Labeling of plasma membrane glycoconjugates by terminal glycosylation (galactosyltransferase and glycosidase)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium modify the composition of the phagosomal membrane in infected macrophages by selective depletion of cell surface-derived glycoconjugates

The growth of pathogenic mycobacteria in phagosomes of the host cell correlates with their ability to prevent phagosome maturation. The underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. In a previous study, we have shown that Mycobacterium avium depletes the phagosome membrane of cell surface-derived glycoconjugates (de Chastellier and Thilo, Eur. J. Cell Biol. 81, 17-25, 2002). We now extended these quantitative observations to the major human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv). At increasing times after infection of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages, cell-surface glycoconjugates were labelled enzymatically with [3H]galactose. Subsequent endocytic membrane traffic resulted in a redistribution of this label from the cell surface to endocytic membranes, including phagosomes. The steady-state distribution was measured by quantitative autoradiography at the electron microscope level. Relative to early endosomes, with which phagosomes continued to fuse and rapidly exchange membrane constituents, the phagosome membrane was depleted about 3-fold, starting during infection and in the course of 9 days thereafter. These results were in quantitative agreement with our previous observations for Mycobacterium avium. For the latter case, we now showed by cell fractionation that the depletion was selective, mainly involving glycoproteins in the 110-210 kDa range. Together, these results indicated that pathogenic mycobacteria induced and maintained a bulk change in phagosome membrane composition that could be of special relevance for survival of pathogenic mycobacteria within phagosomes.

Pathogenic Mycobacterium avium remodels the phagosome membrane in macrophages within days after infection

As part of their strategy for intracellular survival, mycobacteria prevent maturation of the phagosomes in which they reside inside macrophages. The molecular basis for this inhibition is only now beginning to emerge, by way of the molecular characterisation of the phagosome membrane when it encloses virulent mycobacteria. Our own work has shown that at 15 days after the phagocytic uptake of Mycobacterium avium by mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages, the phagosome membrane is depleted about 4-fold for cell surface-derived membrane glycoconjugates, labelled by exogalactosylation, in comparison to the membrane of early endosomes with which it continues to interact. Here we asked whether this depletion occurred at early or late stages after infection. We found that only about half of the depletion had occurred at about 5 hours after the beginning of phagocytic uptake, with the remainder becoming established thereafter, with a half-time of about 2.5 days. Phagosomes became depleted in relation to early endosomes with which they continued to exchange membrane constituents. Early endosomes themselves became gradually depleted by about 30% during the 15-day post-infection period. In contrast, late endosomes/lysosomes remained unchanged, with a concentration of surface-derived glycoconjugates between that of early endosomes and of phagosomes at day 15 post infection. In view of the slowness of the post-infection change of phagosome membrane composition, we proposed that this change did not play a role in preventing maturation immediately after phagosome formation, but rather correlated with the process of maintaining the phagosomes in an immature state.

Maturation of early endosomes and vesicular traffic to lysosomes in relation to membrane recycling

The controversy whether endocytic processing occurs by organellar maturation or by vesicular traffic has not been resolved. It is also not clear whether maturation continues to the stage of lysosomes, to what extent it involves a decrease in organellar fusogenicity, and how it relates to membrane recycling. Maturation and vesicular traffic imply distinct kinetics for the intermingling of endocytic markers after sequential endocytic uptake. We have studied the kinetics of intermingling of fluid-phase markers (fluorescein-labelled dextran and horseradish peroxidase) and cell surface-derived membrane (labelled by galactosylation) in organelles at early and late stages of the endocytic pathway in macrophage-like P388D1 cells. Intermingling declined by sigmoid kinetics, indicating that endosomes matured within about 3 minutes to become non-fusogenic towards early endosomes. During maturation about 60% of internalized membrane was recycled with T1/2 approximately 2 minutes. Whereas matured endosomes were non-fusogenic towards early endosomes and towards each other, a second phase of intermingling was observed upon delivery to lysosomes. This intermingling occurred by a first-order process (T1/2 approximately 4 minutes), concurrent with recycling of the remaining 40% of internalized membrane marker. These kinetic observations suggest a model for endocytic processing which reconciles maturation of early endosomes with the known function of carrier vesicles: Endocytic carrier vesicles do not bud off from permanent early endosomes as proposed for vesicular traffic, but are derived, together with recycling vesicles, from the maturation of early endosomes which are consumed by this process; these carrier vesicles subsequently mediate delivery to lysosomes by vesicular traffic during which the remaining surface-derived membrane is recycled.

