this decrease was reflected by increased secretion of lysosomal hydrolases. The phenotype of DTF 1-5-1 resembles in many ways that of cells treated with ammonia. We suggest that the defect in DTF 1-5-1 stems from an inability to deliver virus, diphtheria toxin, and lysosomal hydrolases to an acidic compartment. Other ligands may be endocytosed through a different pathway since the defect of DTF 1-5-1 did not decrease the endocytosis of ricin, modeccin, or Pseudomonas toxin and had minimal effects on uptake and degradation of low density lipoprotein.     

Relationship between histidyl-tRNA level and protein synthesis rate in wild-type and mutant Chinese hamster ovary cells.

A preliminary investigation was carried out to determine how conditional lethal mutants affected in particular aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases may be used to study the role of tRNA charging levels in protein synthesis. The relationship between rate of protein synthesis and level of histidyl-tRNA in wild-type cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells was determined using the analogue histidinol to inhibit histidyl-tRNA synthetase activity. This response was compared with that obtained using a mutant strain with a defective histidyl-tRNA synthetase that phenotypically shows decreased rates of protein synthesis at reduced concentrations of histidine in the growth medium. The approach used was based on measuring the histidyl-tRNA levels in live cells. The percentage charging was estimated by comparing [14C]histidine incorporated into alkali-labile material in paired samples, one of which was treated with cycloheximide, five minutes before terminating during the incubation, to produce maximal aminoacylation. Wild-type cells under histidinol inhibition exhibited a sensitive, sigmoidal relationship between the level of histidyl-tRNA and the rate of protein synthesis. A decrease in the relative percentage of acylated tRNA (His) from 46% to 35% elicited a large reduction in the rate of protein synthesis from 90% to 30% relative to untreated cells. An unpredicted result was that the relationship between protein synthesis and histidyl-tRNA in the mutant was essentially linear. High acylation values for tRNA (His) were associated with rates of protein synthesis that were not nearly as high as in wild-type cells. These findings suggest that the charging charging levels of tRNA (His) isoacceptors could play a regulatory role in determining the rate of protein synthesis under conditions of histidine starvation in normal cells. The mutant appears to be a potentially useful system for studying the pivotal role of tRNA charging in protein synthesis, assuming that the altered response in the mutant is caused by its altered synthetase.     

Squalene synthase-deficient mutant of Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Squalene synthase (farnesyldiphosphate:farnesyldiphosphate farnesyltransferase, EC 2.5.1.21) converts farnesyl pyrophosphate to squalene, the first metabolic step committed solely to the biosynthesis of sterols. Using a fluorescence-activated cell sorting technique designed to screen for cells defective in the regulated degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, we isolated a squalene synthase-deficient mutant of Chinese hamster ovary cells. The mutant cell line, designated SSD, exhibits less than 7% of the squalene synthase activity of the parental cell line, CHO-HMGal. Both the SSD and the parental cells stably express HMGal, a model protein for studying the regulated degradation of HMG-CoA reductase, which consists of the membrane domain of HMG-CoA reductase fused to bacterial beta-galactosidase (Skalnik, D. G., Narita, H., Kent, C., and Simoni, R. D. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 6836-6841). In this study, the regulatory effects of mevalonate and compactin on the activity levels of HMGal are substantially reduced in SSD cells as compared to the parental cell line. In lipid-poor medium, SSD cell growth is arrested. The rate of [3H]acetate incorporation into cholesterol for the mutant SSD cells is less than 2% of the rate for the parental cells. However, the incorporation of [3H] squalene into sterols is essentially wild type for SSD cells. When the mutant SSD cells are fed [3H]acetate, radioactivity accumulates in farnesol, much of which is secreted into the medium. By growing SSD cells in lipid-poor medium, a revertant cell type, designated SSR, was isolated. In every assay performed the revertant SSR cells exhibited a phenotype that was essentially wild type, demonstrating that the SSD mutant phenotype was the result of a single mutation.     

Receptor-mediated endocytosis of alpha 2-macroglobulin in cultured fibroblasts

Alpha 2-macroglobulin is internalized into cultured fibroblasts by receptor-mediated endocytosis. This ligand binds initially to diffusely distributed receptors on the cell surface which cluster rapidly into bristle-coated pits. Within a few minutes at 37 degrees C, these complexes are internalized into uncoated cytoplasmic vesicles, called receptosomes, which move about in the cell by saltatory motion. These vesicles interact with the Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum-lysosome system in the cell to deliver the ligand to newly formed lysosomes within 30--60 min.     

