alpha-D-Mannosidases of rat liver Golgi membranes. Mannosidase II is the GlcNAcMAN5-cleaving enzyme in glycoprotein biosynthesis and mannosidases Ia and IB are the enzymes converting Man9 precursors to Man5 intermediates

Production of hybrid glycoproteins and accumulation of oligosaccharides in the brain of sheep and pigs administered swainsonine or locoweed

Swainsonine and swainsonine-containing plants produce biochemical and neurological changes in several mammalian species. The toxin is a potent inhibitor of liver lysosomal alpha-D-mannosidase and Golgi mannosidase II. The inhibition of the latter enzyme causes the production of abnormal glycoproteins containing hybrid oligosaccharides instead of complex types in a variety of cultured cells. In view of the widespread occurrence and biological importance of N-linked glycoproteins in the central nervous system, we initiated studies to determine the structure of oligosaccharides in glycoproteins prepared from the brain of control, swainsonine-fed, and locoweed-fed animals. The results presented here indicate that the feeding led to alteration in the structure of brain glycoproteins. Over 25% of the glycoproteins which presumably contained complex-type oligosaccharides were modified and now contained hybrid oligosaccharides. The structure of the N-linked oligosaccharide (glycopeptide) was established by (a) studying the binding properties of the glycopeptide to immobilized lectins of known sugar specificity, and (b) comparing the size of the glycopeptide before and after treatment with exo- and endoglycosidases. The production of hybrid oligosaccharides occurred despite the apparent absence of mannosidase II in brain. The relationships of the altered structure of brain glycoproteins, accumulation of mannose-rich oligosaccharides in the brain, and abnormal behavior of the animals administered swainsonine or locoweed are discussed.

Characterization of alpha-mannosidase in feline mannosidosis

Acidic alpha-mannosidase deficiency has been identified in a family of Blue Persian cats. Characterization of the residual activity revealed that the Km for the substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-mannoside, increased approximately three-fold with a severe deficiency in Vmax (1-2%) in homogenates of liver and brain of affected cats compared with controls. The residual activity at pH 4.0 in liver homogenates from affected cats is very thermolabile at 51 degrees C while the control activity is stable at this temperature for 1 h. Subcellular fractionation of liver was performed from a control and diseased cat in order to compare the properties of the different alpha-mannosidases localized in these fractions. The residual activity present in the lysosomal fraction from diseased cat liver showed altered pH optimum, two-fold increase in Km with a severely reduced Vmax and increased thermolability compared with the activity in the lysosomal fraction from control liver. The thermal inactivation pattern and Km of the residual activity in the lysosomal fraction is different from the non-lysosomal alpha-mannosidase in the liver of the affected cat. This suggests that the residual activity in the lysosomal fraction of the liver from the affected cat is not due to contamination of non-lysosomal alpha-mannosidase in this fraction. Whether this residual activity represents the properties of the mutant enzyme or yet another minor normal component of lysosomes different from the major inactive mutant or absent lysosomal enzyme remains to be elucidated.

Modulation of oligosaccharide processing in an exocrine secretory glycoprotein of rat parotid cells by beta-adrenoreceptor activation

Such stimulation of rat parotid acinar cells in vitro modulated the rate of processing of N-linked oligosaccharides in a high-molecular weight (220 kdalton) secretory glycoprotein. Conversion of polymannose-type oligosaccharides to complex-type oligosaccharides was evaluated by sensitivity to endoglucosaminidase H and alpha-mannosidase, and with a specific inhibitor of glucosidases I/II. Oligosaccharide maturation in the 220 kdalton glycoprotein required one-third to half less time in cells exposed to the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol than in controls.

Forms and intracellular distribution of alpha-D-mannosidases in murine liver and spleen

1. The intracellular distribution of alpha-D-mannosidase in homogenates of murine liver and spleen was investigated by differential and gradient density centrifugation. 2. In both tissues an enzyme with a neutral pH optimum was found in the cytosol together with an alpha-D-mannosidase with optimal activity between pH 5.5 and 6.0 which was also partially membrane-bound. 3. In liver the acidic alpha-D-mannosidase was obtained almost entirely in a particulate form distributed equally between a heterogeneous low density region and heavy density lysosomes. 4. The lysosomal form of the liver enzyme was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity and shown to be a glycoprotein composed of four identical subunits of molecular weight 65 kDa. 5. Antibody raised against the purified liver alpha-D-mannosidase immunoprecipitated a polypeptide from spleen which had the same molecular size. This acidic enzyme was the predominant type of alpha-D-mannosidase in spleen, but in contrast to liver, it was obtained mainly in a cytosoluble form, the remaining activity being present in the heterogeneous light density compartment. 6. Although both tissues contain the same molecular form of the acidic alpha-D-mannosidase, in murine spleen this enzyme does not appear to be associated with stable heavy density lysosomes.

