Ecto-5′-nucleotidase regeneration after chemical modification of the plasma membrane

Treatment of the C6 glioblastoma cell with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) resulted in the selective inactivation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase under conditions which maintained cell viability. Cells respond to ecto-enzyme inactivation by replacing 80% of lost activity within 24 hrs. A lag time of 4-6 hrs before ecto-5'-nucleotidase replacement began and its complete blockage by cycloheximide indicated that the source of replaced enzyme was de novo synthesis and not an intracellular pool. Release of 5'-nucleotidase activity into culture medium in the form of membraneous vesicles slowed during the active recovery period and then steadily increased with time as the plasma membrane enzyme level approached normal. TNBS did not exert a direct inhibitory action upon the exfoliative process as release of vesicular GM1 and protein were little affected. Decrease in exfoliated 5'-nucleotidase activity may be due to a selective conservation of the enzyme in the exfoliative process.     

Chloroplast membrane conformational changes measured by chemical modification

The chemical modification reagents iodoacetic acid (primarily sulfhydryl group directed) and acetic anhydride (primarily amino group directed) were used to monitor chloroplast thylakoid membrane conformational changes. The incorporation of [³H]-iodoacetate and [³H]acetic anhydride showed the following pattern: (i) There was an increased level of binding of iodoacetate in the light compared to the dark or light plus 2,4-dichlorophenyl-1,1-dimethyl urea (DCMU) conditions. A 30 to 50% increase, from about 1.0 to 1.3–1.5 nmol/mg of Chl in iodoacetate incorporation, was found; 30–50% less acetic anhydride was bound in the light than in the dark or light plus DCMU state, typical values being near 15 nmol of acetic anhydride bound/mg of Chl in the dark and 10 nmol/mg of Chl in the light, (ii) The incorporation pattern for both reagents indicated that Photosystem II-dependent proton release is required to elicit the differential binding. Evidence for this is: (a) Cyclic electron flow and proton accumulation, mediated by phenazine methosulfate in the presence of a Photosystem II inhibitor (DCMU), did not induce either the extra binding of iodoacetate or the decrease in binding of acetic anhydride; (b) in chloroplasts made deficient in water oxidation by NH₂OH treatment, electron flow from I^?, an alternate Photosystem II electron donor, to methyl viologen did not induce the differential binding, whereas with the proton-donating donor, diphenyl carbazide, Photosystem II electron flow did elicit the differential binding, (iii) Uncouplers of phosphorylation (nigericin plus valinomycin) had no affect on the differential binding of either reagent, consistent with the hypothesis that it is not simply a transmembrane proton gradient that potentiates the conformational change, but rather an intramembrane reaction between protons released by Photosystem II and certain membrane components. The lack of uncoupler effect also suggests that the conformational change does not involve the coupling factor complex, at least not in the same sense as for the coupling factor conformational changes detected by tritium exchange (I. J. Ryrie and A. T. Jagendorf, 1971, J. Biol. Chem.246, 582–588) or N-ethyl maleimide binding (R. E. McCarty et al., 1972, J. Biol. Chem.247, 3048–3051). (iv) The decrease in acetic anhydride binding in the light was independent of the structural state of the chloroplast. Stacked and unstacked (by low salt) grana membranes showed similar light-dependent decreases in acetic anhydride binding. The results with these modification reagents support earlier conclusions about a Photosystem II-linked conformational change based on work with diazonium benzenesulfonic acid (R. Giaquinta et al., 1975, Biochemistry14, 4392–4396).     

Selective chemical modification of arginine residues in mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase

Mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (L-malate: NAD⁺ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.37) from porcine heart exhibits a time dependent loss in enzymatic activity in the presence of the reagent butanedione. The inhibition occurs concomitant with the modification of 2.4 residues of arginine per molecular weight of 70,000. The presence of the reduced coenzyme, NADH, protects the enzyme from inhibition by butanedione and from modification of arginine residues, suggesting that the residues modified are located near the coenzyme binding site and hence at or near the enzymatic active center of this enzyme.     

