Localization of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in human sweat glands: an immunohistochemical study using a monoclonal antibody

We studied the distribution of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) by use of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against human kidney gamma-GT in human sweat glands. In the eccrine sweat gland, the enzyme was localized along the luminal membrane and small apocrine extrusions of the superficial cells of the secretory portion. The intercellular canaliculi between basal cells were occasionally immunoreactive. In the secretory portion of the apocrine gland, luminal membrane and apocrine extrusions of various sizes and stages at the apices of the secretory cells exhibited positive reactions. Immunoreaction was also seen in the Golgi area of the cuboidal secretory cells. No positive reaction was observed in the myoepithelial cells of either gland or in the excretory duct cells.     

A monoclonal antibody against human kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase: preparation, immunochemical, and immunohistochemical characterization

To perform immunohistochemical study of the distribution of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in human organs, a highly specific antibody against the human enzyme is required. We prepared monoclonal antibody against gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase from human kidney, using the hybridoma technique. The antibody was of the IgG1 type and the light chain belonged to the kappa class. The antibody reacted specifically with the 63 KD heavy subunit of the enzyme. Examination of the specificity of the antibody performed by immunohistochemical staining of human kidney sections revealed that the antigen was localized on the brush border and along the basolateral membrane of the epithelial cells of both the convoluted and the straight portions of the proximal tubule. This antibody was also reactive in several human organs other than kidney, including epididymis, prostate, seminal vesicle, pancreas, and normal liver, and in human hepatoma. These findings indicate the existence of an antigenic determinant common to human kidney and other organs. The monoclonal antibody did not crossreact with mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, or pig kidney.     

Purification and characterization of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase from human pancreas

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was purified from human pancreas to an electrophoretically homogeneous state. The enzyme was separated into two active fractions on a DEAE-cellulose column. Both enzyme preparations had the same molecular weight (9 x 10(4)) and were composed of two nonidentical subunits (molecular weight, 61,000 and 27,000). While the optimum pH and pH- and thermal-stability range of both enzymes were identical, their isoelectric points were considerably different. Following incubation with neuraminidase, however, the isoelectric point of F-11 became similar to that of F-I, suggesting that this difference in electrophoretic mobility is due to a difference in the content of sialic acid moiety.     

gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in human colostrum

gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) was determined in the colostrum and milk of 38 patients, 14 days postpartum. The results obtained were compared with the enzymatic activity in colostra of some animals. The human colostrum has been found to contain the highest enzymatic activity which decreases during the first 8 days and then remains stationary. The high GGT activity in the colostrum and milk and histochemical localization of the enzyme in the secretory epithelium of the milk gland indicate its participation in resorption processes of amino acids and peptides.     

Distribution of Leu 7 (HNK-1) antigen in human digestive organs: an immunohistochemical study with monoclonal antibody

Summary Leu 7 immunoreactivity was demonstrated with the indirect peroxidase-labelled antibody method on frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of human digestive organs. Anti-Leu 7 monoclonal antibody, which allegedly detects mononuclear cells with natural killer or killer activity, recognized lymphoid cells among intestinal epithelial cells and in the germinal centres of solitary lymphoid follicles of small and large intestine, and a few in gallbladder, liver and the lamina propria of the intestine. In addition, peripheral nerve fibres, endocrine cells in the gut and pancreas and carcinoid and islet cell tumours were also positively stained. At the ultrastructural level, Leu 7 antigen was localized on the plasma membrane of granulated lymphoid cells in the gut mucosa and on the secretory granules of intestinal endocrine cells. In normal pancreas, Leu 7 immunoreactivity was demonstrated in most cells containing pancreatic polypeptide and in many cells containing somatostatin or glicentin. Insulin-containing cells, however, lacked Leu 7 immunoreactant. These findings were obtained in both frozen sections and paraffin-embedded sections. The possible cross-reactivities of monoclonal antibodies are discussed as they raise an important caveat in immunohistochemical studies using these antibodies.     

Glutamine as a gamma-glutamyl donor for gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase: gamma-glutamyl peptide formation

This study demonstrates the formation of gamma-glutamyl peptides from glutamine and plasma amino acids, as catalyzed by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. It also establishes the effect of various amino acids in modulating the rate of glutamine utilization as well as the hydrolytic or transfer product formed. The mechanism of the utilization of glutamine as catalyzed by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, involves the formation of a gamma-glutamyl enzyme bound intermediate as the initial step, with release of the amide nitrogen as ammonium, NH+4, Figure 1. The gamma-glutamyl enzyme bound intermediate either reacts with the acceptor amino acids or water; reaction with amino acids yields gamma-glutamylpeptides via the transfer pathway and reaction with water yields glutamate via the hydrolytic pathway.     