A novel method for measuring protein expression at the cell surface

All methods described in the literature that allow quantitative measurements of protein expression at the cell surface are applicable to subsets of surface-exposed proteins only. We developed a new method, involving 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) cytochemistry, which allowed determination of cell-surface expression of all plasma membrane proteins measured, in at least three different cell lines. Adherent cells were first brought into suspension by proteinase K and EDTA treatment at 0 degrees C removing many, but not all, surface-exposed proteins. Subsequently, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was linked by means of its glycosyl residues to specific cell-surface-exposed sugar moieties using the multivalent lectin concanavalin A (ConA). The suspended cells were encapsulated by polymerized DAB, a process that was catalysed by plasma membrane-bound HRP. After cell lysis, and removal of nuclei and most of the DAB polymer by centrifugation, proteins were analysed by SDS-PAGE. Surface proteins encapsulated by non-pelleted DAB polymer were retained on top of the stacking gel. After 125I-labelling the cell surface, protease-resistant 125I-labelled proteins could be quantitatively coupled to DAB polymer. This process was completely dependent on the presence of ConA, HRP, DAB and H2O2. Surface 125I-labelled beta-Na+,K(+)-ATPase was resistant to proteinase K but could be completely removed using DAB cytochemistry. Intracellular ConA binding proteins were not affected. Other intracellular proteins, including endosomal asialoglycoprotein receptor and cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor were also not affected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Low density lipoprotein receptor and cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor are transported from the cell surface to the Golgi apparatus at equal rates in PC12 cells

Efficient transport of cell surface glycoproteins to the Golgi apparatus has been previously demonstrated for a limited number of proteins, and has been proposed to require selective sorting in the endocytic pathway after internalization. We have studied the endocytic fate of several glycoproteins that accumulate in different organelles in a variant clone of PC12, a regulated secretory cell line. The cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor and the low density lipoprotein receptor, both rapidly internalized from the cell surface, and the synaptic vesicle membrane protein synaptophysin, were transported to the Golgi apparatus with equivalent, nonlinear kinetics. Transport to the Golgi apparatus (t1/2 = 2.5-3.0 h) was several times faster than turnover of these proteins (t1/2 greater than or equal to 20 h), indicating that transport of these proteins to the Golgi apparatus occurred on average several times for each protein. In contrast, Thy-1, a protein anchored in the membrane by a glycosylphosphoinositide group, was internalized and transported to the Golgi apparatus more slowly than the three transmembrane proteins. Since each of the transmembrane proteins studied showed the same t1/2 for transport to the Golgi apparatus, we conclude that transport of these proteins from the cell surface to the Golgi apparatus does not require sorting information specific to any one of these proteins. These results suggest that one of the functions of late endosomes is constitutive recycling of cell surface receptors through the Golgi apparatus if they fail to recycle to the cell surface directly from early endosomes, and that the late endosome recycling pathway is followed frequently by many rapidly internalized proteins.

Turnover and compartmentation of gp70/p15 E in psi 2 cells

The distribution of Moloney murine leukemia virus gp70/p15 E between cell surface and intracellular compartments and the kinetics of transfer between these compartments was examined in psi 2 cells. A novel biotin derivatization and recovery assay was used to quantitate pulse-labeled protein accessible at 4 degrees C (cell surface), 18 degrees C (cell surface and an intracellular compartment), or inaccessible at any temperature. Cell surface (4 degrees C) gp70 and p15 E turn over more rapidly than intracellular pools of these proteins. The decrease in cell surface gp70 and p15 E after one hour of chase is accounted for by an increase in that which is inaccessible to biotinyl reagent.