A fluorescence assay for alpha-1,2-mannosidases involved in glycoprotein processing reactions

A highly specific, sensitive, and convenient fluorescence assay for alpha-1,2-mannosidases involved in glycoprotein processing reactions is described. The assay utilizes a coupled enzyme system to determine the amount of free mannose liberated from the disaccharide O-methyl-2-O-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside by the alpha-1,2-mannosidase. The assay was used to determine the substrate specificity of a calcium ion-activated alpha-1,2-mannosidase purified from rabbit liver microsomes. The microsomal mannosidase was specific for hydrolysis of the alpha-1,2 linkage. The mannosyl linkages in alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,6-linked methyl-disaccharides, in methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside, and in yeast mannan were hydrolyzed at rates of 2% or less than that noted with the alpha-1,2-linked disaccharide. Mannosidase activity was linear with time and was proportional to enzyme concentration. The Km for the alpha-1,2-linked methyl-disaccharide is 0.5 mM.

Glucose trimming and mannose trimming affect different phases of the maturation of Sindbis virus in infected BHK cells

The roles of glucose and mannose trimming in the maturation of Sindbis virus in BHK cells have been investigated using inhibitors of glycoprotein oligosaccharide processing. In the presence of the glucosidase inhibitor N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin the viral glycoproteins were equipped with oligosaccharides of the composition Glc3Man8,9(GlcNAc)2 and the yield of virus in the extracellular medium was reduced as a result of a block in the proteolytic cleavage of the precursor (pE2) of the E2 viral envelope glycoprotein. The mannosidase I inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin (dMM) also inhibited the appearance of virus in the medium and the oligosaccharides on the viral glycoproteins had the composition Man9(GlcNAc)2. However, pE2 was cleaved to E2 under these conditions, and it was found that when the yield of virus from the cells and medium together was considered, there was no difference between untreated and dMM-treated cultures, suggesting the presence of intracellular virus particles in the dMM-treated cultures. When examined by electron microscopy, the dMM-treated cultures were found to contain intracellular virus particles. In addition, nucleocapsids were found lining intracellular membranes. These observations taken together with the plaque test data intimate that Sindbis virus preferentially buds from internal membranes in BHK cells treated with dMM. The results confirm the essential role of glucose trimming in the Sindbis virus-BHK cell system and suggest that the initial stages of mannose removal may be important too.

Assay of glycosidase by lectin affinity high-performance liquid chromatography

Human transferrin was incubated with sialidase and beta-galactosidase and then examined by lectin affinity high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The elution patterns were changed according to the period of incubation and the amount of enzyme. This method of studying lectin affinity HPLC using human transferrin as a substrate makes possible the rapid and important detection of glycosidase activity.

Characterization of a mannosidase acting on alpha 1----3- and alpha 1----6-linked mannose residues of oligomannosidic intermediates of glycoprotein processing

Baby hamster kidney (BHK) cell extracts catalyze the conversion of [3H]mannose-labelled (Man)5GlcNAc and (Man)6GlcNAc oligosaccharides to a (Man)3GlcNAc species that retains affinity for concanavalin-A-Sepharose and appears to be Man alpha 1----3[Man alpha 1----6]Man beta 1----4GlcNAc. The properties of the (Man)5GlcNAc-hydrolase activity differ from lysosomal alpha-mannosidases as well as previously described processing mannosidases acting on oligosaccharide intermediates of N-glycan assembly. Mosquito cell extracts catalyze hydrolysis of (Man)6GlcNAc but lack the (Man)5GlcNAc hydrolase activity detected in BHK cell extracts. Glycopeptide analysis has been carried out on a ricin-resistant BHK mutant RicR14 that lacks N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase I and fails to convert oligomannosidic N-glycans to complex-type chains, and mosquito cells that constitutively lack N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase I. In both cell lines, the cellular glycoproteins contain (Man)5GlcNAc oligosaccharide as the major stable component equivalent to a 15-20-fold increase compared with normal BHK cells. Although containing very high amounts of asparagine-linked (Man)5(GlcNAc)2, RicR14 cells exhibit (Man)5GlcNAc hydrolase activity at levels similar to wild-type BHK cells. This result, together with previous work [Foddy, L., Feeney, J. & Hughes, R.C. (1986) Biochem. J. 233, 697-706] showing the complete inhibition of conversion of oligomannosidic intermediates to complex-type N-glycans in BHK cells treated with swainsonine, an inhibitor of mannosidase II but not the (Man)5GlcNAc hydrolase activity, argues against a major role for the (Man)5GlcNAc hydrolase activity in N-glycan assembly and suggesting other functions for the mannosidase activity in BHK cells.