The primary structure of human gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

A cDNA hybridizable to that of rat gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) was cloned from a cDNA library of human fetal liver. The insert of the cDNA clone contained 1866 bp consisting of an open reading frame (ORF) of 1709 bp (569 amino acids (aa), N-terminal portion truncated) and a 135-bp 3'-untranslated region followed by a polyadenylated tail. In parallel, amino acid sequences of N-terminal portions of heavy and light chains of a purified human GGT were determined. Two stretches of amino acid sequences identical to the N-terminal sequences of heavy and light chains were found in the ORF. We therefore concluded that the clone is a cDNA for human GGT. From the amino acid sequence deduced from cDNA, the heavy and the light chains of the purified enzyme are estimated to be composed of 351 aa (Mr 38,336) and of 189 aa (Mr 20,000), respectively. The heavy chain is preceded by a signal peptide of at least 29 aa presumed to be cleaved by bromelain treatment. Six putative N-glycosylation sites are present in the heavy subunit region and one in the light subunit region. Primary structure and hydrophobicity profile are closely similar to those of rat GGT.     

Proteoliposome interaction with human erythrocyte membranes. Functional implantation of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

The transfer of detergent solubilized and purified gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTase), of hog kidney cortex, from proteoliposomes into human erythrocyte ghost membranes has been studied. The transfer of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was observed upon incubation of gamma-GTase incorporated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles with erythrocyte ghost membranes at 37 degrees C for 12 h. The extent of transfer was dependent upon the fluidity of donor proteoliposomes, being more when dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine proteoliposomes were used compared to dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, and intermediate values were observed when binary mixtures of DMPC and DPPC were used. Moreover, the transfer of gamma-GTase was facilitated when rigid basic phospholipid proteoliposomes were used as donor. The transfer of gamma-GTase has been observed to be associated with the removal of intrinsic membrane proteins and lipids from erythrocytes, mainly acetylcholinesterase, sphingomyelin, and cholesterol. An enhancement in the fluorescence due to resonance energy transfer was observed when ghost membranes containing fluorescent donor probe were incubated with proteoliposomes containing fluorescent acceptor probe, indicating that fusion but not adsorption of vesicles occurs during the transfer process. However, the inability of entrapped [14C]-sucrose delivery from proteoliposomes into ghost membrane vesicle suggest that fusion per se is not primarily involved in the transfer process. It appears that the transfer of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase occurs by a collisional transfer process resulting in intermembrane protein transfer. The gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase implanted ghost membranes exhibited the uptake of L-glutamate which was inhibited by serine-borate, an inhibitor of transpeptidase activity. In addition, the uptake of L-glutamate was inhibited by the dipeptide gamma-glutamyl-L-glutamate, thus supporting the proposed role of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in the uptake of amino acids in biological membranes.     

Inhibition of the hydrolytic and transpeptidase activities of rat kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase by specific monoclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against the native form of rat kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were isolated by screening hybridomas with rat kidney brush-border membrane vesicles. They were directed against protein rather than sugar epitopes in that each recognized all GGT isoforms. All of them inhibited partially the enzyme activity of GGT. They were specific in that they inhibited the rat enzyme, but not the mouse or human enzyme. Kinetic analyses were carried out with free GGT and GGT-mAb complexes with d-gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide in the presence or absence of maleate, or in the presence or absence of alanine, cysteine, cystine or glycylglycine as gamma-glutamyl acceptors. mAbs 2A10 and 2E9 inhibited the hydrolytic and glutaminase activities of GGT and had little effect on the transpeptidation activity of the enzyme, whereas mAbs 4D7 and 5F10 inhibited transpeptidation, but not hydrolytic or glutaminase activities. mAb 5F10 mimicked the effect of maleate on GGT, in that it inhibited transpeptidation, enhanced the glutaminase activity and increased the affinity of the donor site of GGT for acivicin. Such mAbs may be useful for long-term studies in tissue cultures and in vivo, and for the identification of GGT epitopes that are important for the hydrolytic and transpeptidase activities.     

