Different requirements for NSF, SNAP, and Rab proteins in apical and basolateral transport in MDCK cells

Docking of yeast vacuoles is catalyzed by the Ras-like GTPase Ypt7p after symmetric priming by Sec18p (NSF)

Vacuole inheritance in yeast involves the formation of tubular and vesicular "segregation structures" which migrate into the bud and fuse there to establish the daughter cell vacuole. Vacuole fusion has been reconstituted in vitro and may be used as a model for an NSF-dependent reaction of priming, docking, and fusion. We have developed biochemical and microscopic assays for the docking step of in vitro vacuole fusion and characterized its requirements. The vacuoles must be primed for docking by the action of Sec17p (alpha-SNAP) and Sec18p (NSF). Priming is necessary for both fusion partners. It produces a labile state which requires rapid docking in order to lead productively to fusion. In addition to Sec17p/Sec18p, docking requires the activity of the Ras-like GTPase Ypt7p. Unlike Sec17p/Sec18p, which must act before docking, Ypt7p is directly involved in the docking process itself.

Proteolytic cleavage of cellubrevin and vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) by tetanus toxin does not impair insulin-stimulated glucose transport or GLUT4 translocation in rat adipocytes

Acute insulin stimulation of glucose transport in fat and skeletal muscle occurs principally as a result of the hormonal induced translocation of the GLUT4 glucose transporter from intracellular vesicular stores to the plasma membrane. The precise mechanisms governing the fusion of GLUT4 vesicles with the plasma membrane are very poorly understood at present but may share some similarities with synaptic vesicle fusion, as vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) and cellubrevin, two proteins implicated in the process of membrane fusion, are resident in GLUT4-containing vesicles isolated from rat and murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes respectively. In this study we show that proteolysis of both cellubrevin and VAMP, induced by electroporation of isolated rat adipocytes with tetanus toxin, does not impair insulin-stimulated glucose transport or GLUT4 translocation. The hormone was found to stimulate glucose uptake by approx. 16-fold in freshly isolated rat adipocytes. After a single electroporating pulse, the ability of insulin to activate glucose uptake was lowered, but the observed stimulation was nevertheless nearly 5-fold higher than the basal rate of glucose uptake. Electroporation of adipocytes with 600 nM tetanus toxin resulted in a complete loss of both cellubrevin and VAMP expression within 60 min. However, toxin-mediated proteolysis of both these proteins had no effect on the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose transport which was elevated approx. 5-fold, an activation of comparable magnitude to that observed in cells electroporated without tetanus toxin. The lack of any significant change in insulin-stimulated glucose transport was consistent with the finding that toxin-mediated proteolysis of both cellubrevin and VAMP had no detectable effect on insulin-induced translocation of GLUT4 in adipocytes. Our findings indicate that, although cellubrevin and VAMP are resident proteins in adipocyte GLUT4-containing vesicles, they are not required for the acute insulin-induced delivery of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane.

Polarized expression of the antidepressant-sensitive serotonin transporter in epinephrine-synthesizing chromaffin cells of the rat adrenal gland

Antidepressant-sensitive serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) transporters (SERTs) clear the amine from extracellular spaces in the CNS and periphery as a mechanism for transmitter inactivation and recycling. Although it is known that SERTs are preferentially expressed on basolateral domains in transfected epithelial cells, details of the transporter's membrane localization in vivo are lacking. 5HT and 5HT receptors have been identified in the rodent adrenal gland. Using SERT antagonist autoradiography, we establish the presence of antidepressant-sensitive transport sites in the rat adrenal medulla. Immunofluorescence experiments using antibodies specific for the SERT COOH and NH2 termini, for 5HT, or for catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes suggest that SERT mediates intra-cellular 5HT accumulation by epinephrine-secreting chromaffin cells. Using confocal microscopy, we establish that SERT expression is nonuniformly distributed along the plasma membrane of chromaffin cells. Notably, SERT immunoreactivity is largely absent from plasma membranes bordering smooth muscle that surrounds vascular sinusoids. Rather, SERT is highly expressed in membranes adjoining other chromaffin cells, consistent with a role for 5HT and SERT in autocrine or paracrine control of chromaffin cell physiology. SNAP-25, a t-SNARE protein implicated in neurotransmitter release, was found to colocalize with SERT. In contrast, Na,K ATPase and NCAM are uniformly distributed along the entire perimeter of chromaffin cell membranes. These findings underscore a role for 5HT and SERT in adrenal physiology, reveal unrecognized polarity of chromaffin cell plasma membranes, and warrant a consideration of common targeting mechanisms localizing amine transporters near release sites.

