Receptor-mediated endocytosis

Intracellular distribution of adrenoceptors in the failing human myocardium

Although it is increasingly recognized that the density of cardiac membrane-bound beta adrenoceptors declines in heart failure, the mechanisms involved are unclear. Furthermore, it is not known whether cardiac alpha-1 adrenoceptors are similarly affected. Inasmuch as agonist-induced desensitization results in translocation of adrenoceptors from the plasma membrane to an intracellular vesicular fraction, we determined the intracellular distribution of cardiac adrenoceptors in two groups: group 1 (n = 9) consisted of papillary muscles from patients with mild-to-moderate heart failure undergoing valve replacement, and group 2 (n = 8) consisted of severely failing hearts removed during orthotopic cardiac transplantation. The density of cardiac beta adrenoceptors was lower in membranes from group 2 (17.8 +/- 3.3 fmol/mg protein vs 27.8 +/- 3.7 fmol/mg in group 1; (p less than 0.01), and the percentage of beta receptors recovered in the vesicular fraction was higher in group 2 (47.1 +/- 3.3% vs 36.8 +/- 5.0% in group 1; p less than 0.01). In group 1 but not group 2 there was a significant inverse correlation (r = -0.87; p less than 0.001) between the density of membrane-bound beta receptors and the percentage of beta receptors recovered in the vesicular fraction. Alpha-1 adrenoceptors were lower in both membrane and vesicular fraction of group 2 compared to group 1; in group 2 but not group 1 there was a significant negative correlation between the density of membrane-bound alpha-1 adrenoceptors and the percentage of alpha-1 receptors in the vesicular fraction (r = -0.8; p less than 0.01). These results suggest that the regulation of alpha-1 and beta adrenoceptors differs in the failing myocardium. Furthermore, agonist-induced desensitization may play a predominant role only in mild-to-moderate heart failure.

The use of permeabilized cells to study the ion requirements of receptor-ligand dissociation in endosomes

The mannose receptor mediates the transport of high-mannose glycoproteins from the cell surface to lysosomes in macrophages. The binding of ligand to the receptor is dependent on both pH and Ca2+. Upon internalization, ligands enter an acidic pre-lysosomal compartment where receptor-ligand dissociation takes place. Acidification is driven by an endosomal proton pump and anion transport is coupled to this acidification step. A permeabilized-cell assay has been designed to characterize the ionic requirements for receptor-ligand dissociation in endosomes. The plasma membrane of macrophages has been permeabilized selectively with digitonin without affecting endosomal membranes. Receptor-ligand dissociation in permeabilized cells required ATP and was blocked by proton ionophores. Di-isothiocyanostilbene-disulphonic acid and N-ethylmaleimide also blocked dissociation, but mitochondrial ATPase inhibitors and vanadate were ineffective. To explore the nature of the anion requirement for acidification, the ability of different anions to compensate for Cl- was tested. For the halide series, Br- was as equally effective as Cl- in supporting receptor-ligand dissociation, but I- was inhibitory. Citrate and gluconate were only partially effective, while SO4(2-), NO3- and PO4(2-) blocked dissociation. Addition of Ca2+ to permeabilized-cell preparations impaired ATP-dependent dissociation without affecting endosome acidification. These results suggest that the endosomal membrane has a Ca2+ conductance that would permit the rapid efflux of Ca2+ from endosomes during acidification, and this would appear to be a necessary step for efficient sorting of Ca2+-dependent receptors from their ligands.

Increased endocytosis and formation of multivesicular bodies in phorbol ester-stimulated human monoblastic U-937 cells

The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is known to arrest mitotic activity and induce macrophage differentiation in the U-937 monoblastic cell line. The acute effect of TPA on ultrastructural morphology and endocytic activity of U-937 cells was studied. TPA induced within 15 min a marked enlargement of multivesicular bodies (MVBs), comprising both volume and number of inclusion vesicles (other organelles appeared unchanged). At this stage the MBVs frequently showed tubular cytoplasmic extensions. Inclusion vesicles accumulated in MBVs with prolonged incubation (60 min). Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and cationized ferritin (CF) added to the medium were routed preferentially to MVBs in TPA-stimulated cells. In contrast to MVBs of unstimulated cells many of the TPA-induced MVBs showed a positive cytochemical reaction to acid phosphatase. The MVBs in cells incubated with ionomycin, a calcium ionophore, did not differ from those of unstimulated cells. Cellular uptake of 125I-HRP was increased five times the control values already after 5 min of TPA stimulation. The uptake increased further with prolonged incubation (60 min), but at a slower rate. Together these indicate a TPA-induced transfer by endocytosis of portions of the plasma membrane to the lysosomal system via MVBs. Consideration of MVBs as part of the receptor-mediated endocytic pathway suggests that this effect of TPA might involve down-regulation of cell-surface receptors. The possibility of MVBs as a proton-sequestrating compartment, responsible for the cytoplasmic alkalinization previously reported for TPA-stimulated U-937 monoblastic cells, is discussed.

Characterization of the early endosome and putative endocytic carrier vesicles in vivo and with an assay of vesicle fusion in vitro

We have investigated two aspects of membrane traffic at early stages of endocytosis: membrane fusion and microtubule-dependent transport. As a marker, we have used the trans-membrane glycoprotein G of vesicular stomatitis virus implanted into the plasma membrane and then internalized for different times at 37 degrees C. The corresponding endosomal fractions were immunoisolated using the cytoplasmic domain of the G protein as antigen. These fractions were then used in an in vitro assay to quantify the efficiency of fusion between endosomal vesicles. To identify the vesicular partners of the fusion, these in vitro studies were combined with in vivo biochemical and morphological experiments. Internalized molecules were delivered to early endosomal elements, which corresponded to a network of tubular and tubulovesicular structures. Rapid recycling back to the plasma membrane and routing to late stages of the pathway occurred from these early endosomal elements. These elements exhibited a high and specific fusion activity with each other in vitro, suggesting that individual elements of the early endosomal compartment interact with each other in vivo. After their appearance in the early endosome, the molecules destined to be degraded were observed at the next stage of the pathway in distinct spherical vesicles (0.5 micron diam) and then in late endosomes and lysosomes. When the microtubules were depolymerized with nocodazole, endocytosis proceeded as in control cells. However, internalized molecules remained in the spherical vesicles and did not appear in late endosomes or lysosomes. These spherical vesicles had relatively little fusion activity with each other or with early endosomal elements in vitro. Our observations suggest that the spherical vesicles mediate transport between the early endosome and late endosomes and that this process requires intact microtubules.

