Solubilised intrinsic factor receptor from pig ileum and its characteristics.

The vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor receptor was shown to be present in pig ileum and localized on the brush borders of the enterocytes, and to be solubilisable with Triton X-100. At neutral pH and in the presence of Ca2+ it bound the vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor but not the vitamin B-12-cobalophilin complex. The solubilised vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor-receptor complex consisted of two molecular species with clear Stokes radii (13.11 and 33.53 nm), sedimentation coefficients (15.1 and 45.1 S) and molecular weights (1 600 000 and 12 000 000). A third smaller macromolecule possibly also represented the receptor. Some receptor activity was present in extracts prepared with buffers lacking detergent. There was evidence that the receptor is a membrane lipoprotein from which the lipids reversibly dissociate. Free intrinsic factor also bound to the solubilized receptor and its vitamin B-12-binding site seemed not to be involved in the attachment to the receptor. A small portion of the vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor spontaneously dissociated from the receptor and nearly all dissociated in the presence of Na2-EDTA. TheStokes radius of the dissociated vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor complex was 0.17 nm smaller than before binding to the receptor. Intrinsic factor and cobalophilin were present in ileal extract and observations were made on their molecular characteristics. These proteins, polymers of the vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor complex and binding of vitamin B-12 and its protein complexes to detergent micelles may give spurious receptor-like effects which must be properly controlled.     

Solubilised intrinsic factor receptor from pig ileum and its characteristics

The vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor receptor was shown to be present in pig ileum and localized on the brush borders of the enterocytes, and to be solubilisable with Triton X-100. At neutral pH and in the presence of Ca²⁺ it bound the vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor but not the vitamin B-12-cobalophilin complex. The solubilised vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor-receptor complex consisted of two molecular species with clear Stokes radii (13.11 and 33.53 nm), sedimentation coefficients (15.1 and 45.1 S) and molecular weights (1 600 000 and 12 000 000). A third smaller macromolecule possibly also represented the receptor. Some receptor activity was present in extracts prepared with buffers lacking detergent. There was evidence that the receptor is a membrane lipoprotein from which the lipids reversibly dissociate. Free intrinsic factor also bound to the solubilized receptor and its vitamin B-12-binding site seemed not to be involved in the attachment to the receptor. A small portion of the vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor spontaneously dissociated from the receptor and nearly all dissociated in the presence of Na₂-EDTA. The Stokes radius of the dissociated vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor complex was 0.17 nm smaller than before binding to the receptor. Intrinsic factor and cobalophilin were present in ileal extracts and observations were made on their molecular characteristics. These proteins, polymers of the vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor complex and binding of vitamin B-12 and its protein complexes to detergent micelles may give spurious receptor-like effects which must be properly controlled.     

Isolation of vitamin B-12-binding proteins by combined immuno and affinity chromatography. Comparative studies on the isolated and unisolated proteins

Intrinsic factor or cobalophilin were removed by incubating human gastric juice and pig pyloric extract with purified anti-intrinsic factor and anti-cobalophilin immunoglobulin-G, respectively, covalently coupled to Sepharose. Cobalophilin (transcobalamin I) was also removed from pig serum either by using anti-cobalophilin immunoglobulin-G Sepharose or by Sephadex G-200 chromatography. The one remaining semipurified vitamin B-12-binding protein (intrinsic factor, cobalophilin or transcobalamin II) was then isolated by vitamin B-12-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Intrinsic factors, cobalophilins and transcobalamin II isolated by this two-step procedure were compared by double isotope techniques with the corresponding protein not subjected to affinity chromatography and found to be identical in reaction to antiserum, gel filtration and electrofocusing. The avidity of the isolated and unisolated intrinsic factors for the ileal intrinsic factor receptor was also the same.     

Isolation of the porcine ileal intrinsic factor receptor by sequential affinity chromatography

An extract containing solubilised receptor was passed through four columns containing Sepharose to which had been covalently coupled anti-cobalophilin IgG, vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor, vitamin B-12, and free intrinsic factor, respectively. Following a wash the receptor was eluted with EDTA, then residual Triton X-100 micelles and vitamin B-12-intrinsic factor were removed by Sephadex G-200 filtration. The receptor was purified 84 000-fold, sodium dodecyl sulphate electrophoresis indicated two subunits and gel filtration of its vitamin B-12-inttrinsic factor complex resolved it into two molecular species.     