Differential localization of syntaxin isoforms in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells

Syntaxins, integral membrane proteins that are part of the ubiquitous membrane fusion machinery, are thought to act as target membrane receptors during the process of vesicle docking and fusion. Several isoforms of the syntaxin family have been previously identified in mammalian cells, some of which are localized to the plasma membrane. We investigated the subcellular localization of these putative plasma membrane syntaxins in polarized epithelial cells, which are characterized by the presence of distinct apical and basolateral plasma membrane domains. Syntaxins 2, 3, and 4 were found to be endogenously present in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The localization of syntaxins 1A, 1B, 2, 3, and 4 in stably transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney cell lines was studied with confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Each syntaxin isoform was found to have a unique pattern of localization. Syntaxins 1A and 1B were present only in intracellular structures, with little or no apparent plasma membrane staining. In contrast, syntaxin 2 was found on both the apical and basolateral surface, whereas the plasma membrane localization of syntaxins 3 and 4 were restricted to the apical or basolateral domains, respectively. Syntaxins are therefore the first known components of the plasma membrane fusion machinery that are differentially localized in polarized cells, suggesting that they may play a central role in targeting specificity.

Distinct cellular locations of the syntaxin family of proteins in rat pancreatic acinar cells

Syntaxins are cytoplasmically oriented integral membrane soluble NEM-sensitive factor receptors (SNAREs; soluble NEM-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors) thought to serve as targets for the assembly of protein complexes important in regulating membrane fusion. The SNARE hypothesis predicts that the fidelity of vesicle traffic is controlled in part by the correct recognition of vesicle SNAREs with their cognate target SNARE partner. Here, we show that in the exocrine acinar cell of the pancreas, multiple syntaxin isoforms are expressed and that they appear to reside in distinct membrane compartments. Syntaxin 2 is restricted to the apical plasma membrane whereas syntaxin 4 is found most abundantly on the basolateral membranes. Surprisingly, syntaxin 3 was found to be localized to a vesicular compartment, the zymogen granule membrane. In addition, we show that these proteins are capable of specific interaction with vesicle SNARE proteins. Their nonoverlapping locations support the general principle of the SNARE hypothesis and provide new insights into the mechanisms of polarized secretion in epithelial cells.

Identification of SNAP receptors in rat adipose cell membrane fractions and in SNARE complexes co-immunoprecipitated with epitope-tagged N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein

The vesicle-associated membrane proteins [VAMPs; vesicle SNAP receptors (v-SNAREs)] present on GLUT4-enriched vesicles prepared from rat adipose cells [Cain, Trimble and Lienhard (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 11681-11684] have been identified as synaptobrevin 2 (VAMP 2) and cellubrevin (VAMP 3) by using isoform-specific antisera. Additional antisera identify syntaxins 2 and 4 as the predominant target membrane SNAP receptors (t-SNAREs) in the plasma membranes (PM), with syntaxin 3 at one-twentieth the level. Syntaxins 2 and 4 are enriched 5-10-fold in PM compared with low-density microsomes (LDM). Insulin treatment results in an 11-fold increase in immunodetectable GLUT4 in PM and smaller (approx. 2-fold) increases in VAMP 2 and VAMP 3, whereas the subcellular distributions of the syntaxins are not altered by insulin treatment. To determine which of the SNAP receptors (SNAREs) in PM might participate in SNARE complexes with proteins from GLUT4 vesicles, complexes were immunoprecipitated with anti-myc antibody from solubilized membranes after the addition of myc-epitope-tagged N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) and recombinant alpha-soluble NSF attachment protein (alpha-SNAP). These complexes contain VAMPs 2 and 3 and syntaxin 4, but not syntaxins 2 or 3. Complex formation requires ATP and is disrupted by ATP hydrolysis. When all membrane fractions are prepared from basal cells, few or no VAMPs and no syntaxin 4 are immunoprecipitated in SNARE complexes obtained from LDM alone (or from immunoisolated GLUT4 vesicles). The content of syntaxin 4 depends on the presence of PM, and participation of VAMPs 2 and 3 is enhanced 4-6-fold by the addition of solubilized GLUT4 vesicles to PM. The latter increase is greater than can be explained by the 2-fold higher levels of VAMPs added to the reaction mixture. When all membrane fractions are prepared from insulin-stimulated cells, SNARE complexes formed from PM alone contain similar levels of syntaxin 4 but 5-6-fold higher levels of VAMPs 2 and 3 compared with PM alone from basal cells. Addition of GLUT4 vesicle proteins to PM from insulin-treated cells results in a further 2-fold increase in VAMP 2 recovered in SNARE complexes. Therefore the VAMPs in PM of insulin-treated but not basal cells, and in GLUT4-vesicles from cells in either condition, are in a form that readily forms a SNARE complex with PM t-SNAREs and NSF. Insulin seems to activate PM and/or GLUT4 vesicles so as to increase the efficiency of SNARE complex formation.

