Intestinal absorption of dipeptides and beta-lactam antibiotics. II. Purification of the binding protein for dipeptides and beta-lactam antibiotics from rabbit small intestinal brush border membranes

By photoaffinity labeling of brush border membrane vesicles from rabbit small intestine with photoreactive derivatives of beta-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides, a binding protein for dipeptides and beta-lactam antibiotics with an apparent molecular weight of 127,000 was labeled. The labeled 127 kDa polypeptide could be solubilized with the non-ionic detergents Triton X-100, n-octyl glucoside or CHAPS. If the vesicles were solubilized prior to photoaffinity labeling, no clear incorporation of radioactivity into the 127 kDa polypeptide occurred indicating a loss of binding ability upon solubilization. By affinity chromatography of solubilized brush border membrane proteins on an agarose wheat germ lectin column, the binding protein for dipeptides and beta-lactam antibiotics of Mr 127,000 was retained on the column. With N-acetyl-D-glucosamine the photolabeled binding protein for beta-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides was eluted together with the brush border membrane-bound enzyme aminopeptidase N. Separation from aminopeptidase N and final purification was achieved by anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-sephacel. Polyclonal antibodies against the purified binding protein were raised in guinea pigs. The photolabeled 127 kDa protein could be precipitated from solubilized brush border membranes with these antibodies. Incubation of brush border membrane vesicles with antiserum prior to photoaffinity labeling significantly reduced the extent of labeling of the 127 kDa protein. Treatment of brush border membrane vesicles with antiserum significantly inhibited the efflux of the alpha-aminocephalosporin cephalexin from the brush border membrane vesicles compared to vesicles treated with preimmune serum. These studies indicate that the binding protein for dipeptides and beta-lactam antibiotics of apparent molecular weight 127,000 in the brush border membrane of rabbit small intestinal enterocytes is directly involved in the uptake process of small peptides and orally active beta-lactam antibiotics across the enterocyte brush border membrane.     

The uptake of phosphatidylcholine by small intestinal brush border membrane is protein-mediated

Brush border membrane vesicles prepared from rabbit small intestine are essentially free of basolateral membranes and nuclear, mitochondrial, microsomal and cytosolic contaminants. The resulting brush border membrane is unstable due to intrinsic lipases and proteinases. The PC transfer between small unilamellar lipid vesicles or mixed lipid micelles as the donor and the brush border membrane vesicles as the acceptor is protein-mediated. After proteolytic treatment of brush border membrane with papain or proteinase K the PC transfer activity is lost and the kinetics of PC uptake are similar to those measured with erythrocytes under comparable conditions. Evidence is presented to show that the PC transfer activity resides in the apical membrane of the enterocyte and not in the basolateral part of the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the activity is localized on the external surface of the brush border membrane exposed to the aqueous medium with its active centre probably not in direct contact with the lipid bilayer of the membrane. Proteins released from brush border membrane by proteolytic treatment catalyze PC exchange between different populations of small unilamellar vesicles. Furthermore, these protein(s) bind(s) PC forming a PC-protein complex.     

Inactivation of the intestinal uptake system for beta-lactam antibiotics by diethylpyrocarbonate

The uptake system for beta-lactam antibiotics in the rabbit small intestine was investigated using brush-border membrane vesicles. After treatment of membrane vesicles with the reagent diethylpyrocarbonate (DEP), the uptake of orally active beta-lactam antibiotics with an alpha-amino group in the substituent at position 6 or 7 of the penam or cephem nucleus was significantly inhibited, whereas DEP-treatment had no inhibitory effect on the uptake of beta-lactam antibiotics without an alpha-amino group. The kinetic analysis revealed an apparent competitive inhibition indicating a decreased affinity of the transport system for alpha-amino-beta-lactam antibiotics. Substrates of the intestinal dipeptide transport system - dipeptides and alpha-amino-beta-lactam antibiotics - could protect the transport system from irreversible inhibition by DEP, whereas beta-lactam antibiotics without an alpha-amino group as well as amino acids or bile acids had no effect. Incubation of DEP-treated vesicles with hydroxylamine led to a partial restoration of the transport activity indicating that DEP may have led to a modification of a histidine residue of the transport protein. From the data presented we conclude that a specific interaction of the alpha-amino group in the substituent at position 6 or 7 of the penam or cephem nucleus presumably with a histidine residue of the transport protein is involved in the translocation process of orally active alpha-amino-beta-lactam antibiotics across the intestinal brush-border membrane.     