Porcine serum cobalophilin and transcobalamin. Identification, isolation and properties including electrofocusing patterns

Pooled porcine serum was found to contain cobalophilin (also called transcobalamin I) and transcobalamin (also called transcobalamin II). The two proteins were harvested by batchwise absorption with vitamin B-12 covalently coupled to Sepharose, and then separated from each other either by gel filtration or using an immunoadsorbent. Both proteins were finally isolated as single proteins using a second vitamin B-12-Sepharose chromatography step. Cobalophilin and transcobalamin complexed with vitamin B-12 had molecular weights by gel filtration of 135 000 and 38 000 and by the formula of Svedberg 104 000 and 44 000, Stokes radii 4.97 nm and 2.65 nm, and sedimentation coefficients 5.39 S and 3.75 S, respectively. Electrofocusing resolved the cobalophilin complex into three main isoproteins isoelectric at pH 3.23, 3.42 and 3.69, and transcobalamin into only the main component isoelectric at a value as low as pH 3.47. Neither protein was capable of binding to the ileal intrinsic factor receptor.     

Purification of rat intestinal receptor for intrinsic factor · vitamin B-12 complex by affinity chromatography

Rat intrinsic factor was bound to vitamin B-12-Sepharose to produce intrinsic factor · vitamin B-12-Sepharose. Intestinal receptor for intrinsic factor · vitamin B-12 complex was purified from rat ileal extract by affinity chromatography using the intrinsic factor · vitamin B-12-Sepharose as an affinity adsorbent with recovery of 48.5% and specific activity increased 335 fold of original sample.     

Comparative studies on intrinsic factor and cobalophilin in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract of the pig

The vitamin B₁₂ binders in the pig pyloric mucosa gastric and intestinal juice from the upper gastrointestinal tract were fractionated into only two molecular forms, classified as intrinsic factor and cobalophilin. The unsaturated vitamin B₁₂-binding power due to cobalophilin was lower in the intestinal than in the gastric juice. Electrofocusing revealed that intrinsic factor and cobalophilin in the intestinal juice contained more of the `neutral'-type isoproteins, and the suggestion is made that this is due to enzyme activity. The gastric-juice intrinsic factor contained more acidic isoproteins, which supports the hypothesis that carbohydrate is added on to the polypeptide chain of this protein before it is secreted into gastric juice. The gastric- and intestinal-juice cobalophilins, studied also by electrofocusing, differed from that of pyloric mucosa and they appeared to be of salivary origin. With regard to molecular dimensions there was no significant difference between the intrinsic factors and cobalophilins from all sources studied. All cobalophilins had molecular weights by the formula of Svedberg of approx. 92500, Stokes radii of 4.62nm and sedimentation coefficients of 5.15S. The corresponding values for the intrinsic factors were 63600, 3.57nm and 4.38S. In addition, the intrinsic factors exhibited similar avidities for binding to the solubilized ileal intrinsic-factor receptor. Also the intrinsic factors and cobalophilins, irrespective of their source, bound to the analogous specific xenoantibodies with the same avidity. The present results demonstrate that intrinsic factor remains practically unaltered during its passage through the proximal intestine and render unlikely the speculations made about the presence of an endogenous binder for intrinsic factor as well as the existence of a `pancreatic intrinsic factor'. In addition, they are compatible with the theory that the interference by undegraded cobalophilin may be the reason for the abnormal vitamin B₁₂ absorption observed in patients with pancreatic insufficiency.     

Identification and characterization of intrinsic factor and cobalophilin from pig ileal and pyloric mucosa

Pig ileal mucosa was found to bind about 240 ng vitamin B₁₂/g and to contain two vitamin B₁₂-binding proteins. One was highly active in the Schilling test, behaved immunologically as intrinsic factor and was responsible for about half of the total vitamin B₁₂-binding capacity. The other binder was identified as cobalophilin (R-protein). Immunochemical purification of these proteins from pig ileum and pylorus was performed and the molecular characteristics (sedimentation and diffusion coefficients, Strokes radii, frictional ratios and molecular weights) of their vitamin B₁₂ complexes were estimated. Isoelectric focusing revealed differences between the ileal and pyloric intrinsic factors but not between the cobalophilins. The mean isoelectric points of the pyloric and ileal intrinsic factors were pH 5.79 and 5.30, respectively, whereas the corresponding figures for the cobalophilins were 4.13 and 4.10.     

A simplified technique to isolate the porcine and human ileal intrinsic factor receptors and studies on their subunit structures.

