Structural studies of Fc receptors. IV. Structure required for phospholipids for reconstitution of the delipidated Fc receptor of macrophages

To analyze the interaction of the macrophage Fc receptor with phospholipids, we established an experimental system for delipidation of Fc receptor fraction and reconstitution of the Fc receptor activity in phospholipid vesicles. The separation of FcR from membrane phospholipids was achieved by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose of the anionic detergent-lysate of the crude membrane fraction of guinea pig macrophages in the presence of detergent. The separation was based on the difference in charge between the complex of FcR and the anionic detergent and that of phospholipids and the detergent. The FcR fraction free of phospholipids showed no FcR activity as assessed in terms of its ability to inhibit the binding of labeled soluble immune complex of IgG2 antibody to macrophages, but the same fraction showed a definite activity when associated with phospholipids. This fraction was shown to contain a component of 44,000 daltons that is susceptible to surface-labeling and binds to IgG2-Sepharose in the affinity chromatography, indicating this component to be the Fc receptor. Reconstitution experiments with this fraction showed that phosphatidylcholine is the most effective phospholipid to reconstitute the FcR activity among those tested. Phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and sphingomyelin were ineffective, while phosphatidylethanolamine showed a moderate effect. The inactivating effect of phospholipase C treatment on the Fc receptor activity of the membrane was shown to be due to the cleavage of phospholipids in the membrane but not due to modification of the Fc receptor molecule itself.     

Gonadotropin receptors in plasma membranes of bovine corpus luteum. II. Role of membrane phospholipids.

The role of phospholipids in the binding of 125I-choriogonadotropin to bovine corpus luteum plasma membranes has been investigated with the use of purified phospholipase A and phospholipase C to alter membrane phospholipids. The phospholipase C-digested plasma membrane preparation showed 85 to 90% inhibition of 125I-choriogonadotropin binding activity when 70% of the membrane phospholipid was hydrolyzed. Similarly treatment of plasma membranes with phospholipase A resulted in 45 to 55% hydrolysis of membrane phospholipid and almost 75% inhibition of receptor activity. Both these enzymes hydrolyzed membrane-associated phosphatidylcholine to a greater extent than phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. Phosphorylaminoalcohols of phospholiphase C end products were completely released into the medium, while phospholipase A by-products remained associated with plasma membranes. Addition of a phospholipids suspension or liposomes to plasma membranes pretreated with phospholipase A and C did not restore gonadotropin binding activity. Soluble phosphorylcholine, phosphorylethanolamine, and phosphorylserine and insoluble diglyceride products of phospholipase C action had no effect on receptor activity. In contrast, end products of the phospholipase A action, such as lysophosphatides and fatty acids, inhibited both on the membrane-associated and solubilized receptor activity. Lysophosphatidylcholine was the most effective end product inhibiting the binding of gonadotropin to the receptor, followed by lysophosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylserine. The inhibitory effects of phospholipase A or lysophosphatides were completely reversed upon removal of membrane-bound phospholipid end products by washing the membranes with defatted bovine serum albumin. However, phospholipase C inhibition could not be overcome by defatted albumin washings. Solubilization of plasma membranes with detergents which had been pretreated with phospholipase C partially restored the inhibited activity. It is concluded that the phospholipase-mediated inhibition of gonadotropin binding activity was due to hydrolysis and alterations of the phospholipid environment in the case of phospholipase C and by direct inhibition by end products in the case of phospholipase A.     