Changes in lipoprotein binding and uptake by hepatocytes during rat liver regeneration

The binding and uptake of cholesterol enriched lipoproteins by isolated hepatocytes was decreased at 16 hours after partial hepatectomy, with a tendency to return to control values as the regeneration proceeds. The number of lipoprotein binding sites of total cellular membranes remained similar to control at 16 and 24 hours. The plasma lipoprotein pattern, determined by electrophoretic analysis, showed a lower per cent of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and a higher per cent of low density lipoproteins (LDL) at 16 and 24 hours post-partial hepatectomy. At these times, plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was decreased. It is intriguing to suggest that the regenerating liver could regulate the blood lipoprotein pattern and the uptake of lipoproteins by modulating the surface expression of the receptors.

Recycling of epidermal growth factor-receptor complexes in A431 cells

The fate of epidermal growth factor (EGF) after internalization by human carcinoma A431 cells has been studied. Cells were allowed to internalize 125I-EGF for 10 min at 37 degrees C and treated with acid/salt solution to remove non-internalized ligand. Further incubation of these '125I-EGF-loaded' cells at 37 degrees C results in rapid recycling of internalized 125I-EGF-receptor complexes back to the cell surface. Recycling was assessed by measuring the increase in plasma membrane pool of 125I-EGF-receptor complexes as they became sensitive to acid/salt treatment, cross-linking with the membrane impermeant reagent bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate and competitive substitution by unlabeled EGF. Moreover, redistribution of 125I-EGF-receptor complexes from endosomes to the plasma membrane was demonstrated using a subcellular fractionation technique. More than 50% of the total internalized EGF was found to be capable of recycling. The rate of recycling was significantly higher than that of EGF degradation in lysosomes. It was shown that EGF/receptor recycling is an energy-requiring and temperature-dependent process. Fluorescence microscopy studies demonstrate that endosomes located in a region adjacent to the Golgi complex are involved in the the recycling of EGF-receptor complexes in A431 cells. The data obtained suggest that dissociation of EGF from internalized receptor is not necessary for EGF receptor recycling.

Uptake of ferritin and iron bound to ferritin by rat hepatocytes: modulation by apotransferrin, iron chelators and chloroquine

Rat liver ferritin is an effective donor of iron to rat hepatocytes. Uptake of iron from ferritin by the cells is partially inhibited by including apotransferrin in the culture medium, but not by inclusion of diferric transferrin. This inhibition is dependent on the concentration of apotransferrin, with a 30% depression in iron incorporation in the cells detected at apotransferrin concentrations above 40 micrograms/ml. However, apotransferrin does not interfere with uptake of 125I-labeled ferritin, suggesting that apotransferrin decreases retention of iron taken up from ferritin by hepatocytes by sequestering a portion of released iron before it has entered the metabolic pathway of the cells. The iron chelators desferrioxamine (100 microM), citrate (10 mM) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (100 microM) reduce iron uptake by the cells by 35, 25 and 8%, respectively. In contrast, 1 mM ascorbate increases iron accumulation by 20%. At a subtoxic concentration of 100 microM, chloroquine depresses ferritin and iron uptake by hepatocytes by more than 50% after 3 h incubation. Chloroquine presumably acts by retarding lysosomal degradation of ferritin and recycling of ferritin receptors.

Covalent and noncovalent protein binding of drugs: implications for hepatic clearance, storage, and cell-specific drug delivery

This review deals with the mechanisms by which the liver disposes of drugs that are covalently or noncovalently associated with proteins. Many drugs bind to plasma proteins such as albumin (mainly anionic compounds) and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (cationic compounds). Nevertheless, the liver is able to clear such drugs efficiently from the circulation because of intrahepatic dissociation of the drug-protein complex. This clearance may involve spontaneous dissociation because of progressive removal of the unbound drug during liver passage, a process that can be rate limiting in hepatic uptake. Alternatively, the porous endothelial lining of the hepatic sinusoids may allow extensive surface interactions of the drug-protein complexes with hepatocytes, leading to facilitation of drug dissociation. Binding to plasma proteins and intracellular proteins in the cytoplasm or cell organelles is an important factor determining the hepatic storage and elimination rate of drugs. Drugs noncovalently associated with glycosylated proteins, which can be endocytosed by various liver cells, are not coendocytosed with such proteins. However, covalently bound drugs can be internalized by receptor-mediated endocytosis, which permits specific targeting to hepatocytes, endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, and lipocytes by coupling to different glycoproteins that are recognized on the basis of their terminal sugar. The endocytosed drug-carrier complex is routed into endosomes and lysosomes, where the active drug is liberated by cleavage of acid-sensitive linkages or proteolytic degradation of peptide linkers. This concept has been applied to antineoplastic, antiparasitic, and antiviral drugs.

