Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Pulse-chase labelling studies on maltase-glucoamylase, aminopeptidase A and dipeptidyl peptidase IV

The biogenesis of three intestinal microvillar enzymes, maltase-glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.20), aminopeptidase A (aspartate aminopeptidase, EC 3.4.11.7) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5), was studied by pulse-chase labelling of pig small-intestinal explants kept in organ culture. The earliest detectable forms of the enzymes were polypeptides of Mr 225000, 140000 and 115000 respectively. These were found to represent the enzymes in a 'high-mannose' state of glycosylation, as judged by their susceptibility to treatment with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (EC 3.2.1.96). After about 40-60 min of chase, maltase-glucoamylase, aminopeptidase A and dipeptidyl peptidase IV were further modified to yield the mature polypeptides of Mr 245000, 170000 and 137000 respectively, which were expressed at the microvillar membrane after 60-90 min of chase. The fact that the enzymes before reaching the microvillar membrane were found in a Ca2+-precipitated membrane fraction (intracellular and basolateral membranes), but not in soluble form, indicates that during biogenesis maltase-glucoamylase, aminopeptidase A and dipeptidyl peptidase IV are transported and assembled in a membrane-bound state.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Processing of N-linked carbohydrate is not required for surface expression.

Castanospermine, an inhibitor of glucosidase I, the initial enzyme in the trimming of N-linked carbohydrate, was used to study the importance of carbohydrate processing in the biosynthesis of microvillar enzymes in organ-cultured pig intestinal explants. For aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2), aminopeptidase A (EC 3.4.11.7), sucrase-isomaltase (EC 3.2.1.48-10) and maltase-glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.20), castanospermine caused the formation of novel transient forms of higher Mr than corresponding controls, indicating a blocked removal of glucose residues. For the first three enzymes, the 'mature' (Golgi-processed) forms were similar in size to or slightly smaller than corresponding controls and were, as shown for aminopeptidase N, endoglycosidase-H-sensitive, evidence of a blocked attachment of complex sugars. Maltase-glucoamylase did not undergo conversion into a 'mature' form, suggesting that, unlike other microvillar enzymes, it does not receive post-translational O-linked carbohydrate. Castanospermine suppressed the synthesis of the four enzymes, but did not block their transport to the microvillar membrane, showing that processing of N-linked carbohydrate is not required for microvillar expression. The proteinase inhibitor leupeptin partially restored the suppressed synthesis, indicating that the majority of the wrongly processed enzymes, probably because of conformational instability, become degraded soon after synthesis rather than being transported to the microvillar membrane.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins: Further characterization of the intracellular processing and transport

The effect of tunicamycin on synthesis and intracellular transport of pig small intestinal aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2), sucrase-isomaltase (EC 3.2.1.48–10) and maltase-glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.20) was studied by labelling of mucosal explants with [³⁵S]methionine. The expression of the microvillar enzymes was greatly reduced by tunicamycin but could be partially restored by leupeptin, suggesting the existence of a mechanism whereby newly synthesized, malprocessed enzymes are recognized and degraded. In the presence of tunicamycin, polypeptides likely to represent non-glycosylated forms of the enzymes persisted in the Mg²⁺-precipitated membrane fraction, indicating that high mannose glycosylation is essential for transport to the microvillar membrane. Treatment of aminopeptidase N and sucrase-isomaltase with endo F reduced the size of the high mannose forms approximately to those seen in the presence of tunicamycin. The complex forms were also sensitive to endo F but did not coincide with the high mannose forms after treatment, indicating that the size difference cannot alone be ascribed to processing of N-linked carbohydrate.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. The intracellular transport of aminopeptidase N and sucrase-isomaltase occurs at different rates pre-Golgi but at the same rate post-Golgi