Uptake of cholesterol by small intestinal brush border membrane is protein-mediated

Absorption of cholesterol by small intestinal brush border membrane from either mixed micelles or small unilamellar vesicles is protein-mediated. It is a second-order reaction. The kinetic data are consistent with a mechanism involving collision-induced transfer of cholesterol. With micelles as the donor particle, there is net transfer of cholesterol while with small unilamellar vesicles as the donor, cholesterol is evenly distributed between the two lipid pools at equilibrium. The cholesterol absorption by brush border membrane from both mixed micelles and small unilamellar vesicles reveals saturation kinetics. Proteolytic treatment of brush border membrane with papain releases about 25% of the total membrane protein. As a result, the cholesterol uptake by brush border membrane changes from a second-order reaction to a first-order one. The reaction mechanism changes from collision-induced cholesterol uptake to a mechanism involving diffusion of monomeric cholesterol through the aqueous phase. The protein(s) released into the supernatant by papain treatment of brush border membrane exhibit(s) cholesterol exchange activity between two populations of small unilamellar vesicles. The supernate-protein(s) bind(s) the spin-labeled cholesterol analogue 3-doxyl-5 alpha-cholestane.     

Mechanism of neomycin stimulation of D-glucose uptake in rabbit intestinal brush border membrane

In order to study the effect of the antibiotic neomycin on the intestinal epithelium, D-glucose was used as a probe molecule and its transport into rabbit brush border membrane vesicles was measured by a rapid filtration method. Treatment of the epithelium with neomycin sulfate prior to the preparation of the brush border membrane enhanced the D-glucose uptake, whereas neutral N-acetylated neomycin did not. This action of neomycin was related to its polycationic character and not to its bactericidal action. No significant difference could be demonstrated between the protein content or disaccharidase-specific activities of the brush border fractions from treated or non-treated intestines. Electrophoretic protein patterns of SDS-solubilized membrane were not significantly different after neomycin treatment. To gain more information on the mechanism involved in the stimulation of D-glucose transport, experiments were conducted on phosphatidyl glycerol artificial membranes and the results compared with those obtained with brush border membrane. At a concentration of 10(-7) M, neomycin decreased the nonactin-induced K+ conductance by a factor of approx. 100. The membrane conductance was linearly dependent on the neomycin concentration and the conductance in 10(-2) M KCl was 10 times that in 10(-3) M KCl. The valence of neomycin was estimated, from the slope of these curves, to be between 6 and 4. In contrast, acetylated neomycin had no effect on the nonactin-induced K+ membrane conductance. Therefore, the effect of neomycin on artificial membrane is related to its 4 to 6 positive charges. It is proposed that the stimulation of sugar transport in brush border membrane is related to screening of the membrane negative charges by the positively-charged neomycin. Accumulation of anions at the membrane surface then occurs and their diffusion into the intravesicular space would increase the transmembrane potential which, in turn, stimulates the entry of D-glucose.     

Interaction of renin inhibitors with the intestinal uptake system for oligopeptides and beta-lactam antibiotics

The interaction of two renin inhibitors, S 86,2033 and S 86,3390, with the uptake system for beta-lactam antibiotics and small peptides in the brush border membrane of enterocytes from rabbit small intestine was investigated using brush border membrane vesicles. Both renin inhibitors inhibited the uptake of the orally active cephalosporin cephalexin into brush border membrane vesicles from rabbit small intestine in a concentration-dependent manner. 1.1 mM of S 86,3390 and 2.5 mM of S 86,2033 led to a half-maximal inhibition of the H(+)-dependent uptake of cephalexin. Both renin inhibitors were stable against peptidases of the brush border membrane. The uptake of cephalexin into brush border membrane vesicles (1 min of incubation) was competitively inhibited by S 86,2033 and S 86,3390 suggesting a direct interaction of these compounds with the intestinal peptide uptake system. The renin inhibitors are transported across the brush border membrane into the intravesicular space as was shown by equilibrium uptake studies dependent upon the medium osmolarity. The uptake of S 86,3390 was stimulated by an inwardly directed H(+)-gradient and occurred with a transient accumulation against a concentration gradient (overshoot phenomenon). The renin inhibitors S 86,2033 and 86,3390 also caused a concentration-dependent inhibition in the extent of photoaffinity labeling of the putative peptide transport protein of apparent Mr 127,000 in the brush border membrane of small intestinal enterocytes. In conclusion, these studies show that renin inhibitors specifically interact with the intestinal uptake system shared by small peptides and beta-lactam antibiotics.     