Glycogen synthase activity in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Studies with wild-type and mutant cells defective in cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase

Glycogen synthase (EC 2.4.1.11) activity was studied in cell extracts from wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and three mutants resistant to cyclic AMP effects on cell shape and cell growth. Based on the capacity of crude extracts to phosphorylate exogenous histone, two of the mutants appeared to have altered cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37) and one of them had apparently normal amounts of kinase activity. Glycogen synthase activity was present in comparable amounts in wild-type and all three mutant strains in a presumably inactive phosphorylated form since activity was virtually completely dependent upon the presence of glucose 6-phosphate. The enzyme could be partially dephosphorylated by endogenous phosphatases and rephosphorylated by exogenous cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Attempts to find culture conditions (e.g. glucose starvation) or cell treatment (e.g. insulin) which might activate glycogen synthase in intact cells were unsuccessful. since glycogen synthase activity present in CHO cells was independent of the level of cyclic AMP-dependent kinase, we conclude that cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase does not play a critical role in regulating the state of phosphorylation of the synthase.     

Glycogen synthase activity in Chinese hamster ovary cells: Studies with wild-type and mutant cells defective in cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase

Glycogen synthase (EC 2.4.1.11) activity was studied in cell extracts from wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and three mutants resistant to cyclic AMP effects on cell shape and cell growth. Based on the capacity of crude extracts to phosphorylate exogenous hisone, two of the mutants appeared to have altered cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37) and one of them had apparently normal amounts of kinase activity. Glycogen synthase activity was present in comparable amounts in wild-type and all three mutant strains in a presumably inactive phosphorylated form since activity was virtually completely dependent upon the presence of glucose 6-phosphate. The enzyme could be partially dephosphorylated by endogenous phosphatases and rephosphorylated by exogenous cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Attempts to find culture conditions (e.g. glucose starvation)_or cell treatment (e.g. insulin) which might activate glycogen synthase in intact cells were unsuccessful. Since glycogen synthase activity present in CHO cells was independent of the level of cyclic AMP-dependent kinase, we conclude that cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase does not play a critical role in regulating the state of phosphorylation of the synthase.     

Impaired lysosomes in a temperature-sensitive mutant of Chinese hamster ovary cells

We describe here the properties of a mutant of Chinese hamster ovary cells that expresses a conditional-lethal mutation affecting dense lysosomes. This mutant, termed V.24.1, is a member of the End4 complementation group of temperature-sensitive mutants selected for resistance to protein toxins (Colbaugh, P. A., C.-Y. Kao, S.-P. Shia, M. Stookey, and R. K. Draper. 1988. Somatic Cell Mol. Genet. 14:499-507). Vesicles present in postnuclear supernatants prepared from V.24.1 cells harvested at the restrictive temperature had a 50% reduction in acidification activity, assessed by the ATP-stimulated accumulation of the dye acridine orange in acidic vesicles. To investigate whether specific populations of vesicles were impaired in acidification, we measured acidification activity in three subcellular fractions prepared from Percoll gradients: one containing endosomal and Golgi markers, one containing buoyant lysosomes, and the third containing dense lysosomes. Activity in dense lysosomes was reduced by 90%, activity in the buoyant lysosome fraction was unaffected, and activity in the endosome-Golgi fraction was mildly reduced. The activity of three lysosomal enzymes--beta-hexosaminidase, beta-galactosidase, and beta-glucocerebrosidase--was also reduced in dense lysosomes but nearly normal in the buoyant lysosome fraction. However, beta-hexosaminidase and beta-glucocerebrosidase activity was increased two- to threefold in the endosome-Golgi fraction. We conclude that the lesion selectively impairs dense lysosomes but has little effect on properties of buoyant lysosomes.     