Effects of Na+ and K+ on Artemia salina (Na,K)-ATPase solubilized with a zwitterionic detergent, CHAPS

The membrane bound (Na,K)-ATPase prepared from Artemia salina nauplii was solubilized with a zwitterionic detergent, 3[3(cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS), and then purified on a Bio-Gel A-1.5 m column in the presence of the detergent. 1) Upon solubilization, both NaCl and KCl protected the enzyme against loss of activity, KCl being more effective than NaCl. 2) Gel filtration of the solubilized enzyme on a Bio-Gel A-1.5 m column in the presence of 5 mM CHAPS resulted in loss of the enzyme activity even when one of the cations was added. Most of the phospholipids in the solubilized enzyme preparation were removed during the gel filtration (delipidation) and 10-25 phospholipids were left on a protomer (alpha beta) of the enzyme irrespective of the cation present during the gel filtration. With the addition of exogenous phospholipids, the activity was restored. The activity of the enzyme delipidated in the presence of KCl was restored to 3-4 times higher than in the case of that delipidated in the presence of NaCl. 3) Relipidation experiments with a fluorescent phospholipid, dansyl phosphatidylethanolamine (Dans-PE), suggested that the enzyme delipidated in the presence of KCl reassociated with phospholipids more firmly than the enzyme delipidated in the presence of NaCl. From these results we concluded that K+ stabilized the (Na,K)-ATPase more effectively than Na+, even when the enzyme was delipidated.     

Structural studies of Fc receptors. III. Isolation and molecular weight analysis of the component chain of Fc gamma receptor of macrophage

Surface receptors of guinea pig peritoneal macrophages specific for the Fc region of IgG (Fc gamma receptor) were isolated and identified as a surface-radioiodinated component with a molecular weight of 44,000 that bound in an Fc-specific manner to IgG2 of guinea pig immunoglobulin immobilized in any of the following three different ways: IgG2 antibody in insoluble immune complex, IgG2 antibody bound to antigen-coupled Sepharose, and IgG2 covalently coupled to Sepharose. In order to obtain the Fc gamma receptor retaining the binding activity, the Fc-binding component was isolated by IgG2 affinity chromatography in which mild acidic buffer (pH 5.0-4.0) was chosen to elute the component bound to the affinity column. Forty-five to sixty-two percent of the eluted radioactivity was shown to rebind to the IgG2-affinity column. The bound fraction showed a single radioactive peak of 44,000 daltons in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Fc-binding component isolated by the affinity chromatography behaved similarly in gel filtration in the presence of a detergent, as did the detergent-solubilized Fc gamma receptor before isolation by affinity chromatography. These results suggested that the Fc gamma receptor was isolated in a native form. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the isolated Fc gamma receptor is distinct from actin or the actin-like protein (DNase I-binding protein) which had been reported to bind to IgG-affinity column.     

Delipidation of a beta-adrenergic receptor preparation and reconstitution by specific lipids

The role of lipids in the function of membrane receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters is still obscure. To gain information on this subject, a delipidated receptor preparation was developed. The beta-adrenergic receptor from turkey erythrocyte membranes was solubilized in deoxycholate and was freed extensively of phospholipids and of cholesterol by gel filtration. The delipidated preparation, after removal of the detergent, showed little, if any, ligand binding to the receptor as measured with the beta-adrenergic antagonist [125I] iodocyanopindolol. Readdition of soybean lipids restored specific radioligand binding. The lipid reconstituted receptor demonstrated agonist and antagonist binding affinities which were not very different from those of the native receptor. The receptor also retained its ability to function, as demonstrated by transfer to a foreign adenylate cyclase system. The delipidated receptor preparation lent itself conveniently to study the requirement for specific lipids in restoration of agonist and antagonist binding. Phosphatidylethanolamine restored maximal binding. Acidic phospholipids and sphingomyelin were inefficient in reconstitution of the receptor. The effect of cholesterol addition was also investigated. Binding was dramatically increased when a cholesterol ester was added in mixture with the acidic phospholipids, cardiolipin or phosphatidylinositol. Further studies unexpectedly revealed that reconstitution of the delipidated receptor is not exclusively dependent on the addition of a phospholipid; a mixture of 1-monooleylglycerol with cholesteryl hemisuccinate restored binding as efficiently as phosphatidylethanolamine. The presently described preparation should be useful in elucidating the part played by lipids in the action of the receptor in the adenylate cyclase system.     