The kinetics of processing and microvillar expression of aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) and sucrose alpha-D-glucohydrolase-oligo-1,6-glucosidase (sucrase-isomaltase, EC 3.2.1.48 and EC 3.2.1.10) were compared by labelling of pig small intestinal mucosal explants with [35S]methionine. The conversion from transient (high mannose glycosylated) to mature (complex glycosylated) form was 1.7-times slower for sucrase-isomaltase than for aminopeptidase N, indicating a slower rate of migration from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex. Likewise, sucrase-isomaltase appeared in the microvillar fraction at a slower rate than aminopeptidase N. The relative pool sizes of mature and transient forms of both enzymes in intracellular membranes (Mg2+-precipitated fraction) were determined to obtain information on the relative time, spent pre- and post-Golgi, respectively, prior to microvillar expression. This ratio was 0.24 +/- 0.06 (mean +/- SD) for sucrase-isomaltase as compared to 0.40 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- SD) for aminopeptidase N. Considering the slower rate of pre-Golgi transport for sucrase-isomaltase, this indicates that the two microvillar enzymes have rather similar if not identical rates of post-Golgi transport.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Role of the Golgi complex and microtubules.

The effect of monensin and colchicine on the biogenesis of aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2), aminopeptidase A (EC 3.4.11.7), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5), sucrase (EC 3.2.1.48)-isomaltase (EC 3.2.1.10) and maltase-glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.20) was studied in organ-cultured pig small-intestinal explants. On the ultrastructural level, monensin (1 microM) caused an increasingly extensive dilation and vacuolization of the Golgi complex during 4h exposure of the explants. On the molecular level, the effect of monensin was twofold. (1) The processing from the initial high-mannose-glycosylated form to the mature complex-glycosylated form was arrested. For some of the enzymes studied, intermediate stages between the high-mannose and complex forms could be seen, probably corresponding to 'trimmed' or partially complex-glycosylated polypeptides. (2) Labelled microvillar enzymes failed to reach their final destination. These findings suggest the involvement of the Golgi complex in the post-translational processing and transport of microvillar enzymes. The presence in the growth medium of colchicine (50 micrograms/ml) caused a significant inhibition of the appearance of newly synthesized enzymes in the microvillar membrane during a 3 h labelling period. Since synthesis and post-translational modification of the microvillar enzymes were largely unaffected by colchicine, the results obtained suggest that microtubules play a role in the final transport of the enzymes from the Golgi complex to the microvillar membrane.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Evidence for an intracellular sorting taking place in, or shortly after, exit from the Golgi complex

Pig small intestinal mucosal explants, labelled with [35S]-methionine, were fractionated into Mg2+-precipitated (intracellular and basolateral) and microvillar membranes, and the orientation of newly synthesized aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) in vesicles from the two fractions was studied by its accessibility to proteolytic cleavage. The mature polypeptide of Mr 166 000 from the latter fraction was cleaved by trypsin, proteinase K and papain, consistent with an extracellular location of the enzyme at its site of function. In contrast, both the mature form and the transient form of Mr 140 000 from the Mg2+-precipitated fraction were equally well protected from proteolytic cleavage (in the absence of Triton X-100). This indicates that the basolateral plasma membrane is unlikely to be involved in the post-Golgi transport of newly synthesized aminopeptidase N and suggests instead a direct delivery of the enzyme to the apical plasma membrane. A crude membrane preparation from labelled explants was used in immunoelectrophoretic purification of membranes to determine at what stage during intracellular transport newly synthesized microvillar enzymes are sorted, i.e., accumulated in areas of the membrane from where other proteins are excluded. The transient form of aminopeptidase N was only moderately enriched by immunopurification, using antibodies against different microvillar enzymes, but the mature form was enriched approximately 30-fold from explants, labelled for 30 min. This suggests that for microvillar enzymes, the aspects of sorting studied take place in, or shortly after exit from, the Golgi complex.     

Proteins of the kidney microvillar membrane. Biosynthesis of endopeptidase-24.11, dipeptidylpeptidase IV and aminopeptidases N and A in pig kidney slices.