Laterobasal membranes from intestinal epithelial cells: isolation free of intracellular membrane contaminants

A simplified method for isolating highly purified laterobasal membranes (LBM) from enterocytes is based on treatment of membranes with 8 mM CaCl2 concentration in order to aggregate intracellular membrane contaminants. The resultant LBM showed an average 15-fold enrichment and constituted 8% of the original K-stimulated phosphatase in the initial crude homogenate. It showed typical LBM migration on counter-current distribution (CCD) and was essentially free of contamination with endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi membranes. This method is highly efficient and yields sufficient purified LBM to allow comprehensive analysis of enterocyte membrane events.

A rapid method for assay of glycosidases involved in glycoprotein biosynthesis

A rapid procedure to measure processing glycosidases with labeled oligosaccharide as substrate is described, using assay of the specific processing alpha-mannosidase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an example. After incubation of [3H]mannose-labeled Man9GlcNAc with the mannosidase, a solution of concanavalin A is added, followed by polyethylene glycol to precipitate the oligosaccharide-lectin complex. The radioactivity present in the supernatant after centrifugation is then measured to determine the amount of labeled mannose released. It is shown that the results of this procedure are similar to those obtained previously using small columns of concanavalin A-Sepharose (B. Saunier, R. D. Kilker, Jr., J. S. Tkacz, A. Quaroni, and A. Herscovics (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 14155-14161). The precipitation procedure, which can be applied to the assays of other processing enzymes, is much more convenient when a large number of samples must be analyzed.

Purification and properties of the glycoprotein processing N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II from plants

The presence of an N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (GlcNAc-transferase) capable of adding a GlcNAc residue to GlcNAcMan3GlcNAc was demonstrated in mung bean seedlings. This enzyme was purified about 3400-fold by using (diethylaminoethyl)cellulose and phosphocellulose chromatographies and chromatography on Concanavalin A-Sepharose. The transferase was assayed by following the change in the migration of the [3H]mannose-labeled GlcNAc beta 1,2Man alpha 1,3(Man alpha 1,6)Man beta 1,4GlcNAc on Bio-Gel P-4, or by incorporation of [3H]GlcNAc from UDP-[3H]GlcNAc into a neutral product, (GlcNAc)2Man3GlcNAc. Thus, the purified enzyme catalyzed the addition of a GlcNAc to that mannose linked in alpha 1,6 linkage to the beta-linked mannose. GlcNAc beta 1,2Man alpha 1,3(Man alpha 1,6)Man beta 1,4GlcNAc was an excellent acceptor while Man alpha 1,6(Man alpha 1,3)Man beta 1,4GlcNAc, Man alpha 1,6(Man alpha 1,3)Man alpha 1,6(Man alpha 1,3)Man beta 1,4GlcNAc, and Man alpha 1,6(Man apha 1,3)Man alpha 1,6[GlcNAcMan alpha 1,3]Man beta 1,4GlcNAc were not acceptors. Methylation analysis and enzymatic digestions showed that both terminal GlcNAc residues on (GlcNAc)2Man3GlcNAc were attached to the mannoses in beta 1,2 linkages. The GlcNAc transferase had an almost absolute requirement for divalent cation, with Mn2+ being best at 2-3 mM. Mn2+ could not be replaced by Mg2+ or Ca2+, but Cd2+ showed some activity. The enzyme was also markedly stimulated by the presence of detergent and showed optimum activity at 0.15% Triton X-100. The Km for UDP-GlcNAc was found to be 18 microM and that for GlcNAcMan3GlcNAc about 16 microM.

alpha-D-mannopyranosylmethyl-p-nitrophenyltriazene inhibition of rat liver alpha-D-mannosidases

The compound alpha-D-mannopyranosylmethyl-p-nitrophenyltriazene (alpha-ManMNT) has been tested for its effect on four alpha-D-mannosidase activities present in rat liver. When p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside was used as a substrate, preincubation of enzyme with 1.0 mM alpha-ManMNT inhibited soluble alpha-D-mannosidase by 90%, lysosomal alpha-D-mannosidase by approx. 60%, and had virtually no effect on Golgi mannosidase II. Golgi mannosidase I removal of the four alpha-1,2-linked D-mannoses from the common Man9GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide structure formed during N-linked glycoprotein biosynthesis was also blocked by treatment of the Golgi fraction with this compound. Mannosyltriazene inhibition of the three susceptible hepatic alpha-D-mannosidases was largely irreversible. alpha-ManMNT should therefore be useful for studying oligosaccharide processing and possibly for determining the turnover time of the inhibited alpha-D-mannosidases.