Selective partitioning of plasma membrane antigens during mouse spermatogenesis

The selective partitioning of cell membrane components during mouse spermatogenesis has been examined using a heterologous antibody raised against isolated type B spermatogonia. The anti-type B spermatogonia rabbit IgG (ATBS) binds to isolated populations of mouse primitive type A spermatogonia, type A spermatogonia, type B spermatogonia, preleptotene spermatocytes, leptotene/zygotene spermatocytes, pachytene spermatocytes, round spermatids, residual bodies, and mature spermatozoa. Although immunofluorescent labeling is uniformly distributed on the cell surface of early spermatogenic cells, a discrete topographical localization of IgG is observed on testicular, epididymal, and vas deferens spermatozoa. The convex surface of the acrosome, postacrosomal region, and tail are labeled. Antibody does not bind to a broad area corresponding to the concave region of the acrosome. The antibody also binds to mouse somatic cells including Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, thymocytes, and splenocytes, but not to mature spermatozoa of the vole, rat, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, or human. ATBS, after absorption with mouse splenocytes or thymocytes, does not react with any somatic cells examined by fluorescence except with Sertoli cells. In addition, all reactivity with testicular, epididymal, and was deferens spermatozoa is abolished. However, spermatogenic cells at earlier stages of differentiation, including residual bodies, still react strongly with the absorbed antibody. The number of surface receptor sites per cell for absorbed ATBS ranges from approximately 3 million on primitive type A spermatogonia to 1 million on round spermatids and on residual bodies. Spermatozoa, however, have only 0.003 million binding sites for absorbed ATBS, in contrast to 10 million sites for the unabsorbed antibody. It appears that receptor sites for absorbed ATBS are not masked by components of epididymal secretions. These data imply, therefore, that specific mechanisms operate at the level of the cell membrane during spermiogenesis to insure that some surface components, not required in the mature spermatozoon, are removed selectively by partitioning to that portion of the spermatid membrane destined for the residual body.     

Cellular metabolic control by chemical modification of cell membrane.

Various reagents used in the chemical modification of amino- and carboxy-groups of proteins, and of carbohydrates of glycoproteins and glycolipids, inhibit respiration in ascites tumor cells concomitant with release of potassium ion from those cells. The respiratory activity of washed ascites tumor cells is increased by exogenous addition of potassium ion. The lowered respiratory control index as well as oxidative phosphorylation of aged mitochondria are restored upon increasing the potassium concentration of the incubation mixture in the presence of respiratory substrates. The data suggest that the potassium ion level of cells is changed by modifying physicochemical properties of membrane components and that cellular energy metabolism is regulated by intracellular potassium ion concentration.     

Light-dependent chemical modification of thylakoid membrane proteins with carboxyl-directed reagents

Spinach chloroplast thylakoid membranes were chemically modified with membrane penetrating reagents reactive toward protein carboxyl groups, a carbodiimide and the nucleophiles [¹⁴C]glycine ethyl ester or [³H]serotonin. The reagents, being weak bases, were accumulated within the inner aqueous space in the light, due to the low pH inside. Both the accumulation and the low pH stimulating effect on the carbodiimide activation step contributed to a greater labeling in the light compared to dark, and uncouplers inhibited most of the light-dependent increase. Hence, it is likely that the proteins showing the light-dependent, uncoupler-sensitive labeling have those parts located within the inner aqueous space or within the membrane itself. While many membrane proteins which separated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels (12.5–25% gradient) showed some increased labeling in the light, the most conspicuous were the four polypeptides of the chlorophyll $\text{a}\text{b}$ light-harvesting complex. The light-harvesting complex was purified from dark- and light-treated, labeled membranes. The resultant preparation showed about a sixfold, light-dependent, uncoupler-sensitive labeling increase compared to dark conditions. Polypeptides near 6 and 8 kdalton showed light-dependent, uncoupler-resistent increases in carboxyl group modification, which could be due to localized acidic conditions near sites of proton release.     

Selective amphipathic nature of chlorpromazine binding to plasma membrane bilayers

Chlorpromazine (CPZ), an antipsychotic agent shown to inhibit the action of various neurophysiological receptors, also exhibits preferential association with the plasma membrane, inducing stomatocytic morphological response in red blood cells (RBC). Given the cationic nature of CPZ, fluorimetry, pH titration, and red cell morphological studies were performed to assess the associative predilection of CPZ for anionic membrane components. CPZ fluorescence intensity increased 320-370% upon addition of phosphatidylcholine (PC) small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) to aqueous CPZ, indicating an affinity of the drug for lipidic phases. After removal of unbound drug, CPZ fluorescence increased up to 92% with increasing phosphatidylserine (PS) in the lipid phase (up to 30 mol% of total lipid), suggesting a preferential association of the drug with anionic lipids. In studies of pH titration, the pK(a) of CPZ in the presence of Triton X-100 micelles or phospholipid SUVs increased with increasing anionicity of the lipidic phase [7.8 with Triton X-100, 8.0 with PC, 8.3 with phosphatidylglycerol (PG)], lending further support to preferential drug interaction with anionic lipidic components. At 0 degrees C, CPZ-induced red cell shape change was less extensive in cells made echinocytic by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, compared to cells made echinocytic by PS treatment following vanadate preincubation. This suggests that polyphosphoinositide lipids are CPZ membrane binding sites. Since polyphosphoinositide lipids are implicated as important intermediates in a number of receptor-mediated cell signaling pathways, evidence of association with these specific lipids provides a means by which psychoactive drugs may induce neurophysiological effects through direct interaction with general membrane components.     