An organ culture employing slices of renal-cortex tissue from piglets of the Yucatan strain was used to study the biogenesis of four microvillar peptidases: endopeptidase-24.11 (EC 3.4.24.11), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5), aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) and aminopeptidase A (EC 3.4.11.7). The viability of the culture system was confirmed by the preservation of ultrastructural integrity and by an unchanged uptake of [3H]alanine into cells during the period of the experiments. After labelling with [35S]methionine, treatment with Mg2+ yielded two fractions, one containing microvilli and another, the Mg2+ pellet, containing intracellular and basolateral membranes. The labelled forms of the peptidases, isolated by immunoprecipitation, were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and fluorography. The Mg2+ pellet contained the earliest detectable forms of the enzymes. In each case, a polypeptide of lower Mr than the mature form and sensitive to treatment with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H was the first form to be detected. These high-mannose forms were followed, about 30 min after the pulse, by a complex glycosylated form of higher Mr. Only the latter form was observed in microvilli and then only after 90 min of the chase period. A quantitative study of dipeptidyl peptidase IV showed that the forms observed in the Mg2+ pellet were precursors of those in the microvillar fraction. No labelled forms were observed in the cytosol. All four peptidases were thus synthesized within membrane compartments and glycosylated in two steps before assembly in microvilli.     

Folding of intestinal brush border enzymes. Evidence that high-mannose glycosylation is an essential early event.

A polyvalent antiserum which precipitates the native, folded, but not the denatured molecular forms of pig intestinal aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) and sucrase-isomaltase (EC 3.2.1.48, EC 3.2.1.10) was used to determine the kinetics of polypeptide folding of the two newly synthesized brush border enzymes. In pulse-labeled mucosal explants, complete synthesis of the polypeptide chains of aminopeptidase N and sucrase-isomaltase required about 2 and 4 min, respectively, whereas maximal antiserum precipitation was acquired with half-times of 4-5 and 8 min, respectively. Fructose, which induces a defective cotranslational high-mannose glycosylation, increased the half-time of polypeptide folding to about 12 min for aminopeptidase N as well as for sucrase-isomaltase. Short-pulse experiments suggested that fructose exerts its effect by slowing the rate of glycosylation, making this partially a posttranslational process. In the presence of fructose, not only the malglycosylated forms but also the electrophoretically normal, high-mannose-glycosylated form of the brush border enzymes were retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and proteolytically degraded. The results obtained demonstrate an intimate interrelationship between glycosylation and polypeptide folding in the synthesis of membrane glycoproteins and, more specifically, indicate that the timing of these two early biosynthetic events is essential for correct polypeptide folding.     

Tyrosine sulphation is not required for microvillar expression of intestinal aminopeptidase N.

The effect of 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (DCNP), an inhibitor of phenol sulphotransferases (EC 2.8.2.-), on the biosynthesis of aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) was studied in organ-cultured pig intestinal mucosal explants. At 50 microM DCNP did not affect protein synthesis but it decreased incorporation of [35S]sulphate into aminopeptidase N and other major microvillar hydrolases by 70-85% compared with controls, indicating an inhibition of their post-translational tyrosine sulphation. In labelling experiments with [35S]methionine from 0.5 to 5 h, DCNP was tested for its possible influence on synthesis, processing and microvillar expression of aminopeptidase N, but no effect on any of these parameters could be detected. It can therefore be concluded that tyrosine sulphation is not required (for instance as a sorting signal) for the targeting of newly synthesized enzymes to the microvillar membrane.     