Purification and characterization of lysosomes from Chinese hamster ovary cells

Lysosomes were isolated from Chinese hamster ovary cells by fractionation of a postnuclear supernatant in consecutive density gradients. By marker enzyme analysis, the preparation was 63-fold enriched for lysosomes compared to the homogenate and contained at most trace amounts of marker activities for plasma membrane, Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, peroxisomes, cytosol, and mitochondria. The lysosomes were intact as indicated by greater than 95% latency of beta-hexosaminidase activity, and the yield was about 12% relative to the homogenate. By electron microscopy, the lysosomal preparation contained very few mitochondrial profiles. By cytochemistry, greater than 80% of the organelle profiles were positive for the native lysosomal marker, acid phosphatase, and profiles were positive for long-term internalized horseradish peroxidase, an endocytic marker for lysosomes. By sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the lysosomal preparation displayed a unique pattern of polypeptides and was devoid of mitochondrial contamination. Lysosomes were fractionated into membrane and lumenal compartments by Na2CO3 treatment. Each compartment contained 20-30 distinct electrophoretic species ranging from 18 to 200 kDa. Each polypeptide could be assigned to either the membrane or lumenal compartment. A comparison of silver-stained polypeptides with those metabolically labeled with [35S]methionine indicated that, with the possible exception of an 18-kDa species, all of the major lysosomal polypeptides in both compartments were derived by endogenous synthesis in these exponentially growing fibroblasts.

The preparative isolation of mitochondria from Chinese hamster ovary cells

A "hybrid" discontinuous gradient consisting of 6% Percoll overlaid on metrizamide separated mitochondria from other organelles in a Chinese hamster ovary cell postnuclear supernatant in a single 15-min centrifugation. The mitochondrial preparation contained about 25% of the mitochondrial marker, cytochrome-c oxidase, in a form that was about 90% latent. Based on the postnuclear supernatant, cytochrome-c oxidase activity was enriched approximately 45-fold. Trace amounts of lysosomal, rough endoplasmic reticular, Golgi, peroxisomal, plasma membrane, and cytosolic markers were found in the preparation. Electron microscopy revealed that the preparation consisted almost exclusively of mitochondria with only minor amounts of contaminating organelles. Analysis of the mitochondrial preparation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the mitochondrial preparation had a unique protein profile compared to the postnuclear supernatant and other gradient interfaces. Separation of the mitochondria into membrane and lumenal (matrix) fractions by treatment with 100 mM Na2CO3, pH 11.5, also indicated that the mitochondria were intact; they were rich in lumenal proteins. The data indicate that the mitochondria represent maximally about 2.2% of Chinese hamster ovary cell postnuclear supernatant protein. These isolated mitochondria should prove useful for problems in molecular cell biology.

Characterization of acid and neutral alpha-mannosidases in bull semen and reproductive organs

Acid and neutral alpha-mannosidase activities were studied in the bull reproductive tissues, isolated spermatozoa, epididymal and seminal vesicle secretion and seminal plasma. The acid enzyme in the seminal plasma mainly derived from the epididymal secretion, while the neutral one was enriched in the sperm cells. The latter activity in the seminal plasma appears to be due to an enzyme released from the cytoplasmic droplets in the epididymis. The acid enzyme had a molecular weight of 220,000-320,000, pI 7.3-6.0 and an optimum at pH 4.0. It was sensitive to swainsonine but was stimulated by Zn2+. The neutral enzyme had a molecular weight of 360,000-460,000, pI 5.4-4.7 and showed double optima at pH 5.5 and 6.0-7.0. It was resistant to swainsonine but was markedly activated by Co2+ or Fe2+. The neutral enzyme was also more sensitive to thermal inactivation than the acid one.