Mechanism of agonist-induced down-regulation and subsequent recovery of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in a clonal neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cell line

The mechanisms of carbachol-induced muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) down-regulation, and recovery following carbachol withdrawal, were studied in the neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid NG108-15 cell line by specific ligand binding assays. N-[3H]Methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) were used as the ligands for the cell surface and total cellular mAChRs, respectively. Exposure of cells to 1 mM carbachol for 16 h decreased the specific binding of [3H]NMS and [3H]QNB by approximately 80%. Bacitracin (1-4 mg/ml) and methylamine (1-15 mM), inhibitors of transglutaminase and of endocytosis, prevented agonist-induced loss of surface mAChRs. Pretreatment of cells with the antimicrotubular agents nocodazole (0.1-10 microM) and colchicine (1-10 microM) prevented carbachol-induced loss of [3H]QNB binding, but not that of [3H]NMS binding. These results indicate that agonist-induced mAChR down-regulation occurs by endocytosis, followed by microtubular transport of receptors to their intracellular degradation sites. When carbachol was withdrawn from the culture medium following treatment of cells for 16 h, receptors recovered and were incorporated to the surface membrane. This recovery process was antagonized by monovalent ionophores monensin (0.1 microM) and nigericin (40 nM), which interfere with Golgi complex function. Receptor recovery was also prevented by the antimicrotubular agent nocodazole. Thus, recovery of receptors appears to be mediated via Golgi complex and microtubular transport to the surface membrane.

Reappearance of CD1a antigenic sites after endocytosis on human Langerhans cells evidenced by immunogoldrelabeling

We show evidence of the reappearance of CD1a antigenic sites on the surface of human isolated Langerhans cells after internalization of CD1a antigen/CD1a monoclonal antibody (BL6) complexes. The internalization was visualized by immunogoldlabeling, and the reappearance of CD1a binding sites was shown by immunogoldrelabeling. The relabeling was distinguished from the labeling either by using two sizes of gold granules (15 and 5 nm) or by quantitative estimation with one size of gold granules, before and after the relabeling. This reappearance of sites is cycloheximide insensitive, and is evidenced, even if the transfer of gold particles to lysosomes is blocked by the monensin. These results suggest that the reexpression of CD1a antigens is due to antigens stored in the cytoplasm or to recycling of internalized sites. Some immunolabeled Birbeck granules were observed in continuity with the plasma membrane, which demonstrates their membrane origin and their involvement in the endocytosis process. However, the weak labeling of these organelles makes us believe that they are not specialized CD1a endocytosis structures.

Human choriogonadotropin entrapped into liposomes: characterization, biologic effects and interaction with purified mouse Leydig cells in vitro

Liposomes containing human choriogonadotropin (hCG) were prepared from phosphatidylserine by the ether injection method. hCG adsorbed to the outer surface of the liposomes (77% of total liposome-associated hCG) was removed by proteolytic digestion with subtilisin. hCG-containing liposomes digested and not digested with subtilisin stimulated testosterone biosynthesis by Leydig cells in a dose-dependent way; both preparations had identical biologic activities (32% of the activity of free, not liposome-associated hCG) when equal doses of liposome-associated hCG were applied. The onset of stimulation was delayed when compared to the action of free hCG. Liposomes without hCG did not stimulate testosterone biosynthesis. Association of liposomes with Leydig cells was determined by measurement of transfer of radioactive label from liposomes to Leydig cells. The association was not mediated by the hormone receptor. hCG entrapped in liposomes was incorporated by Leydig cells and translated to the cellular surface. This process was impaired by colchicine (10(-5) M). hCG translocated to the external surface of the cell membrane contained a modified alpha-subunit (Mr 16,200 instead of 20,600) which was not detected in unentrapped hCG bound to Leydig cells. We suggest that liposomally entrapped hCG is taken up by Leydig cells and re-exported to the cell membrane by a mechanism resembling retroendocytosis.

Modification of membrane permeability by animal viruses

Animal viruses modify membrane permeability during lytic infection. There is a co-entry of macromolecules and virion particules during virus penetration and a drastic change in transport and membrane permeability at the late stages of the lytic cycle. Both events are of importance to understand different molecular aspects of viral infection, as virus entry into the cell and the interference of virus infection with cellular metabolism. Other methods of cell permeabilization of potential relevance to understand the mechanism of viral damage of the membrane are also discussed.

Monoclonal antibodies against Vero cells that protect against diphtheria toxin

Mice were immunized with a cell line (Vero) that possesses a high number of membrane receptors for diphtheria toxin. Spleen cells from these mice were fused with SP2/0-Ag14 cells and two cell lines (1A2 and 2D2) isolated by screening for the ability of their secreted antibodies to inhibit binding of radiolabeled diphtheria toxin to Vero cells. These antibodies protected Vero cells from the inhibition of protein synthesis mediated by diphtheria toxin. The antibodies were purified, iodinated, and their binding characteristics investigated. At 4 degrees C, the association of 1A2 and 2D2 with Vero cells was saturable (KD approximately 10(-8) M) and indicated about 10(6) binding sites/cell. Diphtheria toxin did not inhibit the binding of either radiolabeled antibody. Monoclonal antibody 1A2 completely inhibited 125I-2D2 binding and vice versa. Trypsin or phospholipase C treatment of Vero cells had no effect on the ability of the monoclonal antibodies to bind to the cells. These findings suggest that: (1) the two monoclonal antibodies recognize the same or closely related epitopes and (2) the antibodies bind a domain distinct from the toxin binding site or to a subcomponent of the diphtheria toxin receptor that is present at many other cell surface sites. These antibodies offer a powerful tool to study the structure, processing and mode of action of diphtheria toxin receptors.

Cellular regulation of diphtheria toxin cell surface receptors

The cellular regulation of diphtheria toxin cell surface receptors was studied. Treatment of Vero cells with cycloheximide reduced their diphtheria toxin binding capacity, while cells treated with actinomycin D did not lose their ability to bind diphtheria toxin. A non-toxic analogue of diphtheria toxin, CRM 197, produced a dose-related depletion of cell surface diphtheria toxin binding capacity that was reversible upon washing the cells. Vero cells depleted of toxin receptors by CRM 197 did not restore their ability to bind diphtheria toxin in the presence of cycloheximide. Phospholipase C treatment of Vero cells reduced their diphtheria toxin binding capacity in a dose-dependent manner. The loss of diphtheria toxin binding capacity was recovered within 2 hr after removal of the enzyme. Protein synthesis inhibition blocked this recovery while actinomycin D partially inhibited it. Receptors prebound with toxin were resistant to phospholipase C treatment, suggesting that the action of the enzyme was directly on the receptor. Inhibition of glycosylation with tunicamycin did not prevent reappearance of toxin receptors after CRM 197 or phospholipase C treatment. These data establish the requirement of a continuous protein synthesis for the maintenance of diphtheria toxin cell surface receptors and also suggest that these receptors do not recycle after binding ligand. A hypothesis is put forward that the diphtheria toxin receptor might be a lipid-linked cell surface protein.