Perturbation of intestinal microvillar enzyme biosynthesis by amino acid analogs. Evidence that dimerization is required for the transport of aminopeptidase N out of the endoplasmic reticulum

The amino acid analogs canavanine, 3-hydroxynorvaline, thialysine, 6-fluorotryptophan, m-fluorotyrosine, and 2-fluorophenylalanine were incorporated into proteins, synthesized in pig intestinal mucosal explants, and their effect on molecular processing and intracellular transport of microvillar enzymes studied. Unless they were used in combination, none of the analogs drastically reduced the expression of aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) or sucrase-isomaltase (EC 3.2.1.48, EC 3.2.1.10), but to a varying extent, they all slowed the rate of transport to the apical surface. In contrast, the cellular export of a secretory protein, apolipoprotein A-1, was largely unaffected. For the microvillar enzymes, all six analogs caused an accumulation of the transient, high mannose-glycosylated form, indicating an analog-sensitive stage prior to the Golgi-associated processing. For aminopeptidase N, this arrest was shown to correlate with a reduced ability of its transient high mannose-glycosylated form to form homodimers as judged from cross-linking experiments, suggesting dimerization to be obligatory for transport out of the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Low temperature arrests both processing and intracellular transport

The effect of culture at 20 degrees C on biosynthesis of microvillar enzymes was studied in pig small intestinal mucosal explants. At this temperature, aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) and sucrase-isomaltase (EC 3.2.1.48-10) both accumulated intracellularly, predominantly in their transient, high mannose-glycosylated form characteristic of the newly synthesized enzymes prior to the molecular processing taking place in the Golgi complex. The general morphology of the enterocyte was unaffected by culture at low temperature except for the Golgi complex where the cisternae appeared condensed and surrounded by numerous vesicles of 50 to 55 nm. Both molecular processing and microvillar expression could be restored by shifting the temperature to 37 degrees C. Culture at low temperature did not induce any missorting of newly synthesized aminopeptidase N, but both molecular processing and microvillar expression only resumed at a slow rate after increasing the temperature, suggesting that reorganization of the Golgi complex is a time-requiring process.     

Two-dimensional isoelectric focussing/sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic mapping and some molecular characteristics of the proteins of the adult guinea-pig small intestinal microvillus membrane

The adult guinea-pig small intestinal microvillus membrane was purified approximately 25-fold by both cation-precipitation and differential centrifugation methods. Comparison by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed no substantial differences in polypeptide composition between the two preparations. One-dimensional SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional isoelectric focussing (IEF)/SDS-PAGE, together with Coomassie-blue, silver and lectin-staining, showed three major high molecular weight polypeptides, Mr 108 000, 116 000 and 127 000, as well as a 47 kDa protein (actin), as major constituents of the membrane. The proteins of Mr 108 000 and 116 000 were strongly concanavalin A reactive. A detailed two-dimensional IEF/SDS-PAGE map of the membrane was constructed. Sodium carbonate treatment showed the two concanavalin A-reactive glycoproteins, Mr 108 000 and 116 000, comprising the sucrase-isomaltase complex, to be loosely-associated 'extrinsic' microvillus membrane proteins. Two proteins, Mr 127 000 and 135 000, were tightly-associated 'intrinsic' microvillus proteins. Despite regional differences in specific activity of some small intestinal microvillar enzymes, most noticeably enterokinase (EC 3.4.21.9) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.x), no substantial regional differences were seen in microvillus membrane polypeptide composition. In contrast, a substantial increase in the major high molecular weight proteins of Mr 108 000 and 116 000 accompanied a 10-fold rise in sucrase-isomaltase activity, and loss of a major protein of Mr 131 000 accompanied the complete loss of lactase activity from the membrane during postnatal development.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Intracellular processing of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase

The biosynthesis of pig small intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.23-62) was studied by labelling of organ cultured mucosal explants with [35S]methionine. The earliest detactable form of the enzyme was an intracellular, membrane-bound polypeptide of Mr 225 000, sensitive to endo H as judged by its increased electrophoretic mobility (Mr 210 000 after treatment). The labelling of this form decreased during a chase of 120 min and instead two polypeptides of Mr 245 000 and 160 000 occurred, which both barely had their electrophoretic mobility changed by treatment with endo H. The Mr 160 000 polypeptide is of the same size as the mature lactase-phlorizin hydrolase and was the only form expressed in the microvillar membrane. Together, these data are indicative of an intracellular proteolytic cleavage during transport. The presence of leupeptin during labelling prevented the appearance of the Mr 160 000 form but not that of the Mr 245 000 polypeptide, suggesting that the proteolytic cleavage takes place after trimming and complex glycosylation. The proteolytic cleavage was not essential for the transport since the precursor was expressed in the microvillar membrane in the presence of leupeptin.     