The porcine intestinal intrinsic factor receptor was isolated with affinity chromatography utilizing vitamin B12-intrinsic factor-Sepharose and pH adjustments. The purification was about 70 000-fold and in sodium dodecyl sulphate electrophoresis it resolved into two carbohydrate-containing 70 000 and 130 000 dalton bands (alpha and beta subunits) indicating purity. The human receptor was similarly purified and radioiodinated for further studies. It was also composed of two subunits (90 000 and 140 000 dalton). The alpha subunits bound to anti-intrinsic factor antisera.     

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome (IGS) or selective vitamin B₁₂ (cobalamin) malabsorption with proteinuria is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by vitamin B₁₂ deficiency commonly resulting in megaloblastic anemia, which is responsive to parenteral vitamin B₁₂ therapy and appears in childhood. Other manifestations include failure to thrive and grow, infections and neurological damage. Mild proteinuria (with no signs of kidney disease) is present in about half of the patients. Anatomical anomalies in the urinary tract were observed in some Norwegian patients. Vitamin B₁₂ absorption tests show low absorption, not corrected by administration of intrinsic factor. The symptoms appear from 4 months (not immediately after birth as in transcobalamin deficiency) up to several years after birth. The syndrome was first described in Finland and Norway where the prevalence is about 1:200,000. The cause is a defect in the receptor of the vitamin B₁₂-intrinsic factor complex of the ileal enterocyte. In most cases, the molecular basis of the selective malabsorption and proteinuria involves a mutation in one of two genes, cubilin (CUBN) on chromosome 10 or amnionless (AMN) on chromosome 14. Both proteins are components of the intestinal receptor for the vitamin B₁₂-intrinsic factor complex and the receptor mediating the tubular reabsorption of protein from the primary urine. Management includes life-long vitamin B₁₂ injections, and with this regimen, the patients stay healthy for decades. However, the proteinuria persists. In diagnosing this disease, it is important to be aware that cobalamin deficiency affects enterocyte function; therefore, all tests suggesting general and cobalamin malabsorption should be repeated after abolishment of the deficiency.     

Release of vitamin B-12 in vitro from intrinsic factor-vitamin B-12 complex Purification and characterization of a releasing factor from rat ileal brush border

Vitamin B-12 is released from the purified gastric intrinsic factor-[⁵⁷Co]vitamin B-12 (intrinsic factor- [⁵⁷Co]vitamin B-12) complex, when incubated with rat intestinal mucosa. Maximum specific activity for splitting the complex is localized in ileal brush border. Release of [⁵⁷Co]vitamin B-12 is not due to its mere exchange during incubation with endogenous non-radioactive vitamin B-12. The splitting process has specific requirement for Ca²⁺ and ATP and it is thermolabile, time- as well as temperature-dependent. It is also inactivated by the presence of p-chloromercuribenzoate. Further, the vitamin B-12-releasing factor has been isolated from solubilized brush border and is purified 70-fold by (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitation, gel filtration and Con. A-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. In SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it is resolved into a single band of about 25 kDa, indicating its purity. The releasing factor exhibits maximum activity at pH 7.4; isoelectric focusing reveals only one major form with pI 7.52. With intrinsic factor-[⁵⁷Co]vitamin B-12-complex as the substrate, apparent K_m and V_max values obtained are 128.2·10⁻¹² M/1 and 117.6 pg·h⁻¹ 100 μg protein, respectively. Amino acid and carbohydrate analyses reveal the glycoprotein nature of the factor. Intrinsic factor-[⁵⁷Co]vitamin B-12 complex is not susceptible to unspecific proteolytic digestion/ Similarly, the releasing factor does not hydrolyse other proteins. Thus, the observed substrate-specificity of the releasing factor differentiates it from other known proteolytic enzymes of ileal brush borders.     

Solubilization of the ileal receptor for intrinsic factor--vitamin B-12 complex by digestion with papain.

Brush-border-membrane vesicles isolated from hamster ileum were incubated with either papain or Pronase P and subsequently centrifuged to obtain soluble (supernatant) and insoluble (pellet) fractions. Papain (4 units/ml) solubilized 95--100% of the sucrase and leucine naphthylamide-hydrolysing activities but only 30% of the alkaline phosphatase. Digestion with papain also resulted in the solubilization of more than 75% of the ileal receptor for intrinsic factor-vitamin B-12 complex with a corresponding decrease in receptor activity in the pellet. Essentially 100% of the receptor activity was recovered. In contrast, digestion with Pronase P resulted in a decrease in total receptor activity. Papain-solubilized receptor was not sedimented by centrifugation at 105 000 g for 90 min and was eluted in the included volume of Sepharose 6B. Like the binding to more intact preparations, binding of intrinsic factor-vitamin B-12 complex to papain-solubilized receptor was rapid, reaching 50% of maximum in 8 min, and required Ca2+. Although Mg2+ could not completely substitute for Ca2+, Mg2+ did stimulate Ca2+-dependent binding at low Ca2+ concentrations. These results demonstrate that the ileal receptor for intrinsic factor-vitamin B-12 complex can be solubilized with papain, and suggest that papain solubilization may be a useful first step in the isolation and purification of this receptor.     

