The stereospecific D-glucose transport activity of cholate extracts from human erythrocyte membranes

Liposome chromatography: liposomes immobilized in gel beads as a stationary phase for aqueous column chromatography

Liposomes have been used as a stationary phase for column chromatography with an aqueous mobile phase. They were immobilized in the pores of carrier gel beads by two methods: (A) hydrophobic ligands were coupled to the matrix of gel beads, which then were packed into a column and liposomes were applied and became associated with the ligands by hydrophobic interaction; and (B) phospholipids and detergent were dialysed in the presence of gel beads; many of the liposomes that formed in the pores of the beads were sterically immobilized by the gel matrix. Proteoliposomes containing red cell glucose transport protein in the lipid bilayers were immobilized in a column by method A. This column retained D-glucose longer than L-glucose. In contrast to L-glucose, D-glucose was transported into and out of the immobilized liposomes, causing an increased retention. Liposomes with (stearylamine)+ or (phosphatidylserine)- in their lipid bilayers were immobilized by method B and the gel beads were packed into a column. A protein of opposite charge was applied in excess. Under suitable conditions, the protein molecules became close-packed on the liposome surfaces. Ion-exchange chromatographic experiments with proteins showed that these sterically immobilized liposomes were also stable enough to be used as a stationary phase. The loss of lipids was 5-23% in the first run at high protein load and with sodium chloride gradient elution but was lower in subsequent runs. It is proposed that water-soluble molecules can be separated and their interactions with liposome surfaces studied by chromatography on immobilized liposomes in detergent-free aqueous solution. Membrane proteins can be inserted and ligands can be anchored in the lipid bilayers for chromatographic purposes.

The human red cell glucose transporter in octyl glucoside. High specific activity of monomers in the presence of membrane lipids

Human red cell membranes were stripped of peripheral proteins and partially solubilized with 50-260 mM octyl glucoside at 2-14 mg protein/ml, to find conditions that afford a high concentration of active glucose transporter after purification on DEAE-cellulose. Transporter-egg yolk phospholipid vesicles were prepared by gel filtration. The specific D-glucose equilibrium exchange activities increased with increasing dilution of the glucose transporter. At 260 mM octyl glucoside the glucose transporter became partially denaturated. At 225 mM detergent the DEAE-cellulose chromatography showed one main and one minor fraction of active glucose transporter. Nucleoside transport activity was enriched in the minor fraction. Solubilization with 75 mM octyl glucoside at 8 mg protein/ml gave a maximal concentration of purified transporter, 0.8 mg/ml, probably corresponding to complete solubilization. The phospholipids were partially retarded on the DEAE-cellulose. The specific D-glucose equilibrium exchange was high, up to 200 nmol glucose/micrograms transporter in two min at 50 mM glucose. High performance gel filtration in octyl glucoside indicated that the transporter formed dimers during the fractionation. These eluted at Mr 125,000, partially separated from the phospholipids, which appeared at Mr 55,000 (cf. Mascher, E. and Lundahl, P. (1987) J. Chromatogr. 397, 175-186). The D-glucose transport activity was low in the main fraction and high in the transporter-phospholipid fraction. Mixing of these fractions did not increase the activity. The glucose transporter is probably dependent on one or more specific membrane lipid(s). Presumably the transporter dimerizes and loses activity upon removal of these lipids.

High-performance agarose gel chromatography in octyl glucoside of integral membrane proteins from human red cells, with special reference to the glucose transporter

Integral membrane proteins and lipids from human red cells were fractionated in the presence of octyl glucoside by high-performance gel chromatography on a 22-ml column of the small-bead cross-linked agarose gel Superose 6, at 5 degrees C, pH 7.6 and 30-50 mM detergent. To avoid aggregation a relatively high flow-rate, 9 ml/h, was chosen. At low ionic strength four main fractions were resolved, which contained anion transporter multimers(I), glycophorin oligomers(II), glucose transporter dimers(III) and phospholipids(IV). In 0.5 M sodium chloride the resolution was lower but the yield of the glucose transporter was markedly higher, and chromatography of partially purified glucose transporter gave a protein recovery of about 90%. The apparent Mr values for the octyl glucoside complexes of the main components were: anion transporter, 900,000; glycophorin A, 210,000-360,000, dependent on ionic strength; glucose transporter, 110,000-160,000; lipids, 70,000. Some components aggregated with time: at a flow-rate of 1 ml/h mainly glycophorins and the glucose transporter were eluted, but no anion transporter, and fractionation performed 20 h after solubilization showed extensive aggregation of proteins. Superose-6 chromatography of glucose transporter and membrane lipids that had been isolated on DEAE-cellulose partially resolved the transporter and the phospholipid fractions. In this case, the resolution was better with 50 than with 30 mM detergent. The maximum glucose transport activity was approximately one-tenth of that observed before fractionation and appeared in two main fractions, at the main transporter fraction as well as at the overlap between the transporter and the lipids. The activity level was the same in both fractions, although the protein concentration was much lower in the second one. Addition of 2 mM egg-yolk phospholipids to the eluent did not increase the activity. This strongly indicates that the glucose transporter needs some specific membrane lipids to retain high transport activity. At the concentration of ca. 0.3 mg/ml used, the glucose transporter was probably eluted as a dimer in the absence of phospholipids and as a monomer in their presence.