Selective amphipathic nature of chlorpromazine binding to plasma membrane bilayers

Chlorpromazine (CPZ), an antipsychotic agent shown to inhibit the action of various neurophysiological receptors, also exhibits preferential association with the plasma membrane, inducing stomatocytic morphological response in red blood cells (RBC). Given the cationic nature of CPZ, fluorimetry, pH titration, and red cell morphological studies were performed to assess the associative predilection of CPZ for anionic membrane components. CPZ fluorescence intensity increased 320-370% upon addition of phosphatidylcholine (PC) small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) to aqueous CPZ, indicating an affinity of the drug for lipidic phases. After removal of unbound drug, CPZ fluorescence increased up to 92% with increasing phosphatidylserine (PS) in the lipid phase (up to 30 mol% of total lipid), suggesting a preferential association of the drug with anionic lipids. In studies of pH titration, the pK_a of CPZ in the presence of Triton X-100 micelles or phospholipid SUVs increased with increasing anionicity of the lipidic phase [7.8 with Triton X-100, 8.0 with PC, 8.3 with phosphatidylglycerol (PG)], lending further support to preferential drug interaction with anionic lipidic components. At 0 °C, CPZ-induced red cell shape change was less extensive in cells made echinocytic by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, compared to cells made echinocytic by PS treatment following vanadate preincubation. This suggests that polyphosphoinositide lipids are CPZ membrane binding sites. Since polyphosphoinositide lipids are implicated as important intermediates in a number of receptor-mediated cell signaling pathways, evidence of association with these specific lipids provides a means by which psychoactive drugs may induce neurophysiological effects through direct interaction with general membrane components.     

Selective covalent modification of newly synthesized activation-induced sialoglycoconjugates on the T lymphocyte membrane

Resting human lymphocytes were oxidized by periodate and subsequently reduced with borohydride to block the aldehydes formed. The cells were then incubated for 24 or 48 hours with (or without) the mitogenic lectin phytohemagglutinin. A second oxidation with periodate at the indicated times resulted in strong surface-aldehyde formation in samples incubated with the mitogen, compared to control samples which exhibited very low quantities of aldehydes. The data show that this elevation in aldehyde formation was strictly dependent on protein synthesis, similarly to the appearance of Tac antigen in these cells. Cell surface aldehydes were detected in flow cytometry with a fluoresceinated hydrazide molecule and electrophoretically with biocytin hydrazide in conjunction with 125I-streptavidin. The proposed method for the elimination of the chemical reactivity of carbohydrates from the surface of resting lymphocytes thus enabled the selective covalent modification of newly synthesized sialoglycoconjugates formed upon a mitogenic trigger. The data also suggest the existence of a very low turnover rate of sialoglycoconjugates on the resting lymphocyte membrane.     

Selective chemical modification of a functionally linked lysine in cytochrome P-450 LM2

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) has been selectively bound to the epsilon-amino group of lysine-382 in cytochrome P-450 LM2 (RH, reduced-flavoprotein: oxygen oxidoreductase (RH-hydroxylating), EC 1.14.14.1) at pH 8.15. Benzphetamine N-demethylase activity of the reconstituted FITC-modified cytochrome P-450 LM2 was inhibited by 25%. This inhibition has been shown to be due to an impaired electron transfer from the NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase (NADPH: ferricytochrome oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.2.4) to the haemoprotein. The data indicate that cytochrome P-450 interacts with the flavoprotein via electrostatic interactions.     

Selective chemical modification of Escherichia coli elongation factor G: butanedione modification of an arginine essential for nucleotide binding.