Tyrosine sulfation, a post-translational modification of microvillar enzymes in the small intestinal enterocyte.

Protein sulfation in small intestinal epithelial cells was studied by labelling of organ cultured mucosal explants with [35S]-sulfate. Six bands in SDS-PAGE became selectively labelled; four, of 250, 200, 166 and 130 kd, were membrane-bound and two, of 75 and 60 kd, were soluble. The sulfated membrane-bound components were all enriched in the microvillar fraction but either absent or barely detectable in intracellular or basolateral membranes. Immunopurification of sucrase-isomaltase, maltase-glucoamylase, aminopeptidase N and aminopeptidase A showed that these microvillar enzymes become sulfated. Most if not all the sulfate was bound to tyrosine residues rather than to the carbohydrate of the microvillar enzymes, showing that this type of modification can occur on plasma membrane proteins as well as on secretory proteins.     

Evidence for biosynthesis of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase as a single-chain high-molecular weight precursor

Precursor forms of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase, sucrase-isomaltase and aminopeptidase N were studied by pulse-labelling of organ-cultured human intestinal biopsies. After labelling the biopsies were fractionated by the Ca2+-precipitation method and the enzymes isolated by immunoprecipitation. The results indicate that the lactase-phlorizin hydrolase is synthesized as a Mr 245 000 polypeptide, which is intracellularly cleaved into its mature Mr 160 000 form. Sucrase-isomaltase is shown to be synthesized as a single chain precursor (Mr 245 000 and 265 000) while the precursor of aminopeptidase N is shown to be of apparently the same size as the mature enzyme (Mr 140 000 and 160 000).     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Dimerization of aminopeptidase N and lactase-phlorizin hydrolase

The pig intestinal brush border enzymes aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) and lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.23-62) are present in the microvillar membrane as homodimers. Dimethyl adipimidate was used to cross-link the two [35S]methionine-labeled brush border enzymes from cultured mucosal explants. For aminopeptidase N, dimerization did not begin until 5-10 min after synthesis, and maximal dimerization by cross-linking of the transient form of the enzyme required 1 h, whereas the mature form of aminopeptidase N cross-linked with unchanged efficiency from 45 min to 3 h of labeling. Formation of dimers of this enzyme therefore occurs prior to the Golgi-associated processing, and the slow rate of dimerization may be the rate-limiting step in the transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex. For lactase-phlorizin hydrolase, the posttranslational processing includes a proteolytic cleavage of its high molecular weight precursor. Since only the mature form and not the precursor of this enzyme could be cross-linked, formation of tightly associated dimers only takes place after transport out of the endoplasmic reticulum. Dimerization of the two brush border enzymes therefore seems to occur in different organelles of the enterocyte.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Forskolin reduces surface expression of aminopeptidase N

The effect of forskolin on the biosynthesis and intracellular transport of pig intestinal aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) was studied in organ cultured mucosal explants. The drug which activates adenylate cyclase and hence the cAMP-dependent glycogenolytic pathway did not affect the explant content nor microvillar enrichment of the enzyme. Forskolin, however, caused a decrease in the microvillar expression of aminopeptidase N which developed in a time-dependent manner from about 40% by 80 min to 80% by 4 h of labeling. The intracellular pool size of the transient, high mannose glycosylated form of aminopeptidase N was unaffected by forskolin, indicating a normal synthesis in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The decrease in surface expression is therefore caused by an induced posttranslational degradation of the enzyme, most likely taking place in the Golgi complex. The degradatory effect on newly synthesized aminopeptidase N was not accompanied by any morphological alterations of the enterocyte; in particular, the microvillar membrane appeared entirely unaffected by forskolin. The results obtained provide evidence for the existence of a posttranslational mechanism, whereby a polarized cell is capable of regulating its expression of apical proteins.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Processing of aminopeptidase N by microsomal membranes.