Purification and characterization of a neutral processing mannosidase from calf liver acting on (Man)9(GlcNAc)2 oligosaccharides

A processing mannosidase acting on (Man)9(GlcNAc)2 oligosaccharides, Man9 mannosidase, has been purified 2190-fold from calf liver crude microsomes by a four-step procedure involving (a) differential salt/detergent extraction, (b) affinity chromatography on AH-Sepharose 4B with N-5-carboxypentyl-1-deoxymannojirimycin as ligand, (c) ConA-Sepharose and (d) DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. (Man)9 mannosidase has a subunit molecular mass of 56 kDa and does not bind to ConA-Sepharose, indicating the absence of high-mannose oligosaccharides. The enzyme has a pH optimum close to pH 6.0 and requires divalent cations for activity, Ca2+ being most effective. It is inhibited by 1-deoxymannojirimycin (dMM), N-methyl-dMM and N-5-carboxypentyl-dMM with Ki = 7 microM, 75 microM, and 140 microM, respectively. Man9 mannosidase cleaves three of the four alpha 1,2-linked mannose residues from the (Man)9(GlcNAc)2 oligosaccharide, does not hydrolyse the remaining (Man)6(GlcNAc)2 structure and is not active against aryl alpha-mannosides. This pronounced substrate specificity points to the participation of Man9 mannosidase in the N-linked processing pathway and, in addition, clearly distinguishes this enzyme from the mannosidases reported previously. As Man9 mannosidase appears to act in the processing sequence immediately after the three glucose residues have been removed from the (Glc)3(Man)9(GlcNAc)2 intermediate, we assume that the enzyme is located in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Purification and properties of glucosidase I from mung bean seedlings

The microsomal enzyme fraction from mung bean seedlings was found to contain glucosidase activity capable of releasing [3H]glucose from the glucose-labeled Glc3Man9GlcNAc. The enzymatic activity could be released in a soluble form by treating the microsomal particles with 1.5% Triton X-100. When the solubilized enzyme fraction was chromatographed on DE-52, it was possible to resolve glucosidase I activity (measured by the release of [3H]glucose from Glc3Man9GlcNAc) from glucosidase II (measured by release of [3H]glucose from Glc2Man9GlcNAc). The glucosidase I was purified about 200-fold by chromatography on hydroxylapatite, Sephadex G-200, dextran-Sepharose, and concanavalin A-Sepharose. The purified enzyme was free of glucosidase II and aryl-glucosidase activities. Only a single glucose residue could be released from the Glc3Man9GlcNAc by this purified enzyme and the other product was the Glc2Man9GlcNAc. Furthermore, this enzyme was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by kojibiose, an alpha-1,2-linked glucose disaccharide, but not by other alpha-linked glucose disaccharides. These data indicate that this glucosidase is a specific alpha-1,2-glucosidase. The pH optimum for the glucosidase I was about 6.3 to 6.5, and no requirements for divalent cations were observed. The enzyme was inhibited strongly by the glucosidase processing inhibitors, castanospermine and deoxynojirimycin, and less strongly by the plant pyrrolidine alkaloid, 2,5-dihydroxymethyl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine. However, the enzyme was not inhibited by the mannosidase processing inhibitors, swainsonine, deoxymannojirimycin or 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-mannitol. The stability of the enzyme under various conditions and other properties of the enzyme were determined.

Differential regulation of multiple neuroreceptors in a somatic cell hybrid by inhibitors of glycoprotein processing

Specific binding of [3H][D-Ala2,D-Leu5]enkephalin, [3H]ethylketocyclazocine, 5-[3H]hydroxytryptamine, and [3H]spiperone was examined in neuroblastoma-brain hybrid cell line NCB-20 following exposure to inhibitors of N-linked protein glycosylation (tunicamycin, TM) and oligosaccharide processing (swainsonine, SW). TM treatment reduced ligand binding at delta- and sigma-opiate receptors and neuroleptic binding sites (20 to 50% of control), with no discernible effect on the binding properties of 5HT1-serotonin receptors. In contrast, exposure to SW resulted in a three-fold increase in binding capacity of sigma-receptors, while decreasing receptor affinity for ligand. SW treatment did not alter ligand interactions with either sigma-receptors or neuroleptic binding sites, but did reduce specific binding of serotonin to 5HT1-receptors. The effects of TM and SW on distinct receptor subpopulations were further demonstrated by attenuation of opiate and serotonin-mediated regulation of intracellular cyclic AMP.