Intestinal oxalate uptake in castrated male and female rats: evidence for altered brush border membrane composition

The intestinal uptake rate of oxalate (mumoles/h/g tissue wt.) in castrated male (CM) rats, CM rats administered estradiol, and female (F) rats was 1.8, 1.4 and 1.3 times higher than that of male rats, whereas castrated female (CF) rats and CF rats administered testosterone absorbed oxalate at a rate similar to F rats, thereby, suggesting that gonadectomy affected intestinal uptake of oxalate only in male rats The intestinal oxalate uptake rate in all the groups increased linearly with increasing oxalate concentration (0.1- 6.0 mM). Chemical composition of brush border membrane showed significant changes in the sialic acid, phospholipid and cholesterol content following castration, which may lead to ultrastructural changes in the membrane thereby, increasing the absorption of oxalate.     

Enzymic solubilization of the human intestinal brush border membrane enzymes.

The releases of proteins, maltase, lactase, sucrase, trehalase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and leucylnaphthylamide-hydrolyzing activity from human intestinal brush bborder membrane vesicles by various enzymes (especially pancreatic proteases) have been studied. The brush border membrane enzymes are not solubilized by digestion with trypsin and chymotrypsin but are largely released after treatment with papain or elastase. Most of the enzymes are fully active after the proteolytic treatment. All proteins released by papain and elastase have been identified by electrophoresis to already known intestinal hydrolases. Electron microscopy of brush border membrane vesicles demonstrates "knob-like" structures (particles) attached to the external side of the membrane. During papain treatment, enzyme removal runs parallel with the disappearance of the particles. During elastase treatment it is not possible to correlate the release of the enzymic activities with the removal of the particles. The results indicate that most of the intestinal hydrolases are surface components attached to the external side of the membrane. They are in accord with the concept that the brush border membrane enzymes are organized within the membrane in a mosaic-like pattern.     

Influence of amino acid side-chain modification on the uptake system for beta-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides from rabbit small intestine

The influence of chemical modification of functional amino acid side-chains in proteins on the H(+)-dependent uptake system for orally active alpha-amino-beta-lactam antibiotics and small peptides was investigated in brush-border membrane vesicles from rabbit small intestine. Neither a modification of cysteine residues by HgCl2, NEM, DTNB or PHMB and of vicinal thiol groups by PAO nor a modification of disulfide bonds by DTT showed any inhibition on the uptake of cephalexin, a substrate of the intestinal peptide transporter. In contrast, the Na(+)-dependent uptake systems for D-glucose and L-alanine were greatly inhibited by the thiol-modifying agents. With reagents for hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups or arginine the transport activity for beta-lactam antibiotics also remained unchanged, whereas the uptake of D-glucose and L-alanine was inhibited by the carboxyl specific reagent DCCD. A modification of tyrosine residues with N-acetylimidazole inhibited the peptide transport system and did not affect the uptake systems for D-glucose and L-alanine. The involvement of histidine residues in the transport of orally active alpha-amino-beta-lactam antibiotics and small peptides (Kramer, W. et al. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 943, 288-296) was further substantiated by photoaffinity labeling studies using a new photoreactive derivative of the orally active cephalosporin cephalexin, 3-[phenyl-4-3H]azidocephalexin, which still carries the alpha-amino group being essential for oral activity. 3-Azidocephalexin competitively inhibited the uptake of cephalexin into brush-border membrane vesicles. The photoaffinity labeling of the 127 kDa binding protein for beta-lactam antibiotics with this photoprobe was decreased by the presence of cephalexin, benzylpenicillin or dipeptides. A modification of histidine residues in brush-border membrane vesicles with DEP led to a decreased labeling of the putative peptide transporter of Mr 127,000 compared to controls. This indicates a decrease in the affinity of the peptide transporter for alpha-amino-beta-lactam antibiotics by modification of histidine residues. The data presented demonstrate an involvement of tyrosine and histidine residues in the transport of orally active alpha-amino-beta-lactam antibiotics across the enterocyte brush-border membrane.     