Topology of the hog intrinsic factor receptor in the intestine

The intrinsic factor receptor was isolated from Triton X-100 extract of hog ileal mucosa using affinity chromatography on intrinsic factor bound to cobalamin-Sepharose. We verified that the receptor contains two subunits, alpha and beta. The purified receptor located in the detergent micelle was radioiodinated. The alpha subunit was labeled and dissociated from the receptor. When the receptor was immobilized on intrinsic factor cobalamin-Sepharose, the part of the receptor which binds intrinsic factor evidently faces the gel and the rest faces outward. When such gel-bound pure receptor was iodinated, the beta subunit was labeled. Iodination of the micellar cobalamin-intrinsic factor receptor complex also caused labeling of the beta subunit. This was interpreted as being due to a conformational change in the receptor affected by the binding of the substrate cobalamin-intrinsic factor, exposing groups accessible to iodination. The beta subunit was found to be hydrophobic, but the alpha subunit was soluble in phosphate buffer without detergent. The receptor was liberated from intestinal mucosa by papain treatment. The enzyme seems to solubilize an intrinsic factor-binding part of the receptor, apparently a part of the alpha subunit. The liberated papain-alpha was purified by affinity chromatography. In gel filtration, it seemed to occur in dimeric form, but its true Mr = 45,000, according to findings in sodium dodecyl sulfate-electrophoresis. In the light of the findings, the topology of the receptor is suggested to be as follows: the alpha subunit binding intrinsic factor faces out and the hydrophobic beta subunit faces in.     

Cobalamin transport proteins and their cell-surface receptors

The primary function of cobalamin (Cbl; vitamin B12) is the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. Before cells can utilise dietary Cbl, the vitamin must undergo cellular transport using two distinct receptor-mediated events. First, dietary Cbl bound to gastric intrinsic factor (IF) is taken up from the apical pole of ileal epithelial cells via a 460 kDa receptor, cubilin, and is transported across the cell bound to another Cbl-binding protein, transcobalamin II (TC II). Second, plasma TC II-Cbl is taken up by cells that need Cbl via the TC II receptor (TC II-R), a 62 kDa protein that is expressed as a functional dimer in cellular plasma membranes. Human Cbl deficiency can develop as a result of acquired or inherited dysfunction in either of these two transmembrane transport events. This review focuses on the biochemical, cellular and molecular aspects of IF and TC II and their cell-surface receptors.     

Genetic Variation in Vitamin B-12 Content of Bovine Milk and Its Association with SNP along the Bovine Genome

Vitamin B-12 (also called cobalamin) is essential for human health and current intake levels of vitamin B-12 are considered to be too low. Natural enrichment of the vitamin B-12 content in milk, an important dietary source of vitamin B-12, may help to increase vitamin B-12 intake. Natural enrichment of the milk vitamin B-12 content could be achieved through genetic selection, provided there is genetic variation between cows with respect to the vitamin B-12 content in their milk. A substantial amount of genetic variation in vitamin B-12 content was detected among raw milk samples of 544 first-lactation Dutch Holstein Friesian cows. The presence of genetic variation between animals in vitamin B-12 content in milk indicates that the genotype of the cow affects the amount of vitamin B-12 that ends up in her milk and, consequently, that the average milk vitamin B-12 content of the cow population can be increased by genetic selection. A genome-wide association study revealed significant association between 68 SNP and vitamin B-12 content in raw milk of 487 first-lactation Dutch Holstein Friesian cows. This knowledge facilitates genetic selection for milk vitamin B-12 content. It also contributes to the understanding of the biological mechanism responsible for the observed genetic variation in vitamin B-12 content in milk. None of the 68 significantly associated SNP were in or near known candidate genes involved in transport of vitamin B-12 through the gastrointestinal tract, uptake by ileum epithelial cells, export from ileal cells, transport through the blood, uptake from the blood, intracellular processing, or reabsorption by the kidneys. Probably, associations relate to genes involved in alternative pathways of well-studied processes or to genes involved in less well-studied processes such as ruminal production of vitamin B-12 or secretion of vitamin B-12 by the mammary gland.     