Golgi and secreted galactosyltransferase

Galactosyltransferase (GT) belongs to the glycosyltransferases. In several tissues and cell lines, the enzyme is localized by immunocytochemistry to the two to three trans cisternae of the Golgi complex and may thus be considered a specific membrane component of this type of endomembrane. As a consequence, it is the most common Golgi "marker" enzyme in cell fractionation studies. Study of its biosynthesis, membrane orientation, and turnover in several tissues and cultured cell lines has broadened our knowledge about Golgi function itself. The enzyme is oriented towards the lumen of the cisternal space. In this orientation, it catalyzes the transfer of galactose to glycoprotein-bound acetylglucosamine and, in the presence of alpha-lactalbumin, to glucose, as shown in the Golgi complex of mammary gland epithelial cells. The enzymatic properties of GT are well known. The metabolism of GT has been extensively studied in HeLa and human hepatoma cells. The enzyme is synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and provided with one N-linked oligosaccharide and palmitate residues. In the Golgi complex, terminal sugars are attached to the N-linked oligosaccharide and extensive O-glycosylation takes place. The half-life of the enzyme is about 20 hr, after which a soluble form appears in the culture medium. Release of GT into the medium is observed in all cell lines studied. This phenomenon is in accordance with the presence of soluble GT in body fluids such as serum, ascites, milk, and saliva. In patients suffering from ovarian and breast cancer, increased levels of GT enzyme activity have been reported. Whether extracellular GT is of biological significance is still a point of discussion.

1,4-Dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-mannitol inhibits glycoprotein processing and mannosidase

1,4-Dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-mannitol (DIM) was synthesized chemically from benzyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside [Fleet et al (1984) J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., 1240-1241], and was tested in vitro as an inhibitor of various alpha-mannosidases and in cell culture as an inhibitor of glycoprotein processing. DIM proved to be an effective inhibitor of jack bean alpha-mannosidase, with 50% inhibition requiring 25 to 50 ng/ml inhibitor. It also inhibited lysosomal alpha-mannosidase, but in this case 50% inhibition required about 1 to 2 micrograms/ml. In both cases, the inhibition was of the competitive type when p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside was used as the substrate. The inhibition was better at higher pH values, suggesting that DIM was more effective when the nitrogen in the ring was in the unprotonated form. In addition, rat liver processing mannosidase I was also inhibited by DIM as measured by the release of [3H]mannose from [3H]mannose-labeled Man9GlcNAc. Glycoprotein processing was examined in influenza virus-infected MDCK cells. Infected cells were incubated in various concentrations of DIM and labeled with [2-3H]mannose. Viral and cell pellets were digested with Pronase and glycopeptides were isolated by gel filtration on columns of Bio-Gel P-4. The glycopeptides were then treated with endoglucosaminidase H (Endo H) and rechromatographed on the Bio-Gel column in order to distinguish complex from high-mannose structures. As the DIM concentration in the medium was raised, more and more of the [3H]mannose was incorporated into high-mannose oligosaccharides, and less and less radioactivity was in the complex chains. Most of the Endo H-released oligosaccharides induced by DIM were of the Man9GlcNAc structure, as determined by gel filtration, HPLC, and digestion by alpha-mannosidase. Thus, DIM also appears to inhibit mannosidase I in cell culture. However, about 15% of the Endo H-released oligosaccharides appear to be hybrid types of oligosaccharides, suggesting that DIM may also inhibit mannosidase II.

A simple and reliable assay for glycoprotein-processing glycosidases

A simple and reproducible assay to measure the activity of the glycoprotein-processing glycosidases, i.e., glucosidases and mannosidases, is described. This assay takes advantage of the fact that high-mannose and glucose-containing high-mannose oligosaccharides bind to columns of concanavalin A-Sepharose, but the liberated glucose and mannose residues emerge from these columns in the wash. Thus, using [3H]mannose-labeled Man9-N-acetylglucosamine (Man9GlcNAc) or [3H]glucose-labeled Glc3Man7-9-GlcNAc as substrates, the amount of radioactivity in the wash can be quickly and efficiently determined as a measure of enzyme activity. Although the use of this assay was reported previously [B. Saunier et al., 1982, J. Biol. Chem. 257, 14155-14161], the details of its use, its reproducibility, and the problems with interfering materials have not been thoroughly described. In this report, we show that the assay is linear with time and protein concentration, and shows the expected kinetics with various processing inhibitors. The assay works well with the microsomal enzyme preparation and with a solubilized enzyme fraction. In addition, methods are described for the preparation of various radioactive oligosaccharide substrates (i.e., Man9GlcNAc and Glc3Man7-9GlcNAc) using appropriate glycoprotein-processing inhibitors.