Improved preparation of the integral membrane proteins of human red cells, with special reference to the glucose transporter

Human red cell membranes were isolated and partially stripped of peripheral proteins by gel filtration of hemolysates on a Sepharose CL-4B column at pH 8 connected in tandem to a Sepharose CL-6B column at pH 10.5. The eluted material was washed by centrifugations, once at pH 10.5 and twice at pH 12. In this way, water-soluble proteins and peripheral membrane proteins were thoroughly removed, and 0.2 g of integral membrane proteins could be prepared within 10 h from 0.2 litre of red cells. The exposure to high pH did not lower the D-glucose transport activity, and electrophoretically pure glucose transport protein could be isolated from this preparation. Gel filtration in sodium dodecyl sulfate separated the integral membrane components into four fractions, one of them containing 4.5-material; gel electrophoresis showed about 14 zones and two-dimensional electrophoresis resolved up to 100 mostly minor components, among which the glucose transporter focused around pH 7. However, purified glucose transporter focused around pH 8. Glucose and nucleoside transport proteins were co-purified in active form on DEAE-cellulose and a fraction isolated by adsorption to Mono Q was used for immunization of mice and production of monoclonal antibodies. One hybridoma produced antibodies that reacted with material in the 4.5-region, possibly the glucose transport protein, and not with band 3-material. Upon two-dimensional electrophoresis of integral membrane components that had been solubilized with octyl glucoside the immunoreactive and the silver-stained 4.5-material focused in a broad range from pH 6 to pH 9. A possible explanation for this heterogeneity might be interaction between the glucose and nucleoside transport proteins and negatively charged lipids.

Solubilization, reconstitution, and attempted affinity chromatography of the sugar transporter of the erythrocyte membrane

Reconstitution of the sugar transport system of human erythrocytes into artificial liposomes was achieved by freezing, thawing, and sonicating preformed phospholipid vesicles in the presence of intact ghosts, protein-depleted ghosts, or detergent-treated ghosts. D-glucose equilibrium exchange activities and affinity constants in the range of the reported erythrocyte values were reached in the best experiments. Whereas the extraction of peripheral membrane proteins did not depress the transport function crucially after reconstituting these protein-depleted ghosts, the selective solubilization of integral membrane proteins by a variety of nonionic detergents resulted in an uncontrollable, continuously increasing inactivation of the carrier. However, Emulphogene BC-720 extracts could be prepared in which the glucose transporter retained activity for days at 4 degrees C. These extracts were applied to affinity chromatography matrices of phloretin-Agarose, prepared by coupling phloretinyl-3'-benzylamine (PBA) to CH-Sepharose 4B and to Affigel 202. Although the solubilized sugar transporter appeared to be selectively adsorbed to both PBA matrices, it could not be eluted by specific counter ligands or gentle eluants in a biologically active form. However, chaotropic agents could be used to elute intrinsic proteins, including bands 3 and 4.5, from the Affigel affinity medium.

Fractionation of human red cell membrane proteins by ion-exchange chromatography in detergent on Mono Q, with special reference to the glucose transporter

The anion exchanger Mono Q has been used for rapid and efficient fractionation of human red cell membrane proteins in the easily removable detergents n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside or nonanoyl-N-methylglucamide. In practice the chromatographic resolution of membrane proteins was lower than for water-soluble proteins, perhaps due to protein-protein interactions and microheterogeneity, but several components, or groups of components, separated well upon salt gradient elution. The glucose transporter (or transportase) was eluted early, glycophorins later, and the anion transporter still later. The detergents Berol 185 and the zwitter-ionic derivatives of cholate, 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulphonat e and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-2-hydroxy-1-propan esulphonate, gave similar chromatographic results but differed in solubilization selectivity. A relatively pure material was also fractionated; viz., a glucose transportase which had been prepared by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Mono Q, in the presence of octyl glucoside, afforded additional purification, which made automatic sequence determination possible for eighteen amino acid residues. The results indicate that two polypeptides were present in about equimolar amounts.

The reconstitution of the human erythrocyte sugar transporter in planar bilayer membranes

The degradation of human erythrocyte membrane proteins in relation to the identification of the monosaccharide transporter has been investigated in whole membrane preparations and membrane protein extracts by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium n-dodecyl sulphate and iodine-125 labelling. Evidence is presented for the degradation of band 3 polypeptide to lower molecular weight material some of which appears in region 4.5 of the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profile. It is found that the degradation process is inhibited by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride and is only significant in membrane extracts in the absence of detergent (Triton X-100) and on prolonged incubation at 37 degrees C, conditions which do not prevail during the isolation of membrane protein extracts for reconstitution studies. Extracts of band 3 and band 4.5 have been prepared and reconstituted in bilayer lipid membranes. The permeabilities of the reconstituted systems to D-glucose have been investigated and it is found that only bilayers incorporating band 4.5 exhibited enhanced monosaccharide transport. A linear relationship between D-glucose transport and the concentration of protein in the aqueous phase bathing the bilayers suggests a partitioning of the protein into the bilayer. Reconstitution is stereospecific and inhibited by cytochalasin B.