Two asialoglycoprotein receptor polypeptides in human hepatoma cells

Plant and microbial toxic proteins as hemilectins: emphasis on canatoxin

Ribosome-inactivating plant toxic proteins and ADP-ribosylating microbial toxins share a common structural organization. These proteins present domains displaying different biological properties: a target cell membrane-binding component (B-subunit or haptomer) and an enzymatically active component (A-subunit or effectomer). Interactions of these toxins with the target cells are mediated by the hemilectin-like haptomer, which recognizes and specifically binds to a given glycoderivative present at the cell surface. After binding the holoprotein is internalized via endocytosis. Inside the endocytic compartment the toxin is processed to release its effectomer moiety which catalytically modifies a cytoplasmic component, and this step accounts for its toxic effect. The structural relationships between toxic hemilectins and plant lectins are discussed, with emphasis on the example of canatoxin and concanavalin A, both present in the seeds of the jack bean Canavalia ensiformis. Contrary to other plant toxic proteins, which inhibit protein synthesis, canatoxin-induced toxicity includes central nervous system-mediated effects. In vivo as well as in vitro canatoxin acts as lipoxygenase-mediated secretagogue in several types of cells: blood platelets, mast cells, pancreatic islets and synaptosomes. Elucidation of structure vs biological activity relationships of canatoxin and other toxic proteins may provide data for their utilization as pharmacological tools and as therapeutic agents.

Antibodies against the hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor perfused in situ preferentially attach to periportal liver cells in the rat

Autoantibodies reacting with the galactose-specific hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor--a liver-specific component expressed on the surfaces of hepatocytes--are often found in patients with chronic active hepatitis of presumed autoimmune origin. As part of an investigation into whether these anti-asialoglycoprotein receptor antibodies might be involved in the development of periportal liver damage in chronic active hepatitis, livers of ether-anesthetized rats were perfused in situ with polyclonal guinea pig anti-rabbit asialoglycoprotein receptor or murine monoclonal anti-human galactose-specific hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor antibodies in excess at less than 8 degrees C or, as a control, with guinea pig anti-human plasma protein antibodies or normal guinea pig serum. Rapid (1 min) antegrade (by way of portal vein) or retrograde (through hepatic veins by way of vena cava) perfusions were performed in a nonrecirculating (once-through) mode in Ca+(+)-free medium. Blocks of liver tissue were immediately snap-frozen and the distribution of the antibody examined in cryostat sections by using an avidin-biotin immunohistochemical technique. In all of the perfusions with anti-asialoglycoprotein receptor (six antegrade, seven retrograde), the antibodies were found to be prominently and almost exclusively deposited on liver cells in the periportal areas. No deposition of immunoglobulins was detected in livers perfused with the control guinea pig sera. The findings suggest that the asialoglycoprotein receptor is expressed at high density mainly on cells in zone 1 of the hepatic lobule, and this may have implications for the development of periportal liver damage in chronic active hepatitis.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of the asialoglycoprotein receptor in rat liver by a sensitive avidin-biotin technique

An immunohistochemical technique for the detection of the hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) in cryostat sections of liver by polyclonal and monoclonal anti-ASGP-R antibodies is described. The procedure is based on the alkaline-phosphatase-avidin-biotin complex (ABC-AP) system and important features include fixation of the sections with periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde (with or without dichromate) and an absolute requirement for blocking of endogenous biotin activity. The sensitivity of the technique is such that binding to ASGP-R can be detected with femtomolar concentrations of monoclonal anti-ASGP-R antibodies and, with polyclonal antisera, approaches that of a radioimmunoassay.

Expression cloning of the murine erythropoietin receptor

Two independent cDNA clones encoding the erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R) were isolated from a pXM expression library made from uninduced murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. The clones were identified by screening COS cell transfectants for binding and uptake of radioiodinated recombinant human erythropoietin. As inferred from the cDNA sequence, the murine erythropoietin receptor is a 507 amino acid polypeptide with a single membrane-spanning domain. It shows no similarities to known proteins or nucleic acid sequences in the data bases. Although the MEL cell EPO-R has a single affinity with a dissociation constant of approximately 240 pM, the EPO-R cDNA, expressed in COS cells, generates both a high-affinity (30 pM) and a low-affinity (210 pM) receptor.