Receptor-mediated endocytosis of alpha 2-macroglobulin in living intact 3T3 cells

Internalization process of the fluoresceinisothiocyanate-labeled alpha 2-macroglobulin (MG-F) in Swiss 3T3 cells has been studied. The presence of internalized MG-F, formation of endocytotic vesicles and endosomal pH value were estimated visually on living monolayer cells with TV microscope, on the base of supervidicon LI-702. The use of the TV method allowed to obtain a series of photographs of cell images without any significant dye fading. A brief characteristics of microprocess control system is presented. The influence of various chemical agents on MG-F internalization and endosomal pH value was investigated. It was shown that dansylcadaverine (150-200 microM) and monensin (10-20 microM) inhibited MG-F internalization. Methylamine, chloroquine and monensin quickly enhanced the endosomal pH value, while other amines did not, for example dansylcadaverine.     

Evidence for a receptor-mediated endocytosis of Alu I in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Pretreatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells with proteases or with NaN3 leads to less chromosomal aberrations when the cells are posttreated with Alu I compared to the treatment of cells with Alu I alone. The same result is obtained when the cells are treated with Alu I at 0 degree C instead of 37 degrees C. The cells recover from the protease treatment when they are kept in medium before treatment with Alu I. These results are interpreted to mean that Alu I is bound by surface receptors and that the Alu I-receptor complexes are internalized by an energy-dependent endocytotic process.     

Kinetics of micronucleus expression in synchronized irradiated Chinese hamster ovary cells

The kinetics of expression of radiation-induced micronuclei (MN) in synchronized Chinese hamster cells (CHO) was examined. The purpose of the study was to determine if the cell cycle distribution of a population significantly influences the levels of radiation induced MN, thereby obscuring the exact quantification of the radiation effect. Cells were synchronized by centrifugal elutriation, irradiated, and then different phases of the cell cycle were examined for: cell cycle progression, division probability, and temporal expression of MN. The results demonstrate that the time interval for maximal MN expression is long enough that the position of cells in the cell cycle and radiation induced division delays do not prevent the majority of cells from completing their first post-irradiation mitosis, therefore, expressing MN. By following the progression of synchronized cell populations by flow cytometry and also examining the time of division of individual cells for 24 hr after irradiation, we observed that the maximum number of cells from all phases of the cell cycle are in their first post-irradiation interphase at that time, thus explaining the MN results.     

Acidification of endosome subpopulations in wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells and temperature-sensitive acidification-defective mutants

During endocytosis in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, Semliki Forest virus (SFV) passes through two distinct subpopulations of endosomes before reaching lysosomes. One subpopulation, defined by cell fractionation using free flow electrophoresis as "early endosomes," constitutes the major site of membrane and receptor recycling; while "late endosomes," an electrophoretically distinct endosome subpopulation, are involved in the delivery of endosomal content to lysosomes. In this paper, the pH-sensitive conformational changes of the SFV E1 spike glycoprotein were used to study the acidification of these defined endosome subpopulations in intact wild-type and acidification-defective CHO cells. Different virus strains were used to measure the kinetics at which internalized SFV was delivered to endosomes of pH less than or equal to 6.2 (the pH at which wild-type E1 becomes resistant to trypsin digestion) vs. endosomes of pH less than or equal to 5.3 (the threshold pH for E1 of the SFV mutant fus-1). By correlating the kinetics of acquisition of E1 trypsin resistance with the transfer of SFV among distinct endosome subpopulations defined by cell fractionation, we found that after a brief residence in vesicles of relatively neutral pH, internalized virus encountered pH less than or equal to 6.2 in early endosomes with a t1/2 of 5 min. Although a fraction of the virus reached a pH of less than or equal to 5.3 in early endosomes, most fus-1 SFV did not exhibit the acid-induced conformational change until arrival in late endosomes (t1/2 = 8-10 min). Thus, acidification of both endosome subpopulations was heterogeneous. However, passage of SFV through a less acidic early endosome subpopulation always preceded arrival in the more acidic late endosome subpopulation. In mutant CHO cells with temperature-sensitive defects in endosome acidification in vitro, acidification of both early and late endosomes was found to be impaired at the restrictive temperature (41 degrees C). The acidification defect was also found to be partially penetrant at the permissive temperature, resulting in the inability of any early endosomes in these cells to attain pH less than or equal to 5.3. In vitro studies of endosomes isolated from mutant cells suggested that the acidification defect is most likely in the proton pump itself. In one mutant, this defect resulted in increased sensitivity of the electrogenic H+ pump to fluctuations in the endosomal membrane potential.     