Apical and basolateral endosomes of MDCK cells are interconnected and contain a polarized sorting mechanism

We have evaluated transcytotic routes in MDCK cells for their ability to generate a polarized surface distribution of trafficking proteins by following the intracellular sorting of transferrin receptors (TRs). We find that the selective basolateral expression of TRs is maintained in the face of extensive trafficking between the apical and basolateral surfaces. Biochemical studies of receptors loaded with tracer under conditions approaching steady state indicate that TRs internalized from the two surfaces are extensively colocalized within MDCK cells and that both populations of receptors are selectively delivered to the basolateral surface. Tailless TRs in which the cytoplasmic domain has been deleted display an unpolarized cell surface distribution and recycle in an unpolarized fashion. We show by EM that wild-type receptors internalized from each surface are colocalized within endosomal elements distributed throughout the cytoplasm. By preloading endosomal elements directly accessible from the basolateral surface with transferrin (Tf)-HRP, we show that apically internalized TRs rapidly enter the same compartment. We also show that both transcytosing (apically internalized) and recycling (basolaterally internalized) TRs are delivered to the basolateral border by a distinctive subset of exocytotic, 60-nm-diam vesicles. Together, the biochemical and morphological data show that apical and basolateral endosomes of MDCK cells are interconnected and contain a signal-dependent polarized sorting mechanism. We propose a dynamic model of polarized sorting in MDCK cells in which a single endosome-based, signal-dependent sorting step is sufficient to maintain the polarized phenotype.

Rab8 promotes polarized membrane transport through reorganization of actin and microtubules in fibroblasts

Rab8 is a small Ras-like GTPase that regulates polarized membrane transport to the basolateral membrane in epithelial cells and to the dendrites in neurons. It has recently been demonstrated that fibroblasts sort newly synthesized proteins into two different pathways for delivery to the cell surface that are equivalent to the apical and the basolateral post-Golgi routes in epithelial cells (Yoshimori, T., P. Keller, M.G. Roth, and K. Simons. 1996. J. Cell Biol. 133:247-256). To determine the role of Rab8 in fibroblasts, we used both transient expression systems and stable cell lines expressing mutant or wild-type (wt) Rab8. A dramatic change in cell morphology occurred in BHK cells expressing both the wt Rab8 and the activated form of the GTPase, the Rab8Q67L mutant. These cells formed processes as a result of a reorganization of both their actin filaments and microtubules. Newly synthesized vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein, a basolateral marker protein in MDCK cells, was preferentially delivered into these cell outgrowths. Based on these findings, we propose that Rab8 provides a link between the machinery responsible for the formation of cell protrusions and polarized biosynthetic membrane traffic.

A sec1-related vesicle-transport protein that is expressed predominantly in epithelial cells

Sec1-related proteins are involved in docking and fusion of transport vesicles in eukaryotic cells. Here we report the cloning and molecular characterization of a Sec1-related protein expressed in the MDCK epithelial cell line. This protein represents a canine counterpart of the murine Munc-18-2/Munc-18b/muSec1 protein, displays 93% amino acid identity with these proteins, has a similar tissue mRNA expression pattern, and associates in vitro with syntaxins 1A, 2, and 3. In situ hybridization analysis of embryonic mouse tissues revealed prominent expression of the munc-18-2 mRNA in the epithelia of several tissues. Cell-fractionation studies demonstrated that the majority of Munc-18-2 is membrane associated. Most of the protein is washed off the membranes by sodium carbonate, pH 11.5. However, the protein is poorly solubilized by detergent treatment. The Munc-18-2 protein was localized, by immunofluorescence microscopy, to the plasma membrane of MDCK cells, and is apically distributed in the epithelial cells of mouse tissues. When overexpressed in COS-1 cells, the protein appeared to be largely cytosolic. However, upon expression with syntaxin 1A, it displayed a shift to the plasma membrane, where the two proteins colocalized. These results identified Munc-18-2 as a predominantly epithelial vesicle-transport protein with a polarized distribution and provided novel in vivo evidence for the association of Sec1-related proteins with members of the syntaxin family.

Membrane fusion in organelle biogenesis

Intracellular membrane fusion is a fascinating reaction that is crucial for cellular function. Several components of the membrane fusion machinery have been identified, although a precise understanding of the fusion mechanism is lacking. More recent studies are revealing novel proteins that regulate membrane fusion during organelle assembly.

Growth cone collapse and inhibition of neurite growth by Botulinum neurotoxin C1: a t-SNARE is involved in axonal growth

The growth cone is responsible for axonal growth, where membrane expansion is most likely to occur. Several recent reports have suggested that presynaptic proteins are involved in this process; however, the molecular mechanism details are unclear. We suggest that by cleaving a presynaptic protein syntaxin, which is essential in targeting synaptic vesicles as a target SNAP receptor (t-SNARE), neurotoxin C1 of Clostridium botulinum causes growth cone collapse and inhibits axonal growth. Video-enhanced microscopic studies showed (a) that neurotoxin C1 selectively blocked the activity of the central domain (the vesicle-rich region) at the initial stage, but not the lamellipodia in the growth cone; and (b) that large vacuole formation occurred probably through the fusion of smaller vesicles from the central domain to the most distal segments of the neurite. The total surface area of the accumulated vacuoles could explain the membrane expansion of normal neurite growth. The gradual disappearance of the surface labeling by FITC-WGA on the normal growth cone, suggesting membrane addition, was inhibited by neurotoxin C1. The experiments using the peptides derived from syntaxin, essential for interaction with VAMP or alpha-SNAP, supported the results using neurotoxin C1. Our results demonstrate that syntaxin is involved in axonal growth and indicate that syntaxin may participate directly in the membrane expansion that occurs in the central domain of the growth cone, probably through association with VAMP and SNAPs, in a SNARE-like way.