The effect of propane-diols on the intestinal uptake of nutrients and brush border membrane enzymes in the rat

The effect on rats of oral doses (38.66 mM/kg body wt) of propane-1,2-diol (PD) administered daily for 10 (Group 1), 20 (Group 2), and 30 days (Group 3) was investigated. Weight gain was initially retarded (P less than 0.05) in Group 1, but was later reversed and elevated significantly (P less than 0.05) in Groups 2 and 3 as compared with their respective controls receiving an equal volume of saline. PD showed a tendency toward enhancing the activities of various enzymes involved in terminal digestion, with the significant effect exerted in few groups on sucrase (P less than 0.05), lactase (P less than 0.05), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (P less than 0.05) when compared with the respective controls. Absorption of D-glucose, glycine, L-aspartic acid, L-lysine, and calcium was elevated and was especially significant in Groups 2 and 3 (P less than 0.001). The structural integrity of the jejunal surface was retained for the most part. A similar examination of the effects of PD was also carried out in vitro to ascertain whether PD itself or its metabolites are involved in its action. The in vitro effects of propane-1,2-diol were compared with those of the more toxic compound propane-1,3-diol. The former exerted greater inhibitory action on the activities of the disaccharidases. The degree of inhibition was in the order sucrase much greater than lactase greater than maltase. The kinetic data revealed that inhibition by 1,2-diol in native and detergent solubilized sucrase is noncompetitive, with Ki values in the range of 0.35-0.41 M. The two diols did not alter the nutrient transport in the brush border membrane vesicles. The present work on rats indicates that PD may influence the intestinal digestive and absorptive functions in vivo and that this in vivo effect of PD is different from that observed in vitro suggesting that the nutritional and toxicological effect of PD may be mediated by different mechanisms.     

Multiple plasma membrane receptors but not NPC1L1 mediate high-affinity, ezetimibe-sensitive cholesterol uptake into the intestinal brush border membrane

We compared cholesterol uptake into brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) made from the small intestines of either wild-type or Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) knockout mice to elucidate the contribution of NPC1L1 to facilitated uptake; this uptake involves cholesterol transport from lipid donor particles into the BBM of enterocytes. The lack of NPC1L1 in the BBM of the knockout mice had no effect on the rate of cholesterol uptake. It follows that NPC1L1 cannot be the putative high-affinity, ezetimibe-sensitive cholesterol transporter in the brush border membrane (BBM) as has been proposed by others. The following findings substantiate this conclusion: (I) NPC1L1 is not a brush border membrane protein but very likely localized to intracellular membranes; (II) the cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe and its analogues reduce cholesterol uptake to the same extent in wild-type and NPC1L1 knockout mouse BBMV. These findings indicate that the prevailing belief that NPC1L1 facilitates intestinal cholesterol uptake into the BBM and its interaction with ezetimibe is responsible for the inhibition of this process can no longer be sustained.     

Na+-independent sugar uptake by rat intestinal and renal brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles

• 1.1. Uptake of [¹⁴C]-labelled d-glucose, l-arabinose and d-fructose by intestinal and renal brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles was studied in the absence of Na⁺ .
• 2.2. The Na⁺-independent d-glucose transport system in these membrane vesicles was saturable, sensitive to phloretin, stereospecific and accessible only to d-glucose and d-galactose.
• 3.3. Na⁺-independent l-arabinose transport was not saturable even when its concentration was raised to 300 mM and it was insensitive to phloretin.
• 4.4. Na⁺-independent d-fructose transport demonstrated saturation kinetics with only renal brush border membrane vesicles, but it was not inhibited by either phloretin or phlorizin.
• 5.5. These studies indicated that the Na⁺-independent carrier-mediated d-glucose/d-galactose transport system of intestinal and renal brush border and basolateral membranes is clearly not shared by other monosaccharides.