Affinity labeling of rat-kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

The reaction of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase from rat kidney with a glutamine analog, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, resulted in irreversible inactivation of the enzyme. The concentration of this reagent giving a half-maximum rate of inactivation was 6 mMat pH 7.5. The inactivation was prevented by the presence of reduced glutathione in a competitive fashion, which indicates the active-site-directed nature of this reagent. The rate of inactivation was greatly accelerated in the presence of maleate, which is known to enhance the glutaminase activity of this enzyme. The presence of maleate increased the maximum velocity of the inactivation, but did not affect the affinity of the enzyme for 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine. Inactivation of the enzyme with 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-[6=14C]norleucine as well as with 6-diazo-5-oxo-L[1,2,3,4,5-14C]norleucine resulted in a stoichiometric incorporation of radioactivity into the enzyme protein via covalent linkage. The amount of radioactivity incorporated was 1 mol 14C label/248000 g enzyme protein. A native enzyme preparation showing a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gave four distinct bands upon sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Upon sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 14C-labeled enzyme, only the band moving the fastest towards the anode was found to contain radioactivity. This finding indicates that this protein band represents the catalytic component of the enzyme.     

Partial purification and some properties of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase from human bile.

1. Gamma-Glutamyl transpepetidase ((5-glutamyl)-peptide: amino acid 5-glutamyltransferase, EC 2.3.2.2) from human bile has been partially purified using protamine sulphate treatment, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-200 filtration. The procedure resulted in 150-fold increase in specific acitivity with a 37% yield. 2. The partially purified enzyme showed a single zone of enzyme activity by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and eluted in the inner volume of Sephadex G-200. 3. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 8.1 and Km of 1.52 mM using gamma-glutamyl p-nitroanilide as substrate. 4. The effects of cations and different gamma-glutamyl acceptors on the activity of the enzyme are reported. 5. As bile gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase appears to be soluble in the absence of detergents, it is suggested that bile may prove to be a useful source for further studies of the kinetic properties and physiological role of human gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.     

Cell surface gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in live cultures.

A physiological assay for measuring surface accessible gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in adherent, living cultures is described. Cell surface transpeptidase activity remained linear throughout a 60-min time course over a wide range of cell densities. In addition, the assay conditions have neither acute nor long-term effects on cell growth potential, cellular morphology, or cell surface transpeptidase activity levels. As a result, cell surface transpeptidase activity can be continually evaluated in the same cultures during proliferation. The assay appears to be specific for cell surface transpeptidase and can be used to study the partitioning of the enzyme between substrate-accessible and substrate-inaccessible pools. This method utilizes an automated microtiter plate reader for the spectrophotometric quantification of small aliquots removed from cultures incubated with the chromogenic substrate L-gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide. The use of a microtiter plate autoreader and the minimal handling of the cells permit a large number of cultures to be assayed with a substantial reduction in the time required to measure surface transpeptidase activity. The assay described is a nondestructive means for studying cell surface-accessible gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase catalytic activity within the microenvironment of the living culture.     

A human hepatoma cell line expresses a single-chain form of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

Mammalian gamma-glutamyl transpeptidases characterized thus far have been shown to be heterodimeric glycoproteins. The two subunits are derived from a single-chain propeptide which, in the rat kidney, exhibits low transpeptidase activity (less than 2% of the dimeric enzyme). A human hepatoma-derived cell line, Hep G2, expresses relatively high transpeptidase activity. The enzyme is primarily localized on the cell surface and exhibits catalytic properties similar to the dimeric human kidney and lymphoid cell transpeptidase. Significantly, the Hep G2 enzyme, unlike the enzyme from other human tissues, is a single-chain species, Mr = 120,000.     

Identity of maleate-stimulated glutaminase with gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in rat kidney.

Gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase was purified from rat kidney by a procedure involving Lubrol extraction, acetone precipitation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, treatment with bromelain, and column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-100. The final preparation (enzyme III), which exhibits a specific activity about 8-fold higher than that of the purified rat kidney transpeptidase previously obtained in this laboratory (enzyme I), was apparently homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Enzyme III is a glycoprotein containing 10% hexose, 7% aminohexose, and 1.5% sialic acid; a tentative molecular weight value of about 70,000 was obtained by gel filtration. Enzyme III has a much lower molecular weight and a different amino acid and carbohydrate content than the less active rat kidney transpeptidase preparation previously obtained, but obtained, but the catalytic properties of these preparations are virtually identical. It is suggested that bromelain treatment may liberate the transpeptidase from a brush border complex that contains other proteins. An improved method is described for the isolation of the higher molecular weight form of the enzyme (enzyme I) in which affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sephrose is employed. The purified transpeptidase (enzyme III) is similar to the phosphate-independent maleate-stimulated glutaminase preparation obtained from rat kidney by Katunuma and colleagues with respect to amino acid and carbohydrate content, apparent molecular weight, and relative transpeptidase and maleate-stimulated "glutaminase" activities. Both of these enzyme preparations are much more active in transpeptidation reactions with glutathione and related gamma-glutamyl compounds than with glutamine. In the absence of maleate, the enzyme catalyzes the utilization of glutamine (by conversion to gamma-glutamylglutamine, glutamate, and ammonia) at about 2% of the rate observed for catalysis of transpeptidation between glutathione and glycylglycine; the utilization of glutamine occurs about 8 times more rapidly in the presence of 0.1 M maleate. The transpeptidation and maleate-stimulated glutaminase reactions catalyzed by both enzyme preprations are inhibited by 5 mM L-serine in the presence of 5 mM sodium borate. Studies on gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and maleate-stimulated glutaminase in the kidneys of fetal rats, newborn rats, and rats after weaning showed parallel development of these activities. The evidence reported here and earlier work in this laboratory strongly support the conclusion that maleate-stimulated glutaminase activity is a catalytic function of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. The studies on the ontogeny of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and other data are considered in relation to the proposal that this enzyme is involved in amino acid and peptide transport. Its possible role in renal formation of ammonia is also discussed.     

Kinetic studies of sheep kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

The kinetics of sheep kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was studied using a novel substrate L-alpha-methyl-gamma-glutamyl-L-alpha-aminobutyrate. When the substrate was incubated with the enzyme in the presence of an amino acid or peptide acceptor, the corresponding L-alpha-methyl-gamma-glutamyl derivatives of the acceptors were formed. In the absence of acceptor only hydrolysis occurred, and no transpeptidation products were detected. The presence of the methyl group on the alpha-carbon apparently prevents enzymatic transfer of the L-alpha-methyl-gamma-glutamyl residue to the amino group of the substrate itself (autotranspeptidation). When the enzyme was incubated with conventional substrates, such as glutathione or gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide and an amino acid acceptor, hydrolysis, autotranspeptidation, and transpeptidation to the acceptor occurred concurrently. Initial velocity measurements in which the concentration of L-alpha-methyl-gamma-glutamyl-L-alpha-aminobutyrate was varied at several fixed acceptor concentrations, and either the release of alpha-aminobutyrate or the formation of the transpeptidation products was determined, yielded results which are consistent with a ping-pong mechanism modified by a hydrolytic shunt. A scheme of such a mechanism is presented. This mechanism predicts the formation of an alpha-methyl-gamma-glutamyl-enzyme intermediate, which can react with an amino acid to form the transpeptidation product; or in the absence of, or in the presence of low concentrations of amino acids, can react with water to form the hydrolytic products. Kinetic derivations for the reaction of the enzyme with the conventional substrate gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide predict either linear or nonlinear double-reciprocal plots, depending on the prevalence of the hydrolytic, autotranspeptidation, or transpeptidation reactions. The results of kinetic experiments confirmed these predictions.     

The immunohistochemical demonstration of thyroglobulin in human thyroid tumour xenografts using a monoclonal antibody

A monoclonal antibody (RBU/01) was raised against human thyroglobulin and its suitability for the immunohistochemical staining of thyroglobulin was determined on fixed, wax-embedded tissue, using the peroxidase anti-peroxidase (PAP) method. The antibody was then used to demonstrate the expression of human thyroglobulin in sections of a human follicular carcinoma of the thyroid which had been grown in immunodeficient mice. It is concluded that the immunohistochemical evaluation of the xenografts with the antibody provides useful information on this xenograft system as a potential model for thyroid carcinoma.     

The immunohistochemical demonstration of thyroglobulin in human thyroid tumour xenografts using a monoclonal antibody

Summary A monoclonal antibody (RBU/01) was raised against human thyroglobulin and its suitability for the immunohistochemical staining of thyroglobulin was determined on fixed, wax-embedded tissue, using the peroxidase anti-peroxidase (PAP) method. The antibody was then used to demonstrate the expression of human thyroglobulin in sections of a human follicular carcinoma of the thyroid which had been grown in immunodeficient mice. It is concluded that the immunohistochemical evaluation of the xenografts with the antibody provides useful information on this xenograft system as a potential model for thyroid carcinoma.