Cell-free reconstitution of the transport of viral glycoproteins from the TGN to the basolateral plasma membrane of MDCK cells

An in vitro system to study the transport of plasma membrane proteins from the TGN to the basolateral plasma membrane of polarized MDCK cells has been developed in which purified cell fractions are combined and transport between them is studied under controlled conditions. In this system, a donor Golgi fraction derived from VSV or influenza virus-infected MDCK cells, in which 35S-labeled viral glycoproteins were allowed to accumulate in the TGN during a low temperature block, is incubated with purified immobilized basolateral plasma membranes that have their cytoplasmic face exposed and are obtained by shearing-lysis of MDCK monolayers grown on cytodex beads. Approximately 15–30% of the labeled glycoprotein molecules are transferred from the Golgi fraction to the acceptor plasma membranes and are recovered with the sedimentable (1 g) beads. Transport is temperature, energy and cytosol dependent, and is abolished by alkylation of SH groups and inhibited by the presence of GTP-gamma-S, which implicates GTP-binding proteins and the requirement for GTP hydrolysis in one or more stages of the transport process. Endo H-resistant glycoprotein molecules that had traversed the medial region of the Golgi apparatus are preferentially transported and their luminal domains become accessible to proteases, indicating that membrane fusion with the plasma membrane takes place in the in vitro system. Mild proteolysis of the donor or acceptor membranes abolishes transport, suggesting that protein molecules exposed on the surface of these membranes are involved in the formation and consumption of transport intermediates, possibly as addressing and docking proteins, respectively. Surprisingly, both VSV-G and influenza HA were transported with equal efficiencies to the basolateral acceptor membranes. However, low concentrations of a microtubular protein fraction preferentially inhibited the transport of HA, although this effect was not abolished by microtubule depolymerizing agents. This system shows great promise for elucidating the mechanisms that effect the proper sorting of plasma membrane proteins in the TGN and their subsequent targeting to the appropriate acceptor membrane.

Phagocytosed live Listeria monocytogenes influences Rab5-regulated in vitro phagosome-endosome fusion

Survival or destruction of a pathogen following phagocytosis depends, in part, on fusion events between the phagosome and the endosomal or lysosomal compartments. Here we use an in vitro assay to show that phagosome-endosome fusion is regulated by the small GTPase rab5 and that fusion events are influenced by an internalized live organism, Listeria monocytogenes (LM). We compare the in vitro fusion of phagosomes containing heat-killed organisms (dead LM) with that of phagosomes containing a live nonhemolytic mutant (live LMhly-). Unlike the wild-type organism, LMhly- remains trapped inside the phagosome. Phagosome-endosome fusion was reconstituted using biotinylated organisms and endosomes containing horseradish peroxidase conjugated with avidin. With both live LMhly- and dead LM preparations, in vitro phagosome-endosome fusion was time-, temperature-, and cytosol-dependent. Live LMhly- phagosomes exhibited a faster rate of fusion. Fusion in both preparations was regulated by rab5 and possibly by other GTPases. Anti-rab5 antibodies and immunodepletion of cytosolic rab5 inhibited fusion. Addition of glutatione S-transferase-rab5 in the GTP form stimulated phagosome-endosome fusion, whereas addition of a dominant negative mutant of rab5 blocked fusion. Purified live LMhly- phagosomal membranes were enriched in rab5 as revealed by Western blotting, compared with dead LM phagosomes. Fusion of endosomes with dead LM containing phagosomes required ATP and was inhibited by ATP depletion and by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and anti-NEM-sensitive factor (NSF) antibodies. Unexpectedly, phagosome-endosome fusion with live LMhly--containing phagosomes was not inhibited by ATP depletion nor by NEM or anti-NSF antibodies. Western blot analysis revealed that live LMhly--containing phagosomes were enriched for membrane-bound NSF, while dead LM containing phagosomes contained low or undetectable quantities. Washing live LMhly--containing phagosomes with 0.5 M KCl removed NSF associated with the membranes and rendered them NEM, ATP, anti-NSF antibody sensitive for fusion. We conclude that rab5 regulates phagosome-endosome fusion and that live microorganisms can up-regulate this process by recruiting rab5 to the membrane.