Characterization of microsomal and cytosolic alpha-1,2-mannosidases from mung bean hypocotyls

Microsomal and cytosolic alpha-mannosidase activities, which hydrolyze alpha-1,2-mannosyl-mannose linkages in the Man5GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide, have been isolated from homogenates of mung bean hypocotyls. The alpha-1,2-mannosidase activities were readily distinguished from previously described aryl alpha-mannosidases by several criteria. They were optimally active in the presence of Ca2+ between pH 5.5 and 6, they were inhibited by Zn2+, and they had essentially no activity with p-nitrophenyl-alpha-mannoside. The microsomal and cytosolic alpha-1,2-mannosidases demonstrated specificity for oligosaccharides with terminal nonreducing alpha-1,2-mannosyl linkages, and they were inhibited by mannosyl-mannose disaccharides, with the inhibition decreasing in the order of alpha-1,2-greater than alpha-1,3-greater than alpha-1,6-mannosyl-mannose. The cytosolic alpha-1,2-mannosidase activity, which was present in the 100,000 g supernatant, was separated from the aryl alpha-mannosidase by ammonium sulfate precipitation. The microsomal alpha-1,2-mannosidase, which was tightly associated with the particulate fraction, was solubilized with Triton X-100 and 0.2 M KCl. The two alpha-1,2-mannosidase activities were readily differentiated by gel-filtration chromatography. The solubilized microsomal enzyme chromatographed in approximately the same position as a Mr 460,000 globular protein whereas the cytosolic enzyme was eluted in a retarded position, indicating a much smaller protein.

Differential processing and regulation of thyroid-stimulating hormone subunit carbohydrate chains in thyrotropic tumors and in normal and hypothyroid pituitaries

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) alpha- and beta-subunit glycosylation was investigated in mouse thyrotropic tumor and in normal and hypothyroid pituitary cells for various periods of time in the presence of [3H]mannose or [3H]galactose. After sequential precipitation with anti-alpha and anti-beta sera, subunits were treated with Pronase followed by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H) and analyzed by paper chromatography. In primary cultures of thyrotropic tumor cells incubated for 60 min with [3H]mannose, primarily Man9GlcNAc and Man8GlcNAc were found on TSH + alpha subunits, whereas Glc1Man9GlcNAc and Man9GlcNAc were prominent on free beta subunits. After preincubation of cells for 16 h in the presence or absence of glucose followed by a 60-min pulse of [3H]mannose, there was an 8-fold increase in labeled TSH + alpha but only a minimal change in free beta or total proteins. In the absence of glucose, there was a selective accumulation of Man8GlcNAc on TSH + alpha but not on free beta or total proteins; however, there was no detectable accumulation of Endo H resistant forms during glucose starvation on TSH subunits or total proteins. Normal mouse and rat pituitary minces incubated for 60 min with either [3H]mannose or [3H]galactose showed no glucose-containing species on TSH subunits, but equal amounts of Man9GlcNAc and Man8GlcNAc on TSH + alpha, and mostly Man9GlcNAc on free beta subunits. In contrast, hypothyroid mouse and rat pituitaries exhibited an increase in Glc1Man9NAc and Glc1Man8GlcNAc on free beta but not on TSH + alpha or total proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Secretion of high-mannose-type alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein by primary cultures of rat hepatocytes in the presence of the mannosidase I inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin

Two different forms of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein were found in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. After a 2.5-h labeling period with [35S]methionine the high-mannose-type precursor of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (Mr 49000) and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (Mr 39 000) and the mature-complex-type alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (Mr 54 000) and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (Mr 43 000-60 000) could be immunoprecipitated from the cells, but only the complex-type forms of the two glycoproteins were secreted into the hepatocyte media. When hepatocytes were incubated with the mannosidase I inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin at a concentration of 4 mM, the 49 000-Mr form of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and the 39 000-Mr form of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein could be detected in the cells as well as in their media. Neither the secretion of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor nor that of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein was impaired by 1-deoxymannojirimycin. While alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, secreted by control cells, were resistant to endoglucosaminidase H, alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, secreted by hepatocytes treated with 4 mM 1-deoxymannojirimycin, could be deglycosylated by endoglucosaminidase H. When the [3H]mannose-labeled oligosaccharides of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor, secreted by 1-deoxymannojirimycin-treated hepatocytes, were cleaved off by endoglucosaminidase H and analyzed by Bio-Gel P-4 chromatography, they eluted at the position of Man9GlcNAc, indicating that mannosidase I had been efficiently inhibited. 1-Deoxymannojirimycin did not inhibit the synthesis or the cotranslational N-glycosylation of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor or alpha 1-acid glycoprotein.