Failure to release iron from transferrin in a Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant pleiotropically defective in endocytosis

A Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant defective in the receptor-mediated endocytosis of several unrelated ligands (Robbins, A. R., S. S. Peng, and J. L. Marshall, 1983, J. Cell Biol., 96:1064-1071) failed to accumulate iron provided in the form of diferric transferrin. Analysis of the steps of the transferrin cycle indicated that binding and internalization of transferrin proceeded normally in mutant cells. However, the mutant appeared unable to dissociate iron from transferrin, as evidenced by release of diferric transferrin from the mutant versus apotransferrin from the parent. Uptake of ferric ions from the growth medium was enhanced in the mutant.     

Receptor-mediated endocytosis of alpha 2-macroglobulin and transferrin in rat caput epididymal epithelial cells in vitro

The endocytic activity of epithelial cells from the rat epididymis in vitro has been examined by following the uptake of tracer compounds conjugated to proteins. Transferrin-gold and alpha 2-macroglobulin-gold were taken up initially in coated pits, internalized and sequestered into tubular-vesicular structures, multivesicular bodies and, in the case of alpha 2-macroglobulin, into lysosomes. Uptake could be prevented by an excess of unlabeled protein. Studies using 125I-alpha 2-macroglobulin and 125I-transferrin also showed that the uptake of these proteins was specific and could be displaced with increasing amounts of unlabeled protein. In addition, binding of 125I-transferrin to cells was saturable at 4 degrees C. These studies indicate that transferrin and alpha 2-macroglobulin are taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis. In contrast, a fluid phase marker, bovine serum albumin-gold (BSA-gold), was initially taken up predominantly in uncoated caveolae rather than coated pits, and could not be displaced with excess BSA. By virtue of their charge, polycationized ferritin and unlabeled colloidal gold were taken up and internalized by adsorptive endocytosis, a pathway which is similar to fluid phase endocytosis. The uptake and internalization of alpha 2-macroglobulin and transferrin differed in a number of respects. Uptake and internalization of alpha 2-macroglobulin but not of transferrin was dependent on extracellular calcium. Only alpha 2-macroglobulin was transferred into lysosomes, whereas transferrin was recycled to the cell surface. Although the proton ionophore, monensin, and the transglutaminase inhibitor, dansylcadaverine, did not stop uptake and internalization of either alpha 2-macroglobulin or transferrin, they did prevent the transfer of alpha 2-macroglobulin to lysosomes.     

Kinetics of replicon initiation during S phase of Chinese hamster ovary cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were synchronized by a thymidine-hydroxyurea block. At different times after release from the block, cells were treated with trioxsalen and long-wavelength ultraviolet light to crosslink DNA in vivo and were labelled with [³H]thymidine for 30 min. This technique permits labelling of only the short nescent DNA fragments initiated between crosslinks. The amount of radioactivity incorporated in these fragments during the labelling period reflects the number of replicon initiation events and allows us to follow the replicon initiation pattern after removing the inhibitor. It was shown that the rate of initiation was high at the beginning of S phase and then steadily decreased.     

The metabolism of serine and glycine in mutant lines of Chinese hamster ovary cells

This report describes studies of mutant lines of cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells that have different levels of serine transhydroxymethylase (EC 2.1.2.1). This enzyme, which splits serine to yield glycine and N⁵,N¹⁰-methylene tetrahydrofolic acid, is found in both the mitochondria and cytosol of these cells (see Chasin et al. (1974) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA71, 718–722). Our experiments with these mutant lines have established a correlation among the amount of mitochondrial serine transhydroxymethylase, the intracellular glycine concentration, and the extent that exogenous serine increases the glycine pool. Limited amino acid incorporation into protein occurred with all cell lines, but in contrast to the glycine-requiring mutant line 51-11, revertants that no longer required glycine for growth showed increased incorporation when the medium was supplemented with serine. These results indicate that normally the mitochondrial serine transhydroxymethylase together with the intracellular serine concentration regulate the supply of glycine and under certain conditions can control the rate of protein synthesis. Additional experiments with radioactive serine and glycine have shown that the mitochondrial serine transhydroxymethylase regulates the interconversion of these amino acids as well as serine oxidation. Calculations based on the ¹⁴CO₂ produced from l-[¹⁴C]serine by the mutant and parental cell lines indicate that approximately 50% of the serine oxidized is initially converted to glycine and an oxidizable one-carbon unit.