Regulation of the hepatic transferrin receptor in hereditary hemochromatosis

The liver is the main site of iron accumulation and pathologic sequelae in hereditary hemochromatosis. Whether this is a result solely of inappropriately increased absorption of iron by the gastrointestinal tract or a more generalized regulatory failure of iron balance is unknown. Using immunohistochemical techniques, we have examined the effects of therapeutic changes in liver iron stores on the expression of the hepatic transferrin receptor in hereditary hemochromatosis. Ten patients with untreated hereditary hemochromatosis had no detectable staining for transferrin receptor in their liver biopsies. All had increased hepatic ferritin (mean = 19.9 micrograms per mg protein, range = 1 to 31.7 micrograms per mg protein) and hepatic iron levels (mean = 36.2 micrograms per mg protein, range = 3.6 to 69.9 micrograms per mg protein). In contrast, hepatocyte transferrin receptor was detected in seven patients in whom hepatic iron stores were markedly depleted by venesection (hepatic ferritin mean = 0.32 microgram per mg protein, range = 0.16 to 0.53 microgram per mg protein; hepatic iron mean = 0.98 microgram per mg protein, range = 0.3 to 2.1 micrograms per mg protein). Sequential data from one patient confirmed the reexpression of receptor in response to therapeutic iron depletion, whereas data from another patient studied during treatment illustrated a reciprocal relationship between liver tissue distribution of iron and expression of transferrin receptor. The finding that appropriate physiologic regulation of the hepatic transferrin receptor operates in hereditary hemochromatosis does not support the concept of a generalized defect in receptor-mediated uptake of transferrin-bound iron.

Preparation of neo-galactosylated liposomes and their interaction with mouse peritoneal macrophages

In order to target liposomes to cells expressing at their surface a galactose-binding site we have prepared liposomes containing new synthetic galactolipids. Neo-galactosylated liposomes were prepared by covalently coupling beta-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside residues, substituted with a hydrophilic spacer-arm and functionalized with a sulfhydryl group, to preformed large unilamelar vesicles containing 4-(p-maleimidophenyl)butyryl phosphatidylethanolamine. The vesicles, having a galactose content above a threshold value of about 5 mol%, could be aggregated with Ricinus communis agglutinin. This aggregation was reversed by addition of excess free methyl beta-D-galactopyranoside, indicating that the surface glucidic moieties of these liposomes were accessible to the lectin. Compared to the control vesicles, the neo-galactosylated liposomes (containing 15 mol% galactose) presented in vitro an increased binding to cell possessing a beta-D-galactose specific receptor, i.e. resident mouse peritoneal macrophages. At 4 degrees C, the specific binding was about 2-fold, whereas at 37 degrees C it was increased to about 4-5-fold. This differential binding was largely unaffected by serum and, interestingly was much dependent on the degree of galactosylation of the liposomes, i.e. a threshold value of 5 mol% was needed to observe an increased binding of the targeted vesicles to the macrophages.

Intracellular localization of beta-glucuronidase in fibroblasts after direct transfer from macrophages

The subcellular distribution of beta-glucuronidase acquired by deficient human fibroblasts during co-culture with peritoneal macrophages was compared with that taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Labelled enzyme taken up via receptors was located initially in a low-density endosomal fraction and was transferred to lysosomes within a few minutes. The beta-glucuronidase acquired during 24 h of co-culture was present almost entirely within lysosomes and had a distribution profile identical with that of endogenous beta-hexosaminidase. Monensin prevented transfer of radiolabelled enzyme from endosomes to lysosomes and had a similar effect on the distribution of enzyme acquired by direct transfer, causing beta-glucuronidase to accumulate within endosomes. When the temperature was lowered from 37 degrees C to 19 degrees C, the rate of transfer of enzyme from endosomes to lysosomes was decreased during both direct transfer and indirect receptor-mediated endocytosis. These results show that a lysosomal enzyme acquired by direct transfer during cell-to-cell contact follows a similar intracellular route and has a similar distribution to that of enzymes taken up via cell-surface receptors.

Internalization and cycling of nerve growth factor in PC12 cells: interconversion of type II (fast) and type I (slow) nerve growth factor receptors

The effects of agents that inhibit receptor-mediated endocytosis on type I (slow or high-affinity) and type II (fast or low-affinity) NGF binding have been examined in rat PC12 cells. Compounds interfering with endocytosis eliminate type I NGF binding; those interfering with acidification of endosomal vesicles cause increased type I binding at the expense of type II binding. Measurement of NGF binding during and after treatment with inhibitors indicates that NGF receptors rapidly cycle from the cell surface into an undefined endocytotic compartment and back to the surface with little degradation of receptor or NGF, consistent with a model in which NGF receptors are rapidly and reversibly endocytosed or sequestered; those receptors free on the surface represent type II NGF receptors, while those in the process of endocytosis represent type I NGF receptors. The type I and type II NGF receptor species can be interconverted by agents that can manipulate the position of the receptor in the internalization cycle.