Annexin II in exocytosis: catecholamine secretion requires the translocation of p36 to the subplasmalemmal region in chromaffin cells

Annexin II is a Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-binding protein present in a wide variety of cells and tissues. Within cells, annexin II is found either as a 36-kD monomer (p36) or as a heterotetrameric complex (p90) coupled with the S-100-related protein, p11. Annexin II has been suggested to be involved in exocytosis as it can restore the secretory responsiveness of permeabilized chromaffin cells. By quantitative confocal immunofluorescence, immunoreplica analysis and immunoprecipitation, we show here the translocation of p36 from the cytosol to a subplasmalemmal Triton X-100 insoluble fraction in chromaffin cells following nicotinic stimulation. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the NH2-terminal domain of p36 which contains the phosphorylation sites was microinjected into individual chromaffin cells and catecholamine secretion was monitored by amperometry. This peptide blocked completely the nicotine-induced recruitment of p36 to the cell periphery and strongly inhibited exocytosis evoked by either nicotine or high K+. The light chain of annexin II, p11, was selectively expressed by adrenergic chromaffin cells, and was only present in the subplasmalemmal Triton X-100 insoluble protein fraction of both resting and stimulated cells. p11 can modify the Ca(2+)- and/or the phospholipid-binding properties of p36. We found that loss Ca2+ was required to stimulate the translocation of p36 and to trigger exocytosis in adrenergic chromaffin cells. Our findings suggest that the translocation of p36 to the subplasmalemmal region is an essential event in regulated exocytosis and support the idea that the presence of p11 in adrenergic cells may confer a higher Ca2+ affinity to the exocytotic pathway in these cells.

Analysis of the role of p200-containing vesicles in post-Golgi traffic

p200 is a cytoplasmic protein that associates with vesicles budding from the trans-golgi network (TGN). The protein was identified by a monoclonal antibody AD7. We have used this antibody to analyze whether p200 functions in exocytic transport from the TGN to the apical or basolateral plasma membrane in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. We found that transport of the viral marker proteins, influenza hemagglutinin (HA) to the apical surface or vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV G) to the basolateral surface in streptolysin O-permeabilized cells was not affected when p200 was depleted from both the membranes and the cytosol. When vesicles isolated from perforated cells were analyzed by equilibrium density gradient centrifugation, the p200 immunoreactive membranes did not comigrate with either the apical vesicle marker HA or the basolateral vesicle marker VSV G. Immunoelectron microscopy of perforated and double-labeled cells showed that the p200 positive vesicular profiles were not labeled by antibodies to HA or VSV G when the viral proteins were accumulated in the TGN. Furthermore, the p200-decorated vesicles were more electron dense than those labeled with the viral antibodies. Together, these results suggest that p200 does not function in the transport pathways that carry HA from the TGN to the apical surface or VSV G from the TGN to the basolateral surface.

Botulinum neurotoxin light chains inhibit both Ca(2+)-induced and GTP analogue-induced catecholamine release from permeabilised adrenal chromaffin cells

Using digitonin-permeabilised bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, the effects of botulinum neurotoxin light chains on exocytosis triggered by Ca2+ or by GppNHp were examined. Botulinum neurotoxin D light chain, prepared as a His(6)-tagged recombinant protein, cleaved VAMP and substantially inhibited catecholamine release due to Ca2+ and GppNHp. Botulinum neurotoxin C1 and E light chains produced partial inhibition of both Ca(2+)- and GppNHp-induced catecholamine release. These results suggest that Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis and Ca(2+)-independent exocytosis triggered by a non-hydrolysable GTP analogue occurs via a SNARE-dependent mechanism in chromaffin cells.

SNARE-mediated retrograde traffic from the Golgi complex to the endoplasmic reticulum

Operation of the secretory pathway in eukaryotic cells requires the selective docking and fusion of transport vesicles with the appropriate target organelle. This is mediated in part by integral membrane proteins termed v-SNAREs (on vesicles) and t-SNAREs (on the target membranes). We describe a novel yeast t-SNARE that resides on the endoplasmic reticulum and mediates retrograde traffic from the Golgi complex. Mutation of this protein prevents both the HDEL receptor and a membrane protein bearing a dibasic retrieval signal from recycling to the endoplasmic reticulum. Forward traffic is also blocked, but only indirectly. Comparison with other yeast mutants indicates that Sec21p (gamma-COP) and Sec20p (an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein) are also involved primarily, if not exclusively, in retrograde transport.

Sec18p (NSF)-driven release of Sec17p (alpha-SNAP) can precede docking and fusion of yeast vacuoles

S. cerevisiae inherits its vacuole by projecting vacuole-derived membrane vesicles and tubules into the bud, where they fuse to establish the daughter vacuole. This homotypic fusion event can be assayed in vitro. It requires Sec17p and Sec18p, the homologs of the mammalian alpha-SNAP and NSF, which cooperate in multiple steps of membrane trafficking. We now report that Sec17p, Sec18p, and ATP are only needed for an early stage of the reaction that results in Sec17p release. Sec17p and Sec18p actions precede, and are needed for, the step employing the Ras-like GTPase Ypt7p. Sec18p-driven release of Sec17p can even precede vacuole docking, as it can occur prior to mixing of vacuoles and is insensitive to vacuole concentration. Sec17p and Sec18p thus may function in a predocking stage of the reaction, rather than in bilayer fusion per se.