Trichostrongylus colubriformis: analysis of monoclonal antibody and lectin binding to the larval cuticle

A monoclonal antibody (VRI 86-1) raised against third stage Trichostrongylus colubriformis preferentially bound to the excretory pore of living exsheathed larvae, with little or no binding to other sites on the parasite surface. A similar binding pattern was observed with fluorescein-labelled wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), although the anterior end of the parasite was also stained. To gain information at the molecular level regarding the parasite components at these sites, the residues recognized by WGA (i.e. N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylneuraminic acid) were radiolabelled on the surface of living larvae. After homogenization and detergent extraction of the larvae, four dominant bands and a number of minor bands were revealed by SDS-PAGE and fluorography. None of these bands was specifically immunoprecipitated or recognized on a Western blot by VRI 86-1, suggesting that the epitope recognized by this antibody either resides on a different molecule or is destroyed or changed during the radiolabelling procedures. These results provide further evidence that the nematode cuticle is not uniform at the molecular level, and that the excretory pore contains molecules and antigens that may be unique to that site.

Intracellular movement of two mannose 6-phosphate receptors: return to the Golgi apparatus

We have used Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and a murine lymphoma cell line to study the recycling of the 215-kD and the 46-kD mannose 6-phosphate receptors to various regions of the Golgi to determine the site where the receptors first encounter newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes. For assessing return to the trans-most Golgi compartments containing sialyltransferase (trans-cisternae and trans-Golgi network), the oligosaccharides of receptor molecules on the cell surface were labeled with [3H]galactose at 4 degrees C. Upon warming to 37 degrees C, the [3H]galactose residues on both receptors were substituted with sialic acid with a t1/2 approximately 3 hrs. Other glycoproteins acquired sialic acid at least 8-10 times slower. Return of the receptors to the trans-Golgi cisternae containing galactosyltransferase could not be detected. Return to the cis/middle Golgi cisternae containing alpha-mannosidase I was measured by adding deoxymannojirimycin, a mannosidase I inhibitor, during the initial posttranslational passage of [3H]mannose-labeled glycoproteins through the Golgi, thereby preserving oligosaccharides which would be substrates for alpha-mannosidase I. After removal of the inhibitor, return to the early Golgi with subsequent passage through the Golgi complex was measured by determining the conversion of the oligosaccharides from high mannose to complex-type units. This conversion was very slow for the receptors and other glycoproteins (t1/2 approximately 20 h). Exposure of the receptors and other glycoproteins to the dMM-sensitive alpha-mannosidase without movement through the Golgi apparatus was determined by measuring the loss of mannose residues from these proteins. This loss was also slow. These results indicate that both Man-6-P receptors routinely return to the Golgi compartment which contains sialyltransferase and recycle through other regions of the Golgi region less frequently. We infer that the trans-Golgi network is the major site for lysosomal enzyme sorting in CHO and murine lymphoma cells.

Limited and selective transfer of plasma membrane glycoproteins to membrane of secondary lysosomes

Radioactive galactose, covalently bound to cell surface glycoconjugates on mouse macrophage cells, P388D1, was used as a membrane marker to study the composition, and the kinetics of exchange, of plasma membrane-derived constituents in the membrane of secondary lysosomes. Secondary lysosomes were separated from endosomes and plasma membrane on self-forming Percoll density gradients. Horseradish peroxidase, taken up by fluid-phase pinocytosis, served as a vesicle contents marker to monitor transfer of endosomal contents into secondary lysosomes. Concurrently, the fraction of plasma membrane-derived label in secondary lysosomes increased by first order kinetics (k = [56 min]-1) from less than 0.1% (background level) to a steady-state level of approximately 2.5% of the total label. As analyzed by NaDodSO4 PAGE, labeled molecules of Mr 160-190 kD were depleted and of Mr 100-120 kD were enriched in lysosome membrane compared with the relative composition of label on the cell surface. No corresponding selectivity was observed for the degradation of label, with all Mr classes being affected to the same relative extent. The results indicate that endocytosis-derived transfer of plasma membrane constituents to secondary lysosomes is a limited and selective process, and that only approximately 1% of internalized membrane is recycled via a membrane pool of secondary lysosomes.