Studies of Fc gamma receptors of human B lymphocytes: phospholipase A2 activity of Fc gamma receptors

The presence of phospholipase A2 activity within human B cell Fc gamma receptors was investigated. Lysate produced by detergent treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells that had 1% of the cells surface radioiodinated was subjected to affinity chromatography by using either rac-1-(9-carboxynonyl)-2-hexadecylglycero-3-phosphorylcholine-Sepharose (PC-Sepharose) or heat-aggregated human IgG-Sepharose 4B conjugate (IgG-Sepharose). The materials eluted from both adsorbants by ethylenediaminetetraacetate- or urea-containing buffer were further purified by gel filtration and isoelectric focusing in the presence of 6 M urea. Both isolated PC- and IgG-binding materials were homogeneous, when judged by gel filtration and isoelectric focusing, and had identical isoelectric points (pI = 6.5), peptide maps, and amino acid compositions. Furthermore, both preparations catalyzed equally the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine to release fatty acid from the 2 position. Optimal enzymatic activity depended on the presence of Ca2+, was maximal at pH 9.5, and was augmented by Fc gamma fragments. Both preparations specifically bound to the Fc portion of IgG and inhibited human antibody-coated erythrocyte rosette formation by peripheral mononuclear cells. Our data thus demonstrate the identity of PC- and IgG-binding materials and suggest that a functional activity of the human B cell Fc gamma receptor is the generation of phospholipase A2 activity within the plasma membrane.     

Incorporation of the purified human placental insulin receptor into phospholipid vesicles

Purified human placental insulin receptors were incorporated into small unilamellar phospholipid vesicles by the addition of n-octyl beta-glucopyranoside solubilized phospholipids, followed by removal of the detergent on a Sephadex G-50 gel filtration column and extensive dialysis. The vesicles have an average diameter of 142 +/- 24 nm by Sephacryl S-1000 gel filtration chromatography and 119 +/- 20 nm by transmission electron microscopy. These vesicles are impermeant to small molecules as indicated by their ability to retain [gamma-32P]ATP, which could be released by the addition of 0.05% Triton X-100. Detergent permeabilization or freeze-thawing of the insulin receptor containing vesicles in the presence of 125I-insulin indicated that approximately 75% of the insulin binding sites were oriented right side out (extravesicularly). Sucrose gradient centrifugation of insulin receptors incorporated at various protein to phospholipid mole ratios demonstrated that the insulin receptors were inserted into the phospholipid bilayer structure in a concentration-dependent manner. Addition of [gamma-32P]ATP to the insulin receptor containing vesicles was relatively ineffective in promoting the autophosphorylation of the beta subunit in the absence or presence of insulin. Permeabilization of the vesicles with low detergent concentrations, however, stimulated the beta-subunit autophosphorylation approximately 2-fold in the absence and 10-fold in the presence of insulin. Insulin-stimulated beta-subunit autophosphorylation was also observed under conditions such that 94% of those vesicles containing insulin receptors had a single receptor per vesicle, suggesting that the initial beta-subunit autophosphorylating activity is intramolecular. Phospho amino acid analysis of the vesicle-incorporated insulin receptors demonstrated that the basal and insulin-stimulated beta-subunit autophosphorylation occurs exclusively on tyrosine residues. It is concluded that when purified insulin receptors are incorporated into a phospholipid bilayer, they insert into the vesicles primarily in the same orientation as occurs in the plasma membrane of intact cells and retain insulin binding as well as insulin-stimulated beta-subunit autophosphorylating activities.     