Preferential localization of rat liver D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate/1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate 5-phosphatase in bile-canalicular plasma membrane and 'late' endosomal vesicles

Previous studies have shown that most of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate/inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate 5-phosphatase activity of rat hepatocytes is associated with the plasma membrane [Shears, Parry, Tang, Irvine, Michell & Kirk (1987) Biochem. J. 246, 139-147]. We now show that the specific activity of this enzyme is highest in the bile-canalicular domain of the plasma membrane, at the opposite pole of the hepatocyte from the presumed site of receptor-mediated formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. In intact hepatocytes and in sealed membrane vesicles originating from the bile-canalicular domain of the plasma membrane, the 5-phosphatase activity was mostly latent and therefore located at the cytoplasmic surface. A substantial amount of 5-phosphatase was also found in rat liver endosomal fractions, particularly a 'late' endosomal subfraction, indicating that this enzyme may be transported between the sinusoidal plasma membrane and other cellular membranes.

Characterization and biological implications of membrane lectins in tumor, lymphoid and myeloid cells

Complex carbohydrates and sugar receptors at the surface of eukaryotic cells are involved in recognition phenomena. Membrane lectins have been characterized, using biochemical, biological and cytological methods. Their biological activities have been assessed using labeled glycoproteins or neoglycoproteins. Specific glycoproteins or neoglycoproteins have been used to inhibit their binding capacity in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. In adults, lymphoid and myeloid cells as well as tumor cells grow in a given organ and eventually migrate and home in another organ; these phenomena are known as the homing process or metastasis, respectively. In specific cases, membrane lectins of endothelial cells recognize cell surface glycoconjugates of lymphocytes or tumor cells, while membrane lectins of lymphocytes and of tumor cells recognize glycoconjugates of extracellular matrices or of non-migrating cells. Therefore, membrane lectins are involved in cell-cell recognition phenomena. Membrane lectins are also involved in endocytosis and intracellular traffic of glycoconjugates. This property has been demonstrated not only in hepatocytes, fibroblasts, macrophages and histiocytes but also in tumor cells, monocytes, thyrocytes, etc. Upon endocytosis, membrane lectins are present in endosomes, whose luminal pH rapidly decreases. In cells such as tumor cells or macrophages, endosomes fuse with lysosomes; it is therefore possible to target cytotoxic drugs or activators, by binding them to specific glycoconjugates or neoglycoproteins through a linkage specifically hydrolyzed by lysosomal enzymes. In cells such as monocytes, the delivery of glycoconjugates to lysosomes is not active; in this case, it would be preferable to use an acid-labile linkage. Cell surface membrane lectins are developmentally regulated; they are present at given stages of differentiation and of malignant transformation. Cell surface membrane lectins usually bind glycoconjugates at neutral pH but not in acidic medium: their ligand is released in acidic specialized organelles; the internalized ligand may be then delivered into lysosomes, while the membrane lectin is recycled. Some membrane lectins, however, do bind their ligand in relatively acidic medium as in the case of thyrocytes. The presence of cell surface membrane lectins which recognize specific sugar moieties opens the way to interesting applications: for instance, isolation of cell subpopulations such as human suppressor T cells, targeting of anti-tumor or anti-viral drugs, targeting of immunomodulators or biological response modifiers.

A 115 kDa calmodulin-binding protein is located in rat liver endosome fractions

The distribution of calmodulin-binding polypeptides in various rat liver subcellular fractions was investigated. Plasma-membrane, endosome, Golgi and lysosome fractions were prepared by established procedures. The calmodulin-binding polypeptides present in the subcellular fractions were identified by using an overlay technique after transfer from gels to nitrocellulose sheets. Distinctive populations of calmodulin-binding polypeptides were present in all the fractions examined except lysosomes. A major 115 kDa calmodulin-binding polypeptide of pI 4.3 was located to the endosome subfractions, and it emerges as a candidate endosome-specific protein. Partitioning of endosome fractions between aqueous and Triton X-114 phases indicated that the calmodulin-binding polypeptide was hydrophobic. Major calmodulin-binding polypeptides of 140 and 240 kDa and minor polypeptides of 40-60 kDa were present in plasma membranes. The distribution of calmodulin in the various endosome and plasma-membrane fractions was also analysed, and the results indicated that the amounts were high compared with those in the cytosol.

Hepatocytic lipoprotein receptors and intracellular lipoprotein catabolism

Hepatocytes, as the major site of synthesis and terminal catabolism of plasma lipoproteins, exert the major regulatory influence on the concentration of atherogenic lipoproteins in blood plasma and may thereby influence the rate of atherogenesis. The LDL receptor on the microvillous sinusoidal surface of hepatocytes mediates the catabolism of remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and LDL. Binding of VLDL remnants to the receptor, mediated by apo E, is of very high affinity and presumably multivalent, whereas binding of LDL, mediated by apo B-100, is monovalent and of lower affinity, accounting for the much longer residence time of the latter in the blood. The magnitude of the influx of lipoprotein particles into hepatocytic endosomal compartments dwarfs that of other macromolecules undergoing receptor-mediated endocytosis and terminal catabolism in lysosomes of these cells. The intracellular compartments and processing steps in hepatocytic lipoprotein uptake and degradation are essentially the same as those described for other ligands in the liver and other cells. Receptors with bound lipoproteins migrate into coated pits which become coated vesicles. These vesicles uncoat and fuse to form CURL vesicles and tubules near the cell surface where most receptors are recycled, presumably via receptor-rich appendages that become separated from the vesicles. CURL vesicles become mature MVBs as they migrate to the Golgi/bile canalicular pole of hepatocytes, where they fuse with putative Golgi-derived primary lysosomes and are transformed into heterophagic secondary lysosomes. MVBs also contain a receptor-rich appendage that may recycle some receptors directly to the cell surface or through adjacent Golgi compartments. Dilated ends of trans-Golgi cisternae contain nascent VLDL undergoing packaging for secretion following their synthesis and assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum. Because these "forming secretory vesicles" resemble remnant-filled MVBs, occur in a similar location in the Golgi area of hepatocytes and coisolate in centrifugal fractions of liver homogenates, there has been considerable confusion about the identity of these compartments. With the aid of specific endocytic and exocytic markers, highly purified and morphologically intact endosomal and Golgi compartments can now be obtained from rat liver homogenates. The availability of these and similar fractions of defined purity should facilitate investigation of the hepatocytic processing of endocytosed and secreted macromolecules. Although chylomicron remnants are also taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis, the nature of the hepatocytic remnant receptor remains elusive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Isolation of rat liver endocytic vesicles using the proton pump as a marker