The biosynthesis of small-intestinal aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) was studied in a cell-free translation system derived from rabbit reticulocytes. When dog pancreatic microsomal fractions were present during translation, most of the aminopeptidase N synthesized was found in a membrane-bound rather than a soluble form, indicating that synthesis of the enzyme takes place on ribosomes attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The microsomal fractions process the Mr-115 000 polypeptide, which is the primary translation product of aminopeptidase N, to a polypeptide of Mr 140 000. This was found to be sensitive to the action of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (EC 3.2.1.96), showing that aminopeptidase N undergoes transmembrane glycosylation during synthesis. The position of the signal sequence in aminopeptidase N was determined by a synchronized translation experiment. It was found that microsomal fractions should be added before about 25% of the polypeptide was synthesized to ensure processing to the high-mannose glycosylated form. This suggests that the signal sequence is situated in the N-terminal part of the aminopeptidase N. The size of the cell-free translation product in the absence of microsomal fractions was found to be similar to that on one of the forms of the enzyme obtained from tunicamycin-treated organ-cultured intestinal explants.     

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Expression of aminopeptidase N along the crypt-villus axis

The expression of pig small-intestinal aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) along the crypt-villus axis was studied in tangential sections of [35S]-methionine-labelled, organ-cultured explants. The only detectable molecular forms of aminopeptidase N along the crypt-villus axis were polypeptides of Mr 140 000 and 166 000, representing the enzyme in a transient and mature form respectively. The synthesis was at a very low level in the crypt region in experiments with labelling periods ranging from 10 min to 3 h. These findings indicate that crypt cells are not fully committed to the expression of aminopeptidase N, either in its mature or in any other immunoreactive molecular form. The expression of aminopeptidase N was markedly stimulated by dexamethasone (1 microgram/ml). During labelling periods of 3 h, dexamethasone caused an approximately threefold increase in the expression of the enzyme in the crypt cells and a moderate increase of about 20% in the villus cells. Whereas the latter can possibly be ascribed to a general protective effect of dexamethasone on villus architecture, these experiments indicate that crypt cells of mucosa from adult individuals exhibit the same sensitivity to glucocorticoids as does the intestinal epithelium during the prenatal and early postnatal phase.     

Proteins of the kidney microvillar membrane. Effects of monensin, vinblastine, swainsonine and glucosamine on the processing and assembly of endopeptidase-24.11 and dipeptidyl peptidase IV in pig kidney slices.

The effects of various inhibitors were studied on the biogenesis of endopeptidase-24.11 (EC 3.4.24.11) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5) in slices of renal cortex, from piglets of the Yucatan strain, maintained in organ culture. These microvillar peptidases were synthesized within membrane compartments and underwent glycosylation to yield high-mannose and complex forms [the preceding paper, Stewart & Kenny (1984) Biochem. J. 224, 549-558]. Monensin caused very gross ultrastructural changes in the proximal-tubular cells, resulting from distension of the Golgi sacs. It blocked the processing of the high-mannose to the complex glycosylated forms of the peptidases and prevented their assembly in the microvillar membrane. Swainsonine, an inhibitor of alpha-mannosidase II, generated new 'hybrid' forms of the proteins, intermediate in Mr between the high-mannose and the complex forms, but did not prevent assembly of the hybrid forms in microvilli. Vinblastine, an agent that affects microtubules, delayed, but did not abolish, either the processing or the transport to microvilli. Glucosamine interfered with the initial glycosylation reactions and generated heterogeneous sets of partially glycosylated polypeptides of lower Mr than the high-mannose forms. These results are discussed in relation to the site and mechanism of glycosylation and the involvement of the Golgi complex and microtubules in the biogenesis of these membrane peptidases.