Posttranslational protein modification: biosynthetic control mechanisms in the glycosylation of the major myelin glycoprotein by Schwann cells

The posttranslational processing of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharide chain of the major myelin glycoprotein (P0) by Schwann cells was evaluated in the permanently transected, adult rat sciatic nerve, where there is no myelin assembly, and in the crush injured nerve, where there is myelin assembly. Pronase digestion of acrylamide gel slices containing the in vitro labeled [3H]mannose and [3H]fucose P0 after electrophoresis permitted analysis of the glycopeptides by lectin affinity and gel filtration chromatography. The concanavalin A-Separose profile of the [3H]mannose P0 glycopeptides from the transected nerve revealed the high-mannose-type oligosaccharide as the predominant species (72.9%), whereas the normally expressed P0 glycoprotein that is assembled into the myelin membrane in the crushed nerve contains 82.9-91.9% of the [3H]mannose radioactivity as the complex-type oligosaccharide chain. Electrophoretic analysis of immune precipitates verified the [3H]mannose as being incorporated into P0 for both the transected and crushed nerve. The high-mannose-type glycopeptides of the transected nerve isolated from the concanavalin A-Sepharose column were hydrolyzed by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, and the oligosaccharides were separated on Biogel P4. Man8GlcNAc and Man7GlcNAc were the predominant species with radioactivity ratios of 12.5/7.2/1.4/1.0 for the Man8, Man7, Man6, and Man5 oligosaccharides, respectively. Jack bean alpha-D-mannosidase gave the expected yields of free Man and ManGlcNAc from these high-mannose-type oligosaccharides. The data support the notion that at least two alpha-1,2-mannosidases are responsible for converting Man9GlcNAc2 to Man5GlcNAc2. The present experiments suggest distinct roles for each mannosidase and that the second mannosidase (I-B) may be an important rate-limiting step in the processing of this glycoprotein with the resulting accumulation of Man8GlcNAc2 and Man7GlcNAc2 intermediates. Pulse chase experiments, however, demonstrated further processing of this high-mannose-type oligosaccharide in the transected nerve. The [3H]mannose P0 glycoprotein with Mr of 27,700 having the predominant high-mannose-type oligosaccharide shifted its Mr to 28,500 with subsequent chase. This band at 28,500 was shown to have the complex-type oligosaccharide chain and to contain fucose attached to the core asparagine-linked GlcNAc residue. The extent of oligosaccharide processing of this down-regulated glycoprotein remains to be determined.

The effect of deoxymannojirimycin on the processing of the influenza viral glycoproteins

Deoxymannojirimycin (dMM) was tested as an inhibitor of the processing of the oligosaccharide portion of viral and cellular N-linked glycoproteins. The NWS strain of influenza virus was grown in MDCK cells in the presence of various amounts of dMM, and the glycoproteins were labeled by the addition of 2-[3H]mannose to the medium. At levels of 10 micrograms/ml dMM or higher, most of the viral glycopeptides became susceptible to digestion by endoglucosaminidase H, and the liberated oligosaccharide migrated mostly like a Hexose9GlcNAc on a calibrated column of Bio-Gel P-4. This oligosaccharide was characterized as a typical Man9GlcNAc by a variety of chemical and enzymatic procedures. Deoxymannojirimycin gave rise to similar oligosaccharide structures in the cellular glycoproteins. In both the viral and the cellular glycoproteins, this inhibitor caused a significant increase in the amount of [3H]mannose present in the glycoproteins. Deoxymannojirimycin did not inhibit the incorporation of [3H]leucine into protein in MDCK cells, nor did it affect the yield or infectivity of NWS virus particles. However, its effect on mannose incorporation into lipid-linked saccharides depended on the incubation time, the virus strain, and the cell line. Thus, high concentrations of dMM showed some inhibition of mannose incorporation into lipid-linked oligosaccharides with the NWS strain in a 3-h incubation, but no inhibition was observed after 48 h of incubation. On the other hand, the PR8 strain was much more sensitive to dMM inhibition, and mannose incorporation into lipid-linked oligosaccharides was strongly inhibited when the virus was raised in chick embryo cells, but less inhibition was observed when this virus was grown in MDCK cells. Nevertheless, in these cases also, the major oligosaccharide structure in the glycoproteins was the Man9GlcNAc2 species.