ATP-driven acidification visualized by the delta pH indicator acridine orange was used as marker for isolation of endocytic vesicles from rat liver. By differential and Percoll density gradient centrifugation, a vesicle fraction was obtained with an approx. 80-fold enriched H+-pump activity. The preparation contained vesicles that had taken up fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran or horseradish peroxidase injected into rats in vivo, proving the presence of endosomes. The H+-pump in these vesicles showed: (a) strict preference for ATP; (b) stimulation by Mg2+ and Mn2+, but not by monovalent cations; (c) stimulation by Cl-, I- and Br-; (d) electrogenicity; (e) insensitivity to vanadate, slight inhibition by oligomycin and strong inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodimide (DCCD). The vesicles exhibited an ouabain-, oligomycin- and levamisole-resistant ATPase activity, which was slightly stimulated by Cl-, unaffected by vanadate and inhibited by NEM and DCCD. Thus, a simple and efficient high-speed centrifugation method is available for isolation of endocytic vesicles from mammalian liver.

In vitro drug delivery mediated by ecto-NAD+-glycohydrolase ligand-targeted liposomes

We have studied the growth-inhibitory potency of methotrexate and methotrexate-gamma-aspartate encapsulated in liposomes conjugated to ligands of ecto-NAD+-glycohydrolase (Salord, J. et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 886 (1986) 64-75). The ability of targeted liposomes to enhance growth inhibition, which amounted to a 4-fold reduction of the drug concentration required to inhibit cell growth by 50% as compared to nontargeted liposomes, was observed only with cells expressing this ecto-enzyme activity, i.e., Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts and RAJI, a Burkitt-type lymphoma cell line. Delivery of the encapsulated drugs was inhibited by NH4Cl and varied with the endocytic capacity of the cells. Only small unilamellar vesicles affected the growth of the lymphoma cells, whereas the fibroblasts were more sensitive to large unilamellar vesicles. With vesicles of appropriate size, there was a good correlation between the specific binding of the targeted liposomes to cells and drug delivery. Our results suggest that ecto-NAD+-glycohydrolase can provide a recognition site on target cells and mediate the internalization of targeted liposomes by a mechanism most probably related to adsorptive endocytosis.

Multiple tissues express alpha 1-antitrypsin in transgenic mice and man

Hepatocytes are considered to be the predominant source of alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT), the major antiprotease in human plasma. The development of emphysema in the hereditary PiZ AAT deficiency state suggests that inhibition of leukocyte elastase in the lung is a major function of this protein. In addition, patients with AAT deficiency are at increased risk for developing cholestasis in infancy and chronic liver disease as adults. The mechanism for hepatic cell injury, however, is not understood. Transgenic mice that express the normal human AAT gene demonstrate abundant AAT in hepatocytes and specific cell types of numerous nonhepatic tissues. Immunoperoxidase techniques have previously disclosed AAT in many of the cell types seen in transgenic mice; however, the issue of local synthesis vs. endocytosis in these cell types has remained unresolved. In this study, AAT mRNA was seen in a variety of tissues in the transgenic mouse. Immunoelectron microscopy of renal tubular and small intestinal epithelial cells in the transgenic mice demonstrated AAT within the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, as in hepatocytes. These findings support the possibility of local synthesis in the various cell types. The results suggest that in addition to maintaining tissue integrity in the lung, the protease/antiprotease balance may have physiological functions in other organs as well.

Exogenous phospholipase C permeabilizes mammalian cells to proteins

Mammalian cells treated with low concentrations of phospholipase C become permeable to the protein toxin alpha-sarcin. A similar permeabilization is not induced upon treatment with other lipases such as phospholipase A2, sphingomyelinase, or cholesterol esterase. Concentrations of 10 micrograms/ml alpha-sarcin almost completely blocked translation in HeLa cells treated with 0.3 U/ml phospholipase C (PL-C) for 1 h. In contrast, 200 micrograms/ml of alpha-sarcin had no effect at all on protein synthesis in untreated cells. Other macromolecules such as horseradish peroxidase and luciferase also enter into cells if they are treated with phospholipase C. This permeabilization method is fully reversible. As soon as 5 min after PL-C removal, the cells become impermeable to alpha-sarcin. Other metabolites such as uridine nucleotides are partially released after PL-C incubation, whereas the content of 86Rb+ remains at control levels, probably because the Na+/K+ ATPase activity increases.

Maternal-embryonic relationships in the goodeid teleost, Xenoophorus captivus. The vacuolar apparatus in trophotaenial absorptive cells and its role in macromolecular transport

The endodermal trophotaenial epithelium in goodeid embryos acts as a placental exchange site. Fine structural and cytochemical data indicate that the trophotaenial absorptive cells are endocytotically highly active. To test their micropinocytotic capacity and characterize the cellular mechanisms involved in membrane, solute and ligand movements, living embryos of Xenoophorus captivus were incubated in saline media containing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and/or cationized ferritin (CF) in vitro, and the uptake of these tracer proteins examined by both time sequence analysis and pulse-chase procedures. In some embryos, the effects of prolonged exposure to CF injected into the ovarian cavity, was also investigated. Labelling of the free cell surface was detectable with CF only, but interiorization of both probes was quick from all incubation media. Adsorptive pinocytosis of CF and fluid-phase uptake of HRP sequentially labelled pinocytic vesicles, endosomes, and lysosome-like bodies. In addition, CF-molecules were sequestered within apical tubules and small vesicles. HRP was largely excluded from both organelles and ended up in the lysosomal compartment. For CF, two alternative pathways were indicated by the pulse-chase experiments; transcellular passage and regurgitation of tracer molecules to the apical cell surface. The latter procedure involves membrane and receptor recycling, in which apical tubules are thought to mediate. In double-tracer experiments, using an 8:1 excess of HRP, external labelling with CF was light or lacking after 1-3 min, and the initial uptake-phase produced pinocytic vesicles and endosomes that mainly contained HRP-reaction product. Prolonged incubation, however, resulted in densely CF-labelled plasmalemmal invaginations and pinocytic vesicles that predominantly carried ferritin granules. After 60 min, the vacuoles of the endosomal compartment contained either high concentrations of HRP-reaction product, both tracers side by side, or virtually exclusively CF.