Different biosynthetic transport routes to the plasma membrane in BHK and CHO cells

The question of how membrane proteins are delivered from the TGN to the cell surface in fibroblasts has received little attention. In this paper we have studied how their post-Golgi delivery routes compare with those in epithelia] cells. We have analyzed the transport of the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein, the Semliki Forest virus spike glycoprotein, both basolateral in MDCK cells, and the influenza virus hemagglutinin, apical in MDCK cells. In addition, we also have studied the transport of a hemagglutinin mutant (Cys543Tyr) which is basolateral in MDCK cells. Aluminum fluoride, a general activator of heterotrimeric G proteins, inhibited the transport of the basolateral cognate proteins, as well as of the hemagglutinin mutant, from the TGN to the cell surface in BHK and CHO cells, while having no effect on the surface delivery of the wild-type hemagglutinin. Only wild-type hemagglutinin became insoluble in the detergent CHAPS during transport through the BHK and CHO Golgi complexes, whereas the basolateral marker proteins remained CHAPS-soluble. We also have developed an in vitro assay using streptolysin O-permeabilized BHK cells, similar to the one we have previously used for analyzing polarized transport in MDCK cells (Pimplikar, S.W., E. Ikonen, and K. Simons. 1994. J. Cell Biol. 125:1025-1035). In this assay anti-NSF and rab-GDI inhibited transport of Semliki Forest virus spike glycoproteins from the TGN to the cell surface while having little effect on transport of the hemagglutinin. Altogether these data suggest that fibroblasts have apical and basolateral cognate routes from the TGN to the plasma membrane.

The protein machinery of vesicle budding and fusion

A general protein machinery that buds and fuses transport vesicles is harnessed to generate the complex web of intracellular transport pathways critical for such diverse processes as cell growth, endocytosis, hormone release, and neurotransmission. With this appreciation, the challenge of understanding the precise molecular mechanisms of these many facets of cell biology has been reduced to a series of problems in protein structure and chemistry.

The epithelial mucin MUC1 contains at least two discrete signals specifying membrane localization in cells

The MUC1 gene product (PEM, polymorphic epithelial mucin) is a cell-associated glycoprotein expressed on the apical surface of most simple secretory epithelia. The transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of MUC1 have been shown to be highly conserved between mammalian species, and it has been shown that this molecule interacts with the actin cytoskeleton. Apical targeting signals in polarized cells have yet to be defined. The mechanism by which MUC1 is targeted and maintained on the apical surface is not known; correct localization, however, would be predicted to be crucial for function. In order to determine which domains of MUC1 were important for this localization, mutational analysis of the protein was undertaken. Using cytoplasmic tail deletion mutants, fusion proteins of MUC1 and CD2, and site-directed mutagenesis, it could be shown that MUC1 appeared to contain at least two motifs involved in apical localization. The first was located in the extracellular domain and was sufficient to confer apical localization on the fusion protein. The second was the Cys-GlnCys (CQC) motif at the junction of the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains. This sequence was necessary for surface expression. These results suggest that MUC1 contains two discrete motifs important in its apical localization.

SNAP prevents Mg(2+)-ATP-induced release of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor from the Golgi apparatus in digitonin-permeabilized PC12 cells

The N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF), which is involved in the multisteps of protein transport, is released from Golgi membranes on in vitro incubation with Mg(2+)-ATP. However, several lines of evidence suggest that NSF is associated with membranes in spite of the presence of Mg2+ and ATP in vivo. We have used digitonin-permeabilized PC12 cells to investigate the mechanism underlying the association of NSF with membranes. In PC12 cells, immunoreactivity for NSF was observed in the nuclear membranes, the Golgi apparatus, and neuronal growth cones, where synaptic vesicles are concentrated. NSF associated with the Golgi apparatus was released on incubation with Mg(2+)-ATP, whereas NSF in the nuclear membranes and neuronal growth cones was not released on the same treatment. The addition of cytosol blocked the Mg(2+)-ATP-induced release of NSF from the Golgi apparatus. Chromatographic analyses revealed that the factor(s) that prevents NSF release from the Golgi apparatus was eluted at the same position as the soluble NSF attachment proteins (SNAPs). Purified His6-tagged alpha-SNAP exhibited such activity. His6-tagged alpha-SNAP also prevented the Mg(2+)-ATP-induced release of NSF from isolated Golgi membranes.

VIP17/MAL, a proteolipid in apical transport vesicles

VIP17 is a proteolipid enriched in the CHAPS-insoluble complexes from MDCK cells, and a candidate component of the molecular machinery responsible for the sorting and targeting of proteins to the apical surface. Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA encoding the protein revealed that it is the canine homolog of the human and rat MAL proteins. Analysis by immunofluorescence microscopy of epitope-tagged VIP17/MAL expressed transiently in BHK cells and stably in MDCK cells revealed a perinuclear, vesicular, and plasmalemmal staining. In MDCK cells the distribution was mainly in vesicular structures in the apical cytoplasm. These and other results suggest that VIP17/MAL is an important component in vesicular trafficking cycling between the Golgi complex and the apical plasma membrane.