The chemical carcinogen-induced enzyme, GDP-fucose: GM1 alpha 1----2 fucosyltransferase in rat liver and hepatoma: modulation by and association with phospholipids

The enzyme GDPFuc:GM1 alpha 1----2 fucosyltransferase, induced by chemical carcinogens in precancerous rat liver as well as rat hepatoma cells, was found previously to be membrane bound, and was inactivated by various detergents, while the activities of many other transferases are generally enhanced by detergents (Holmes, E.H. & Hakomori, S. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 3706-3717). The effects of phospholipids and detergents on rat hepatoma H35 cells, the conditions of solubilization and subsequent affinity chromatography of the enzyme, and a possible association of phospholipids with the enzyme have been studied with the following major results: The alpha 1----2 fucosyltransferase activity in Golgi membrane was diminished on treatment of membranes with phospholipase A1 or phospholipase C. The enzyme activity was stimulated 7-fold in the presence of cardiolipin or phosphatidylglycerol (and 3-fold by phosphatidylethanolamine) but not other phospholipids. The stimulatory effect of phosphatidylglycerol was eliminated when a variety of ionic or non-ionic detergents were added to the reaction mixture, with the exception of the cationic detergent G-3634-A, which provided a 10-fold total stimulation in the presence of phosphatidylglycerol. The kinetic analysis indicated that addition of phosphatidylglycerol has a negligible effect on apparent Km values but increases the Vmax of the enzyme 5- to 6-fold. The enzyme activity was solubilized by the dialyzable detergent CHAPSO without inhibition of the enzyme activity, and the solubilized enzyme in the presence of 0.4% CHAPSO is partially purified by chromatography on GDP-hexanolamine-Sepharose. Removal of CHAPSO from the affinity purified enzyme by dialysis resulted in a 66% loss of the original activity, which was restored by addition of phosphatidylglycerol. Chromatography of the affinity-purified enzyme with 3H-labeled phosphatidylglycerol on a Biogel A0.5 column indicated an association of the enzyme with the phospholipid that occurred only in the absence of detergent. These results suggest that phospholipid has a direct effect on the enzyme and that the inhibitory effect of detergents can be ascribable to disturbing interaction between phospholipids and the enzyme. A possible role of specific phospholipids on in vivo transferase activity for glycolipids is discussed.     

Interaction of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate apodehydrogenase with phospholipids.

The interaction of a soluble homogeneous preparation of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate apodehydrogenase with phospholipid was studied in terms of restoration of enzymic activity and complex formation. The purified apoenzyme, which is devoid of lipid, is inactive. It is reactivated specifically by the addition of lecithin or mixtures of phospholipids containing lecithin. Mitochondrial phospholipid, i.e. the mixture of phospholipids in mitochondria, reactivates with the highest specific activity (approximately 100 micromol of DPN reduced/min/mg at 37 degrees and with the greatest efficiency (2.5 to 4 mol of lecithin/mol of enzyme subunit). Each of the lecithins of varying chain length and unsaturation reactivated the enzyme, albeit to differing extents and efficiencies. In general, lecithins containing unsaturated fatty acid moieties reactivated better than those containing the comparable saturated lipid. Optimal reactivation can be obtained for the various lecithins when they are microdispersed together with phosphatidylethanolamine. When the lecithins are added microdispersed together with both phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin, maximal efficiency is obtained. Also, PC6:0 and 8:0 reactivate as soluble molecules, so that a phospholipid bilayer is not necessary to reactivate the enzyme. Complex formation was studied using gel exclusion chromatography. It can be shown that each of the phospholipids which reactivate combines with the apoenzyme. Mitochondrial phospholipid, which reactivates the best, binds most effectively; PC8:0, which reactivates with poor efficiency, can be shown to bind with low affinity, and negligible binding occurs at concentrations which do not reactivate the enzyme. Since the apoenzyme is apparently homogeneous and devoid of phospholipid or detergents, it would appear that reactivation does not involve reversal of inhibition such as by removal of a regulatory subunit or detergent from the catalytic subunit. Rather, we conclude that phospholipid is a necessary and integral portion of this enzyme whose active form is a phospholipid-protein complex. The apoenzyme also forms a complex with phosphatidylethanolamine and/or cardiolipin, which do not reactivate enzymic activity. Salt dissociates such complexes in contrast with the lecithin-apoenzyme complex. Binding of phospholipid is a necessary but not sufficient requisite for enzymic activity. The same energies of activation are obtained from Arrhenius plots for the membrane-bound enzyme and for the purified soluble enzyme reactivated with mitochondrial phospholipid or different lecithins. This observation is compatible with the view that the purified enzyme has not been adversely modified in the isolation. Furthermore, essentially the same energies of activation were obtained for saturated lecithins below their transition temperatures and for unsaturated lecithins above their transition temperatures. Hence, there is no indication that a lipid phase transition occurs to influence the activity of this enzyme.     