Quantification of endocytosis-derived membrane traffic

The main data covered by this article have been summarized in Table I. A fairly uniform picture is obtained for endocytosis-derived membrane transfer and compartmentation. This may be due to the limited amount of information and the resulting low resolution. Data on mainly three cell types are presented: macrophages, fibroblasts and amoebae. The data vary as much for one cell type as between different cells. Therefore, no possible differences related to cell function emerge. More detailed data, for more cell types, may change the picture. The values for cell surface area, although significantly different in absolute terms (column S in Table I), are rather similar when related to cell diameter, all being about 3-fold in excess of the surface area of the smooth sphere of comparable volume (column xi in Table I). The rate of plasma membrane internalization for macrophages and amoebae both professional phagocytes, is about 2 cell surface area equivalents per h or more. This may be somewhat higher than for fibroblasts (column PM/h in Table I). The average residence time for membrane on the cell surface, therefore, is about 30 min. A most interesting finding seems to be the rather uniform values obtained for the average size (volume weighted) of primary pinosomes, being about 0.3 micron in diameter (column phi-Internalization in Table I). Due to their rapid increase in size as a result of fusion (cf. Fig. 2), it has not been feasible to directly measure the size of primary pinosomes by morphometric means. The values in Table I, give no information on the size distributions of primary pinosomes and on whether these consist of one or more size classes. The steady-state average diameter of pinosomes is noticeably larger than that of primary pinosomes (column phi-pinosomes in Table I; cf. Table II for Acanthamoebae). The corresponding decrease in surface-to-volume ratio can make about 50% of pinosomal membrane available for recycling directly from this membrane compartment. Membrane recycling from the pinosomal compartment occurs after an average residence time of about 3 min for macrophages and 4-6 min for fibroblasts (column tau-pinosomes in Table I). The relative pool size of intracellular membranes participating in shuttling to and from the cell surface is significantly different for animal cells and amoebae (column rho in Table I). For macrophages, fibroblasts, CHO cells, and mast cells, this intracellular membrane pool amounts to about 10-20% the plasma membrane area, compared to 150-200% in the case of amoebae.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Selective internalization of granule membrane after secretion in mast cells

[3H]Galactose, covalently bound to cell surface glycoconjugates of rat peritoneal mast cells, was used to study internalization of labeled plasma membrane and granule membrane constituents before or after secretion stimulated by compound 48/80. Internalized label was distinguished quantitatively from label on the cell surface by its inaccessibility to enzymatic removal. Three different situations were compared. (i) With label only on the plasma membrane, and in the absence of secretion, incubation at 37 degrees C (but not at 0 degree C) resulted in a gradual decrease of label on the cell surface until, after approximately equal to 2 hr, a steady state was reached with 93% of all cell-bound label remaining on the cell surface. Recycling of internalized label was demonstrated. (ii) When cells were labeled on the plasma membrane and then stimulated to secrete, subsequent retrieval of (unlabeled) granule membrane did not affect the rate or extent of simultaneous internalization of labeled plasma membrane. (iii) When both plasma membrane and exposed granule membrane were labeled after secretion, subsequent incubation at 37 degrees C (but not at 0 degrees C) resulted in approximately equal to 33% of all cell-bound label becoming internalized during 4 hr, indicating additional internalization of label due to retrieval of labeled granule membrane. In all three cases, loss of label into the medium occurred with a half-life of 8-11 hr, showing that no extensive shedding of granule membrane occurred after secretion. The results suggest either that no mixing of labeled membrane constituents occurred between the plasma membrane and granule membrane or that during retrieval of granule membrane, sorting of membrane was taking place at the cell surface.