Application of vitamin B(12)-targeting site on Lactobacillus helveticus B-1 to vitamin B(12) assay by chemiluminescence method

Lactobacillus helveticus B-1 is assumed to have a vitamin B(12)-targeting (or B(12)-binding) site on the cells, since the binding reaction of vitamin B(12) with L. helveticus B-1 cells proceeded instantly and quantitatively. This reaction is specific to complete B(12) compounds, cobalamins, and can be used for a vitamin B(12) assay method by chemiluminescence. The calibration graph was linear from 0.1 to 10.0 ng/mL. The B(12) contents in oyster and sardine were 75.9 and 39.4 microg/100g, respectively. These values were very close to those obtained using a chemilumi-ADVIA Centaur immunoassay system with intrinsic factor and to those obtained by microbiological assays.     

Binding of intrinsic factor to ileal brush border membrane in the rat

The rat ileal brush border membrane binds both free [¹²⁵I]-intrinsic factor (IF) and the IF-[⁵⁷Co]cobalamin (cbl) complex. This binding is observed with IF isolated from rat stomach, but not from IF isolated from hog, canine and human stomachs. The binding of rat-IF[⁵⁷Co]cbl can be blocked with free rat IF but not with hog IF. The IF-cbl complex binds at a higher affinity (Ka=0.15 × 10⁹ M^?1) compared to that of free IF (Ka=0.9 × 10⁹ M^?1). Rat IF-cbl also binds efficiently to human and canine ileal membranes. While antibody to the canine ileal receptor blocks the binding of rat, human or hog IF-[⁵⁷Co]cbl to human and canine ileal membranes, it does not affect the binding of rat IF-[⁵⁷Co]cbl to rat ileal membranes. These findings demostrate that the rat ileal receptor is different from canine and human ileal receptors.     

Vitamin B12 absorption: Mammalian physiology and acquired and inherited disorders

Background

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a cobalt-containing compound synthesized by bacteria and an essential nutrient in mammals, which take it up from diet. The absorption and distribution of dietary vitamin B12 to the organism is a complex process involving several gene products including carrier proteins, plasma membrane receptors and transporters. Disturbed cellular entry, transit or egress of vitamin B12 may lead to low vitamin B12 status or deficiency and eventually hematological and neurological disorders.

Objective

The aim of this review is to summarize the causes leading to vitamin B12 deficiency including decreased intake, impaired absorption and increased requirements. Under physiological conditions, vitamin B12 bound to the gastric intrinsic factor is internalized in the ileum by a highly specific receptor complex composed by Cubilin (Cubn) and Amnionless (Amn). Following exit of vitamin B12 from the ileum, general cellular uptake from the circulation requires the transcobalamin receptor CD320 whereas kidney reabsorption of cobalamin depends on Megalin (Lrp2).Whereas malabsorption of vitamin B12 is most commonly seen in the elderly, selective pediatric, nondietary-induced B12 deficiency is generally due to inherited disorders including the Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome and the much rarer intrinsic factor deficiency. Biochemical, clinical and genetic research on these disorders considerably improved our knowledge of vitamin B12 absorption.This review describes basic and recent findings on the intestinal handling of vitamin B12 and its importance in health and disease.     

Lectin binding to the porcine and human ileal receptor of intrinsic factor-cobalamin

The purified porcine recpptor for the intrinsic factor-cobalamin complex bound to concanavalin A, lentil lectin and wheat germ lectin covalently coupled to Sepharose and was eluted with the corresponding soluble sugars. In contrast, human intrinsic factor bound efficiently to concanavalin A, to some extent to lentil lectin, but only slightly to wheat germ agglutinin. The binding of IF-Cbl to the receptor was inhibited when the receptor was pre-incubated with soluble wheat germ aglutinin, with an inhibition constant estimated to be 1.9 mol/l. After transfer of the purified receptor from SDS-PAGE to Immobilon, ligand blotting of the purified receptor with iodinated lectin showed that concanavalin A and lentil lectin bound to three (75, 56 and 43 kDa) components but that wheat germ agglutinin bound only to the 75 kDa component. These results showed that the subunit of the receptor could bind to wheat germ agglutinin, resulting in an inhibition of its binding with intrinsic factor. Both binding sites of intrinsic factor and of wheat germ agglutinin could be located near to each other.