Phospholipid environment alters hormone-sensitivity of the purified insulin receptor kinase.

Insulin receptor kinase, affinity-purified by adsorption and elution from immobilized insulin, is stimulated 2-3-fold by insulin in detergent solution. Reconstitution of the receptor kinase into leaky vesicles containing phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine (1:1, w/w) by detergent removal on Sephadex G-50 results in the complete loss of receptor kinase sensitivity to activation by insulin. Insulin receptors in these vesicles also exhibit an increase in their apparent affinity for 125I-insulin (Kd = 0.12 nM versus 0.76 nM). Inclusion of 8.3-16.7% phosphatidylserine into the reconstituted vesicles restores 40-50% of the insulin-sensitivity to the receptor kinase. An elevated apparent affinity for 125I-insulin of insulin receptors in vesicles containing phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine is also restored to the value observed in detergent solution by the inclusion of phosphatidylserine in the reconstituted system. The effect of phosphatidylserine on insulin receptor kinase appears specific, because cholesterol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid are all unable to restore insulin-sensitivity to the receptor kinase. Autophosphorylation sites on the insulin receptor as analysed by h.p.l.c. of tryptic 32P-labelled receptor phosphopeptides are not different for insulin receptors autophosphorylated in detergent solution or for the reconstituted vesicles in the presence or absence of phosphatidylserine. These data indicate that the phospholipid environment of insulin receptors can modulate its binding and kinase activity, and phosphatidylserine acts to restore insulin-sensitivity to the receptor kinase incorporated into phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine vesicles.     

Purification and characterization of two phospholipid exchange proteins from bovine heart.

Two phospholipid exchange proteins from bovine heart have been purified approximately 2000-fold and judged greater than 90% pure. The proteins are similar in molecular weight (both 33,400 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 23,500 by gel filtration), in amino acid composition, and in specificity, although they differ in isoelectric points, 5.3 and 5.6. The transfer of phospholipids between artificial membranes is catalyzed by these proteins at the following relative rates: 100 for phosphatidylinositol, 35 for phosphatidylcholine, 5 for sphingomyelin, and 0.1 for phosphatidylethanolamine. The use of these exchange proteins in the study of mixed phospholipid vesicle structure is demonstrated. The purified proteins catalyze the substitution of one membrane phospholipid species for another at a rate comparable to true exchange. The phospholipid exchange activity is inhibited by the presence of sphingomyelin, and also by reagents which react with sulfhydryl groups. Evidence is presented for two sites of N-ethylmaleimide binding on these exchange proteins. Reaction with one site has little effect on activity and occurs in the absence of membranes. Reaction with the second site occurs in the presence of phospholipid vesicles and leads to complete, irreversible inhibition of exchange activity.     

Convulsant/barbiturate activity on the soluble gamma-aminobutyric acid-benzodiazepine receptor complex

Cage convulsant t-butyl bicyclophosphoro[35S]thionate binding activity in rat brain membrane homogenates was solubilized with the zwitterionic detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]propane sulfonate (Chaps) and shown to co-purify with the benzodiazepine--gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor complex on gel filtration and affinity chromatography. Whereas convulsant binding activity, but not GABA and benzodiazepine receptor binding, was eliminated by solubilization in other detergents like sodium deoxycholate or Triton X-100, or by addition of Triton X-100 to the extracts solubilized in the zwitterionic detergent, convulsant activity was not irreversibly lost or selectively unstable, but could be restored by exchanging the protein back into the detergent Chaps. The GABA-benzodiazepine receptor activity solubilized in Chaps alone, containing convulsant activity, and a sample in Chaps supplemented with Triton X-100 and lacking convulsant activity, did not differ in size as measured by gel filtration column chromatography or by radiation inactivation target size analysis. This suggests that convulsant binding activity does not require any additional protein subunits or other macromolecules nor any unique aggregation state relative to GABA and benzodiazepine receptor binding, and that all three activities reside on the same protein complex. As in intact brain, the target size for convulsant binding activity was 3-5 times that of benzodiazepine binding activity, suggesting that an oligomeric protein structure of the receptor complex with intact strong subunit interactions present in the native membrane environment is needed for convulsant activity, and that this and other properties are more preserved in Chaps than in other detergents.     