Treatment of Escherichia coli elongation factor G with the arginine reagent, 2,3-butanedione, leads to the inactivation of the enzyme when performed in sodium borate buffers. The inhibition follows pseudo-first-order kinetics until 95% of the activity has been lost and further incubation results in complete inhibiton. Removal of the borate by exhaustive dialysis results in the restoration of approximately 85% of the original activity. The pH dependence of the reaction suggests that the ionization of a group in the protein with a pKa of approximately 8.8 facilitates the reaction with butanedione. A reaction order of 1.01 +/- 0.13 was calculated for the inhibition reaction, indicating that the incorporation of one butanedione per elongation factor G results in the inactivation of the enzyme. The kinetics of inhibition in the presence of GTP indicate that the elongation factor G-GTP complex is refractory to butanedione inhibiton. Elongation factor G which has been partially inactivated by butanedione has the same apparent Km for GTP as does the native enzyme. These results indicate that elongation factor G contains only one essential arginine residue which is reactive with butanedione and that this residue is located at its nucleotide binding site.     

Selective ganglioside desialylation in the plasma membrane of human neuroblastoma cells*

Gangliosides of the plasma membrane are important modulatorsof cellular functions. Previous work from our laboratory hadsuggested that a plasma membrane sialidase was involved in growthcontrol and differentiation in cultured human neuroblastomacells (SK-N-MC), but its substrates had remained obscure. Wenow performed sialidase specificity studies in subcellular fractionsand found ganglioside GM3 desialylating activity in presenceof Triton X-100 to be associated with the plasma membrane, butabsent in lysosomes. This Triton-activated plasma membrane enzymedesialylated also gangliosides GDla, GD1b, and GT1b, therebyforming GM1; cleavage of GM1 and GM2, however, was not observed.Sialidase activity towards the glycoprotein fetuin with modifiedC-7 sialic acids and towards 4-methylumbelliferyl neuraminatewas solely found in lysosomal, but not in plasma membrane fractions. The role of the plasma membrane sialidase in ganglioside desialylationof living cells was examined by following the fate of [³H]galactose-labelledindividual gangliosides in pulse-chase experiments in absenceand presence of the extracellular sialidase inhibitor 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-N-acetylneuraminicacid. When the plasma membrane sialidase was inhibited, radioactivityof all gangliosides chased at the same rate. In the absenceof inhibitor, GM3, GD1a, GD1b, GD2, GD3 and GT1b were degradedat a considerably faster rate in confluent cultures, whereasthe GM1-pool seemed to be filled by the desialylation of highergangliosides. The results thus suggest that the plasma membranesialidase causes selective ganglioside desialylation, and thatsuch surface glycolipid modification triggers growth controland differentiation in human neuroblastoma cells. ganglioside neuroblastoma cells plasma membrane sialidase     

Dual lipid modification of Arabidopsis Ggamma-subunits is required for efficient plasma membrane targeting

Posttranslational lipid modifications are important for proper localization of many proteins in eukaryotic cells. However, the functional interrelationships between lipid modification processes in plants remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that the two heterotrimeric G-protein gamma-subunits from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), AGG1 and AGG2, are prenylated, and AGG2 is S-acylated. In wild type, enhanced yellow fluorescent protein-fused AGG1 and AGG2 are associated with plasma membranes, with AGG1 associated with internal membranes as well. Both can be prenylated by either protein geranylgeranyltransferase I (PGGT-I) or protein farnesyltransferase (PFT). Their membrane localization is intact in mutants lacking PFT activity and largely intact in mutants lacking PGGT-I activity but is disrupted in mutants lacking both PFT and PGGT-I activity. Unlike in mammals, Arabidopsis Ggammas do not rely on functional Galpha for membrane targeting. Mutation of the sixth to last cysteine, the putative S-acylation acceptor site, causes a dramatic change in AGG2 but not AGG1 localization pattern, suggesting S-acylation serves as an important additional signal for AGG2 to be targeted to the plasma membrane. Domain-swapping experiments suggest that a short charged sequence at the AGG2 C terminus contributes to AGG2's efficient membrane targeting compared to AGG1. Our data show the large degree to which PFT and PGGT-I can compensate for each other in plants and suggest that differential lipid modification plays an important regulatory role in plant protein localization.     

Selective loss of a plasma membrane protein associated with contraction of skeletal muscle

Muscle proteins were labeled by incubating isolated frog sartorius muscles with [³H]- or [¹⁴C]phenylalanine. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of plasma membrane fractions revealed a major protein band with an apparent molecular weight of approx. 96 000. Radioactivity in this band showed a clearly delineated decrease, relative to other bands, when previously labeled muscles were induced to contract either by electrical stimulation or by increasing the influx of Ca²⁺ from the incubation medium. It is postulated that a Ca²⁺-activated neutral protease may account for this decrease in labeled membrane protein.