     

Determination of unidirectional uptake rates for lipids across the intestinal brush border

An in vitro method is presented which measures valid, unidirectional uptake rates for lipids across the intestinal brush border. This method combines analysis by a newly devised, double isotope counting system for solubilized tissue with the use of a nonabsorbable marker to correct gross uptake determinations for contamination by adherent mucosal fluid. Of seven markers, only [(3)H]inulin measured adherent mucosal fluid volumes as much as 20% greater than the other markers. Diffusion of the nonabsorbable marker, as well as of the compound being studied, into the unstirred layer made the time course of uptake critically important. The time lag for diffusion of marker invalidates the use of 1-min incubation periods; however, a linear time course of uptake that intercepts essentially at zero was found for taurocholate and octanoate for periods of from 2 to 5 min. Working within this critical time period with jejunum, it was shown that tissue dry weight was an appropriate measure of the amount of tissue and that uptake rates for taurocholic, octanoic, and lauric acids were linear with respect to concentration. Tissue binding of compounds was not significant. The results demonstrate that careful use of the described method yields accurate measurement of unidirectional uptake rates of lipids across the brush border that are of critical importance in defining the characteristics of membrane penetration and the rate-limiting steps in fat and sterol absorption.     

Characterization of the transport system for beta-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides in rat renal brush-border membrane vesicles by photoaffinity labeling

The uptake of the alpha-aminocephalosporin cephalexin into brush-border membrane vesicles from rat renal cortex was independent on an inward H+-gradient in contrast to the intestinal transport system. The transport system could be irreversibly inhibited by photoaffinity labeling. Two binding polypeptides for beta-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides with apparent molecular weights 130,000 and 95,000 were identified by photoaffinity labeling with [3H]benzylpenicillin and N-(4-azido[3,5-3H]benzoyl) derivatives of cephalexin and glycyl-L-proline. The uptake of cephalexin and the labeling of the respective binding proteins was inhibited by beta-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides as with intestinal brush-border membranes. These data indicate that the transport systems for beta-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides in the brush-border membrane from rat kidney and small intestine are similar but not identical.     

On the hydrophobic part of aminopeptidase and maltases which bind the enzyme to the intestinal brush border membrane.

The intestinal brush border aminopeptidase and unfractionated maltases M2+M3 are composed of a hydrophilic, sugar containing and enzymatically active part, and a smaller hydrophobic part presumably binding the catalytic part of the lipid matrix of the membrane. Hydrophobic parts detaced by trypsin from the detergent forms of aminopeptidase and the maltases were purified and shown to have molecular weights ranging from 8000 to 10000. All are rich in hydrophobic residues and contain no disulfide bridges. However, their overall amino acid composition is different. The hydrophobic parts appear to be N-terminal in the detergent forms of the enzymes.     

Epidermal growth factor receptor of the intestinal enterocyte. Localization to laterobasal but not brush border membrane

Interaction of epidermal growth factor (EGF) with its specific receptor (EGFR) was explored in the intact rat small intestine and in highly purified isolated enterocyte membrane preparations. Despite the fact that the EGF ligand is known to be present at physiological concentrations within the intestinal cavity, no significant binding of the ligand to the brush border surface was observed. Instead, binding of EGF to the EGFR was confined to other membrane populations, and correlation of ligand interaction with the laterobasal membranes (LBM) was nearly perfect (p less than 0.001) across a special equilibrium gradient enriched in brush border and LBM but devoid of intracellular membranes. Specific binding to another minor population of intracellular membranes that migrated to a position less dense than typical endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi vesicles on equilibrium gradients was also observed. Immunocytochemical exposure of intestine to EGFR antibody confirmed the localization of the EGFR to LBM and intracellular membranes. As estimated from the intensity of the staining, there may be immunologically active but nonbinding receptor species in the intracellular membrane compartment. Thus, despite the secretion of EGF into the intestinal lumen, the growth and maturational effects of EGF probably result from a specific interaction between EGF and EGFR solely at the laterobasal surface of the enterocyte. The functional role of the intracellular membrane species of EGFR, which remains to be established, may involve a source of inactive receptor that can be rapidly recruited and transferred to the LBM surface under changing environmental conditions.