Structural studies of Fc receptors. V. Effect of phospholipase C treatment on the binding activities of the Fc receptor of macrophage or its isolated plasma membrane

The effect of phospholipase C treatment on the binding activity of the Fc receptor of guinea pig macrophage was studied to analyze the interaction of the Fc receptor with membrane phospholipids necessary for the activity. It was confirmed by subcellular fractionation that the receptor is localized on the plasma membrane. Treatment of the whole cell or isolated plasma membrane with phospholipase C of Clostridium perfringens diminished the binding of soluble IgG2-immune complex to Fc receptors on the cell or membrane. On the other hand, phospholipase C of Bacillus cereus did not affect the activity when it acted on the whole cell but it did diminish the activity when it acted on the isolated plasma membrane. Analysis of the phospholipids of untreated and treated macrophages or plasma membrane showed that phosphatidylcholine molecules, particularly those located in the membrane (not accessible to attack from the cell surface by phospholipase C of B. cereus), appear to be crucial for efficient interaction of macrophage Fc receptors with immune complex. Ligand-binding experiments with macrophages showed that the diminished binding activity was due to a decrease of the avidity for immune complex, but did not seem to be due to a decrease in the number or affinity of Fc receptors for monomeric IgG2. Taken together with the previous results which demonstrated that Fc receptors which had apparently lost the activity due to delipidation could be reconstituted with phosphatidylcholine but not with most other phospholipids, the results seem to indicate that the diminution of the binding activity to the immune complex of macrophage or its plasma membrane caused by phospholipase C treatment is due to the impairment of multivalent interaction between Fc receptor molecules on the membrane and IgG2 molecules in the immune complex, probably as a result of the loss of interaction of the head groups of phospholipids with Fc receptor molecules and the change in membrane properties resulting from the increase of diglycerides.     

Sedimentation behavior of solubilized gonadotropin receptor from plasma membranes of bovine corpus luteum.

The gonadotropin receptors associated with plasma membrane fractions were solubilized by detergents, including Triton X-100, Lubrol WX, Lubrol PX and sodium deoxycholate before and after equilibration with 125I-labelled human chorionic gonadotropin. The binding activity remained in solution even after centrifugation at 300 000 X g for 3 h. The solubilized gonadotropin receptor or gonadotropin receptor complex was characterized by gel filtration and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation of solubilized gonadotropin-receptor complex in the presence of Triton X-100 had a sedimentation coefficient of 6.5 S whereas the solubilized uncomplexed receptor had a sedimentation coefficient of 5.1 S. In the absence of the detergent, solubilized hormone receptor complex from plasma membrane fractions I and II sedimented with an apparent sedimentation coefficient of 6.6 S and 7.4 S, respectively. Similarly, the free receptor also showed higher sedimentation profile with an apparent sedimentation coefficient of 6.7 S for fraction I and 7.2 S for fraction II. Treatment of plasma membranes with phospholipase A and C inhibited the binding of 125I-labelled human chorionic gonadotropin in a dose dependent manner, whereas phospholipase D was without any effect. Doses of 1.4 mI. U. of phospholipase A or 0.6 mI.U. of phospholipase C were required to produce 50% inhibition of the binding activity. These phospholipases had no effect on the preformed 125I-labelled human chorionic gonadotropin-receptor complex nor on the sedimentation profile of solubilized gonadotropin receptor complex.     