Exchanging the extracellular domain of amyloid precursor protein for horseradish peroxidase does not interfere with alpha-secretase cleavage of the beta-amyloid region, but randomizes secretion in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells

Secretory processing and polarized sorting of horseradish peroxidase fused to the amyloid precursor protein transmembrane domain were compared with those of wild-type amyloid precursor protein in COS and polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. The cellular and secreted forms of the chimeric protein were enzymatically active in colorimetric and cytochemical assays after reconstitution with hemin and Ca2+. The peroxidase enzyme was secreted by a proteolytic process, similar to the parent amyloid precursor protein. In polarized MDCK cells, amyloid precursor protein was secreted exclusively in the basolateral compartment, while the peroxidase chimeric protein was secreted in both compartments. The basolateral sorting determinant for secretion must therefore be located in the extracellular domain of amyloid precursor protein. On the other hand, cell surface-associated peroxidase chimeric protein was similar to cell surface-associated wild-type amyloid precursor protein, mainly expressed at the basolateral side. The basolateral cell-surface expression, in contrast to the basolateral secretion, is therefore controlled by determinants in the cytoplasmic domain. Methylamine inhibited and bafilomycin slightly increased the basolateral secretion of both proteins, but both drugs strongly increased apical secretion. The default secretory pathway of COS cells and the basolateral (but not the apical) secretory pathway of MDCK cells are therefore comparably sensitive to methylamine and not to bafilomycin.

Each domain of the N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein contributes to its transport activity

N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) has been shown to be involved in numerous intracellular transport events. In an effort to understand the basic mechanism of NSF in vesicle-target membrane fusion events, we have examined the role that each of its three domains play in how NSF interacts with the SNAP.SNARE complex. Mutagenesis of the first ATP-binding domain (D1, amino acids 206-477) demonstrates that nucleotide binding by this domain is required for 20 S particle assembly. A second mutation, which permits ATP binding but not hydrolysis, yields a protein that can form 20 S particle but fails to mediate its disassembly. Similar mutations of the second ATP-binding domain (D2, amino acids 478-744) result in trimeric molecules that behave like wild type NSF. Domain rearrangement mutants were used to further probe the functional role of each domain. The amino-terminal domain (N, amino acids 1-205) is absolutely required for binding of NSF to the SNAP.SNARE complex, because the truncated mutant, D1D2, is unable to form 20 S particle. When tested as an isolated recombinant protein, the N domain is not sufficient for binding to the SNAP.SNARE complex, but when adjacent to the D1 domain or in a trimeric molecule, the N domain does mediate binding to the SNAP.SNARE complex. Monomeric N-D1 and trimeric N-D2 could both participate in particle formation. Only the N-D1 mutant was able to facilitate MgATP-dependent release from the SNAP.SNARE complex. These data demonstrate that NSF binding to the SNAP.SNARE complex is mediated by the N domain and that both ATP binding and hydrolysis by the D1 domain are essential for 20 S particle dynamics. The intramolecular interactions outlined suggest a mechanism by which NSF may use ATP hydrolysis to facilitate the vesicle fusion process.

Structure and function of tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins

Tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins are produced by Clostridia and cause the neuroparalytic syndromes of tetanus and botulism. Tetanus neurotoxin acts mainly at the CNS synapse, while the seven botulinum neurotoxins act peripherally. Clostridial neurotoxins share a similar mechanism of cell intoxication: they block the release of neurotransmitters. They are composed of two disulfide-linked polypeptide chains. The larger subunit is responsible for neurospecific binding and cell penetration. Reduction releases the smaller chain in the neuronal cytosol, where it displays its zinc-endopeptidase activity specific for protein components of the neuroexocytosis apparatus. Tetanus neurotoxin and botulinum neurotoxins B, D, F and G recognize specifically VAMP/ synaptobrevin. This integral protein of the synaptic vesicle membrane is cleaved at single peptide bonds, which differ for each neurotoxin. Botulinum A, and E neurotoxins recognize and cleave specifically SNAP-25, a protein of the presynaptic membrane, at two different sites within the carboxyl-terminus. Botulinum neurotoxin type C cleaves syntaxin, another protein of the nerve plasmalemma. These results indicate that VAMP, SNAP-25 and syntaxin play a central role in neuroexocytosis. These three proteins are conserved from yeast to humans and are essential in a variety of docking and fusion events in every cell. Tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins form a new group of zinc-endopeptidases with characteristic sequence, mode of zinc coordination, mechanism of activation and target recognition. They will be of great value in the unravelling of the mechanisms of exocytosis and endocytosis, as they are in the clinical treatment of dystonias.