On internalization of hormone-receptor complex and receptor recycling

Experimental evidence for recycling of receptors and for discontinuous internalization of the hormone-receptor complex by endocytosis, suggests a number of variations on this theme. Simulations based on models of these processes show the possible effects of the variations and suggest experimental strategies. Two examples from the experimental literature are explored. The new parameters associated with endocytosis are threshold for internalization of clusters of the complex, composition of clusters with respect to the complex and uncomplexed receptor and rate constant for cluster formation.

A single amino acid change in the cytoplasmic domain allows the influenza virus hemagglutinin to be endocytosed through coated pits

Through site-specific mutagenesis, three of the ten amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) were individually changed to tyrosines. None of these changes had significant effect on the rate of export, the rate of folding, or the antigenicity of the mutant HAs. However, one of these mutations, substituting tyrosine for cysteine at amino acid 543, changed HA from a protein that was endocytosed at a very low rate to a protein that readily entered coated pits, was internalized, and apparently recycled to the cell surface. Replacement of cysteine 543 with phenylalanine or serine did not increase the rate of internalization of HA. Phosphorylation of the mutant HA bearing a tyrosine at position 543 was not detected. These results indicate a specific and local role for the tyrosine introduced into the cytoplasmic domain of HA that is necessary for interaction of the protein with coated pits.

Effect of ammonium chloride on subcellular distribution of lysosomal enzymes in human fibroblasts

Three subcellular fractions enriched in lysosomal enzyme activities have been isolated recently from human cultured fibroblasts with Percoll gradients: the dense lysosomes (DL), light lysosomes (LL), and light membranous vesicles (LM). They were shown to have different morphological, cytochemical, biochemical, and immunological properties. We now report on the dramatic but different effects of a primary amine, NH4Cl, on these subfractions. The lysosomes, as detected with a specific ultrastructural cytochemical stain for the lysosomal enzyme, arylsulfatase A, were swollen significantly in all these fractions, increasing their volumes by 64% (DL), 53% (LL), and 95% (LM), respectively. When arylsulfatase A enzyme activity was monitored, about half of the DL content was diverted to the LL. However, when newly synthesized arylsulfatase A enzyme protein was monitored with metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation, about 80% of the enzyme protein was depleted from both the DL and LL. In contrast, neither the enzyme activity nor the newly synthesized enzyme protein of arylsulfatase A was greatly altered in the LM fraction by the treatment. Since primary amines caused newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes to diverge from the lysosomal route to a secretory pathway, it was deduced that (i) the LM fraction corresponded to a prelysosomal compartment whose lysosomal enzyme content was not affected by the amine and was thus proximal to the point of diversion between the secretory and lysosomal pathways; (ii) the LL and DL fractions were distal to the point of diversion since both fractions were depleted of their newly synthesized lysosomal enzyme; and (iii) the sorting of newly synthesized lysosomal enzyme may be different from that of the preexisting pool of the same enzyme since the LL fraction was depleted of its newly synthesized enzyme protein while accumulating excessive enzyme activity.

In vivo [3H]spiperone binding: evidence for accumulation in corpus striatum by agonist-mediated receptor internalization

The processes of receptor internalization and recycling have been well-documented for receptors for hormones, growth factors, lysosomal enzymes, and cellular substrates. Evidence also exists that these processes also occur for beta-adrenergic, muscarinic cholinergic, and delta-opiate receptors in frog erythrocytes or cultured nervous tissue. In this study, evidence is presented that agonist-mediated receptor internalization and recycling occurs at the dopamine receptor in rat corpus striatum. First, the in vivo binding of the dopamine antagonist [3H]spiperone was increased by both electrical stimulation and pharmacologically induced increases of dopamine release. Conversely, depletion of dopamine with reserpine decreased in vivo [3H]spiperone binding, but the same reserpine treatment did not alter its in vitro binding. Second, the rate of dissociation of [3H]spiperone from microsomal membranes prepared from rat striatum following in vivo binding was fivefold slower than its dissociation following in vitro equilibrium binding. Mild detergent treatment, employed to disrupt endocytic vesicle membranes, increased the rate of dissociation of in vivo bound [3H]spiperone from microsomal membranes to values not significantly different from its in vitro bound dissociation rate. Third, treatment of rats with chloroquine, a drug that prevents receptor recycling but not internalization, prior to [3H]spiperone injection resulted in a selective increase of in vivo [3H]spiperone binding in the light microsome membranes. The existence of mechanisms that rapidly alter the number of neurotransmitter receptors at synapses provides dynamic regulation of receptors in response to varied acute stimulation states.

Role for intracellular proteases in the processing and transport of class II HLA antigens

Human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) incubated with the protease inhibitor leupeptin accumulate complexes of class II HLA antigens with a series of Mr 21,000-23,000 basic proteins termed leupeptin-induced proteins (LIP). The appearance of class II antigen-associated LIP coincides with the disappearance of class II antigen-associated invariant (I) chain. Glycopeptides generated by in vitro proteolysis of LIP and I chain using Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease are identical as determined by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. These results suggest that LIP is a proteolytic product derived from the I chain and are consistent with the view that further in vivo proteolysis of LIP by a leupeptin-sensitive enzyme normally facilitates its release from class II antigens. Incubation of B-LCL with monensin, which traps class II antigens and associated I chain in the Golgi apparatus, or chloroquine, which neutralizes intracellular acidic compartments and inhibits I-chain dissociation, blocks the leupeptin-induced appearance of LIP. Treatment of LIP with endoglycosidases F and H shows that both of its N-linked oligosaccharides are in the complex form, indicating that proteolysis of class II antigen-associated I chain to generate LIP occurs in a late-Golgi or post-Golgi compartment. The compartment in which these proteolytic events occur may be identical to the site in macrophages and B lymphocytes where foreign antigens are processed and interact with class II HLA molecules.