The human red cell glucose transporter in octyl glucoside. High specific activity of monomers in the presence of membrane lipids

Human red cell membranes were stripped of peripheral proteins and partially solubilized with 50-260 mM octyl glucoside at 2-14 mg protein/ml, to find conditions that afford a high concentration of active glucose transporter after purification on DEAE-cellulose. Transporter-egg yolk phospholipid vesicles were prepared by gel filtration. The specific D-glucose equilibrium exchange activities increased with increasing dilution of the glucose transporter. At 260 mM octyl glucoside the glucose transporter became partially denaturated. At 225 mM detergent the DEAE-cellulose chromatography showed one main and one minor fraction of active glucose transporter. Nucleoside transport activity was enriched in the minor fraction. Solubilization with 75 mM octyl glucoside at 8 mg protein/ml gave a maximal concentration of purified transporter, 0.8 mg/ml, probably corresponding to complete solubilization. The phospholipids were partially retarded on the DEAE-cellulose. The specific D-glucose equilibrium exchange was high, up to 200 nmol glucose/micrograms transporter in two min at 50 mM glucose. High performance gel filtration in octyl glucoside indicated that the transporter formed dimers during the fractionation. These eluted at Mr 125,000, partially separated from the phospholipids, which appeared at Mr 55,000 (cf. Mascher, E. and Lundahl, P. (1987) J. Chromatogr. 397, 175-186). The D-glucose transport activity was low in the main fraction and high in the transporter-phospholipid fraction. Mixing of these fractions did not increase the activity. The glucose transporter is probably dependent on one or more specific membrane lipid(s). Presumably the transporter dimerizes and loses activity upon removal of these lipids.     

Lipid requirements for reconstitution of the delipidated beta-adrenergic receptor and the regulatory protein

The role of lipids in the interaction of the beta-adrenergic receptor (R) with the regulatory protein (Gs) was investigated. Solubilized preparations of R and of Gs from turkey erythrocytes were delipidated by gel filtration. They were subsequently combined and reconstituted by the addition of various lipids. When reconstitution was carried out in the presence of soybean lipids, Gs could be fully activated via R by addition of hormone plus GTP gamma S. In contrast, purified phospholipids or a phospholipid fraction from soybean failed to produce an active system. Fractionation of soybean lipids revealed that acetone-soluble neutral lipids are essential for the reconstitution of a hormone responsive system. The acetone fraction could be replaced by specific neutral lipids such as alpha-tocopherol or cholesteryl arachidonate while a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, -choline and -serine satisfied the phospholipid requirement of the system.     

Isolation and partial characterization of biologically active Fc receptor of chicken red cells

It has previously been demonstrated that chicken red cells have a receptor with the capacity to bind aggregated IgG, IgM 7 S or antigen-complex IgG. This receptor was isolated from Nonidet P-40 soluble extracts of chicken red cells by immunoadsorption with either immobilized aggregated IgG or monomeric IgM (IgM 7 S) and further gel filtration through a Sephacryl S-300 column. The Fc binding material was characterized as a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 30,000 which retained its Fc receptor activity after the isolation procedure. This was demonstrated by its capacity to inhibit the binding of 125I-IgM 7 S or 125I-labelled aggregated IgG to chicken red cells. After Bacillus cereus phospholipase C treatment the Fc receptor activity remained unchanged, but the molecular weight (15,000) did not, suggesting that the phospholipids cleaved by this treatment were not essential for the interactions of the receptor with specific ligands. However, this Fc-binding component was shown to have a molecular weight of 13,000 and a diminished Fc receptor activity after reduction with dithiothreitol, suggesting the presence of at least one disulphide bridge, necessary to maintain the total ligand-binding activity.     