Studies of transferrin recycling reconstituted in streptolysin O permeabilized Chinese hamster ovary cells

Efficient transferrin receptor recycling is reconstituted when donor cytosol and ATP are added to the streptolysin O permeabilized cells. The rate of reconstituted recycling is dependent on the concentration of donor cytosol. The cytosol provides a factor(s) required for the transport of transferrin from the pericentriolar recycling compartment to the plasma membrane. N-Ethylmaleimide treatment of permeabilized cells inhibits both the fusion of recycling vesicles with the plasma membrane as well as the formation of functional recycling vesicles from the pericentriolar recycling compartment. Guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S) does not affect reconstituted recycling in the presence of an optimal cytosol concentration. Therefore, the rate-limiting step in recycling is not regulated by GTP-hydrolyzing proteins, and hydrolysis of GTP is not required for endocytic recycling. GTP gamma S stimulates recycling when suboptimal concentrations of cytosol are used. This stimulatory effect is not mediated by a brefeldin A-sensitive ADP-ribosylation factor protein. Addition of wild-type donor cytosol to permeabilized END2 Chinese hamster ovary cells, which recycle transferrin at half the rate of wild-type cells, reconstitutes recycling to the reduced rate of intact END2 cells but not to the wild-type recycling rate. These results indicate that the defect responsible for the slowed transferrin recycling in END2 mutants is membrane associated or that the defective protein is too large to diffuse out of the cells through the streptolysin O pores.

An NSF-like ATPase, p97, and NSF mediate cisternal regrowth from mitotic Golgi fragments

Golgi cisternae regrew in a cell-free system from mitotic Golgi fragments incubated with buffer alone. Pretreatment with NEM or salt washing inhibited regrowth, but this could be restored either by p97, an NSF-like ATPase, or by NSF together with SNAPs and p115, a vesicle docking protein. The morphology of cisternae regrown with p97 and NSF-SNAPs-p115 differed, suggesting that they play distinct roles in rebuilding Golgi cisternae after mitosis.

Membrane fusion and the cell cycle: Cdc48p participates in the fusion of ER membranes

The fusion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes in yeast is an essential process required for normal progression of the nuclear cell cycle, karyogamy, and the maintenance of an intact organellar compartment. We showed previously that this process requires a novel fusion machinery distinct from the classic membrane docking/fusion machinery containing Sec17p (alpha-SNAP) and Sec18p (NSF). Here we show that Cdc48p, a cell-cycle protein with homology to Sec18p, is required in ER fusion. A temperature-sensitive cdc48 mutant is conditionally defective in ER fusion in vitro. Addition of purified Cdc48p restores the fusion of isolated cdc48 mutant ER membranes. We propose that Cdc48p is part of an evolutionarily conserved fusion/docking machinery involved in multiple homotypic fusion events.

The formation of Golgi stacks from vesiculated Golgi membranes requires two distinct fusion events

We have reconstituted the fusion and assembly of vesiculated Golgi membranes (VGMs) into functionally active stacks of cisternae. A kinetic analysis of this assembly process revealed that highly dispersed VGMs of 60-90 nm diameter first fuse to form larger vesicles of 200-300 nm diameter that are clustered together. These vesicles then fuse to form tubular elements and short cisternae, which finally assemble into stacks of cisternae. We now provide evidence that the sequential stack formation from VGMs reflects two distinct fusion processes: the first event is N-ethyl-maleimide (NEM)-sensitive factor (NSF) dependent, and the second fusion event requires an NSF-like NEM-sensitive ATPase called p97. Interestingly, while the earliest steps in stack formation share some similarities with events catalyzing fusion of transport vesicles to its target membrane, neither GTP gamma S nor Rab-GDI, inhibitors of vesicular protein traffic, inhibit stack formation.

Distinct roles for N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) suggested by the identification of a second Drosophila NSF homolog

The N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) is a cytoplasmic protein implicated in the fusion of intracellular transport vesicles with their target membranes. NSF is thought to function in the fusion of essentially all types of vesicles, including endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and endocytic vesicles, as well as secretory vesicles undergoing regulated fusion (for review see Rothman, J.E. (1994) Nature 372, 55-63). However, little experimental evidence exists to address the possibility that organisms might have multiple NSF proteins serving distinct functions in the same or different cells. We previously cloned a neurally expressed Drosophila homolog, dNSF-1 (Ordway, R.W., Pallanck, L., and Ganetzky, B. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 5715-5719), and have subsequently identified mutations in this gene that confer an apparent failure of synaptic transmission at elevated temperature (Pallanck, L., Ordway, R.W., and Ganetzky, B. (1995) Nature, 376, 25; Siddiqi, O., and Benzer, S. (1976) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 3253-3257). Here we report that 1) Drosophila contains a second NSF homolog, termed dNSF-2, that exhibits 84% amino acid identity to dNSF-1, 2) dNSF-1 and dNSF-2 display overlapping but different temporal expression, and 3) multiple transcripts are derived from the dNSF-2 gene. These findings raise the possibility that different NSF gene products serve distinct or overlapping functions with the organism.