Analysis of intracellular receptor/ligand sorting in endosomes

After binding to specific cell surface receptors, many extracellular ligand molecules are internalized via the process termed receptor-mediated endocytosis. Within the cell, in endosomes, a sorting process occurs: receptors and ligands are directed along various intracellular pathways. The extent of this intracellular separation of receptors from ligands has been shown experimentally to vary with receptor and ligand properties such as binding affinity and valency. In this paper, we propose and analyze a simple model mechanism for the sorting process based on binding and dissociation kinetics along with diffusive molecular transport. We show that the outcome of the sorting process can be directly linked to measurable parameters such as the intrinsic rate constants for the binding to, dissociation from, and crosslinking of receptors by ligands. We further show that this mechanism is able to account for the wide range of reported experimental observations. Manipulation of ligand and receptor properties guided by the results presented here may enable the outcome of the sorting process to be controlled.

Cytoplasmic pH is differently regulated in the monoblastic U-937 and erythroleukemic K-562 cell lines

Regulation of cytoplasmic pH (pHi) of the human monoblastic U-937 and erythroleukemic K-562 cell lines was investigated. The apparent resting pHi, as assessed by the fluorescent pH probe quenel, were 6.61 and 6.75 for the U-937 and K-562 cells, respectively. When extracellular Na+ was substituted by equimolar choline+, pHi decreased by about 0.2 units. The protein kinase C activating beta-form of the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 10(-10) and 10(-7) M) induced a dose-dependent alkalinization in both cell types of 0.03-0.12 units, whereas the alpha-form was inactive. The response was detectable after about 2 min and reached steady-state 10-15 min later. In the K-562 cells the alkalinization was mediated by Na+/H+ exchange as it was accompanied by stimulation of H+ extrusion and abolished by Na+ removal. The TPA response in the U-937 cells, however, was unaffected by Na+ removal, not accompanied by H+-efflux, and thus unrelated to Na+/H+ exchange. Since electron microscopy indicated development of multivesicular bodies with an acidic interior, the alkalinization can probably be accounted for by an intracellular mechanism. Ionomycin (10(-5) M) induced a rapid increase in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration of both cell types and this response was accompanied by acidification followed by a Na+-dependent recovery. In the U-937, but not in the K-562, cells this recovery was followed by a net alkalinization. It is concluded that both cell types possess a Na+/H+ exchange of importance for pHi but that this mechanism is regulated differently in the U-937 and K-562 cells.

Effects of monensin on the receptor-mediated endocytosis of 125I-labelled IgG by guinea-pig yolk sac in vitro

The effects of the carboxylic ionophore, monensin, on the receptor-mediated binding and uptake of 125I-labelled IgG by the guinea-pig yolk sac have been studied in vitro. Exposure of tissue to 10 microM monensin resulted in a rapid inhibition of uptake which correlated with a time- and temperature-dependent loss of cell-surface receptor activity. Monensin appeared to bring about a change in receptor distribution since the lost activity could be detected after permeabilizing the tissue with saponin. Electron microscopic examination of monensin-treated tissue revealed that the apical plasma membrane of endoderm cells was depleted of coated and uncoated pits and that the apical cytoplasm contained numerous large vacuoles. Dilation of the Golgi apparatus was also observed. Normal surface receptor activity and ultrastructural features could be largely recovered by removal of monensin. Recovery of receptor activity was unaffected by the presence of cycloheximide. These results are consistent with a model in which IgG receptors are recycled and in which monensin blocks this process by causing receptors to be trapped intracellularly. Ammonium chloride or a combination of valinomycin and carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoromethoxy)-phenylhydrazone also brought about a loss of surface IgG receptors, lending support to the idea that inhibition of recycling was the result of perturbation of an intracellular acidification event and implying that passage through an acidic compartment may be important for correct receptor processing.

Intracellular processing of growth hormone receptors by adipocytes in primary culture

Rat adipocytes in primary culture have been used to study the intracellular processing of growth hormone (GH) receptors. Pretreatment of adipocytes with 20 micrograms/ml cycloheximide resulted in a rapid decline (t1/2 approximately 45 min) of the 125I-human growth hormone (hGH) binding capacity of the cells. This decline occurred at a faster rate in the presence of extracellular unlabeled hGH (400 ng/ml) and was not due to receptor occupancy. These data suggest that GH receptors turn over rapidly and constitutively on the plasma membrane and in the absence of protein synthesis are not replaced. Dissociation of GH-receptor complexes was shown not to occur at pH 5.5, the pH encountered in the acidic pre-lysosomal compartments (endosomes) where intracellular dissociation of many hormone-receptor complexes takes place. These data, together, suggest that the majority of GH receptors are not recycled but instead suffer the same fate as the majority of GH, i.e. degradation. To determine the rate of appearance of GH receptors at the cell surface, adipocytes were first treated with trypsin and then incubated at 37 degrees C to permit incorporation of any available GH receptors into the plasma membrane. Binding of 125I-hGH recovered to pre-trypsin levels by 2 h. This recovery was completely blocked by concomitant treatment with monensin, cytochalasin B, colchicine and 2,4-dinitrophenol. NH4Cl had no effect on receptor recovery. These data suggest that once GH receptors are synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum, they travel via the Golgi apparatus to the plasma membrane (by processes involving both microfilaments and microtubules) and are then inserted into the plasma membrane in an energy-dependent step.