Solubilization, gel filtration and sedimentation behaviour of prolactin receptors from human ovarian tissue

Receptors for 125I-labelled human prolactin have been identified in the crude membrane fraction isolated from human ovarian tissue. The non-ionic detergent Triton X-100, has been used to solubilize the membrane fraction. The presence of the receptor in the detergent extract was demonstrated by gel filtration and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The binding was time-temperature dependent, being maximal at 23 degrees C after 15 h of incubation. Large amounts of other peptide hormones did not inhibit the binding of 125I-labelled human prolactin. The binding Scatchard analysis demonstrated that the affinity of the soluble receptor (Ka 1.13 +/- 0.15 X 10(10) M-1) for the labelled hormone was slightly greater than that of the crude membrane fraction (Ka 0.91 +/- 0.12 X 10(10) M-1). The binding capacity of the solubilized receptor was also significantly greater than that seen in the particulate before solubilization. The apparent Stokes radius of the solubilized receptor was estimated to be 57 A and that the hormone-receptor complex 60 A. The sedimentation coefficient of the solubilized receptor was 7.0 +/- 0.1 s, whereas that of the hormone-receptor complex was 7.5 +/- 0.2 s.     

Properties of membrane-inserted protein kinase C

Protein kinase C (PKC) interacted with phospholipid vesicles in a calcium-dependent manner and produced two forms of membrane-associated PKC: a reversibly bound form and a membrane-inserted form. The two forms of PKC were isolated and compared with respect to enzyme stability, cofactor requirements, and phorbol ester binding ability. Membrane-inserted PKC was stable for several weeks in the presence of calcium chelators and could be rechromatographed on gel filtration columns in the presence of EGTA without dissociation of the enzyme from the membrane. The activity of membrane-inserted PKC was not significantly influenced by Ca2+, phospholipids, and/or PDBu. Partial dissociation of this PKC from phospholipid was achieved with Triton X-100, followed by dialysis to remove the detergent. The resulting free PKC appeared indistinguishable from original free PKC with respect to its cofactor requirements for activation (Ca2+, phospholipid, and phorbol esters), molecular weight, and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding. The binding of PDBu to free and membrane-inserted PKC was measured under equilibrium conditions using gel filtration techniques. At 2.0 nM PDBu, free PKC bound PDBu with nearly 1:1 stoichiometry in the presence of Ca2+ and phospholipid. No PDBu binding to the free enzyme was observed in the absence of Ca2+. In contrast, membrane-inserted PKC bound PDBu in the presence or the absence of Ca2+; calcium did enhance the affinity of this interaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Activity and properties of CTP: cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase in adult and fetal rat lung.

Cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase (CTP : cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.15) is located in both the microsomal and supernatant fractions of adult lung when the tissue is homogenized in 0.145 M NaCl. The activity is located predominantly in the supernatant fraction in fetal lung. Cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase in the supernatant from fetal lung is stimulated 4- to 6-fold by the additions of total lung lipid. Serine phosphoglycerides and inositol phosphoglycerides specifically caused stimulation whereas choline phosphoglycerides and ethanolamine phosphoglycerides produced no stimulation. Lysophosphatidylcholine cause some stimulation, but only at high concentrations. A number of detergents were investigated. All produced inhibition except for the ampholytic detergent, miranol H2M which was not inhibitory. None of the detergents produced any stimulation of activity. Cytidylyltransferase activity in fetal lung when assayed in the absence of lipid is about 25% of the adult. The activity when assayed in the presence of lipid is equal or slightly higher than adult levels. The activity, measured without added phospholipid, increases 5- to 6-fold within 12 h after birth, to values higher than in the adult. The activity, measured in the presence of phospholipid, increased almost linearly from -2 day until +1 day. There is an inverse relationship between the concentration of phospholipid in the fetal lung supernatant and the degree of lipid stimulation. Chromatographic experiments with Biogel A 1.5 columns have shown that cytidylyltransferase can exist in two molecular sizes, a small molecular size that requires phospholipid for activity, and a larger molecular weight species which does not require the addition of phospholipid for activity. Fetal lung has a higher proportion of the low molecular weight form than adult lung. The small molecular weight species can be converted to the larger molecular weight form by the addition of phospholipids.