Further characterization of intestinal lactase/phlorizin hydrolase

Lactase deficiency in Russia: multiethnic genetic study

BACKGROUND

Lactase persistence-the ability to digest lactose through adulthood-is closely related to evolutionary adaptations and has affected many populations since the beginning of cattle breeding. Nevertheless, the contrast initial phenotype, lactase non-persistence or adult lactase deficiency, is still observed in large numbers of people worldwide.

METHODS

We performed a multiethnic genetic study of lactase deficiency on 24,439 people, the largest in Russia to date. The percent of each population group was estimated according to the local ancestry inference results. Additionally, we calculated frequencies of rs4988235 GG genotype in Russian regions using the information of current location and birthplace data from the client's questionnaire.

RESULTS

The attained results show that among all studied population groups, the frequency of GG genotype in rs4988235 is higher than the average in the European populations. In particular, the prevalence of lactase deficiency genotype in the East Slavs group was 42.8% (95% CI: 42.1-43.4%). We also investigated the regional prevalence of lactase deficiency based on the current place of residence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study emphasizes the significance of genetic testing for diagnostics, i.e., specifically for lactose intolerance parameter, as well as the scale of the problem of lactase deficiency in Russia which needs to be addressed by the healthcare and food sectors.

A comprehensive overview of substrate specificity of glycoside hydrolases and transporters in the small intestine : "A gut feeling"

The human body is able to process and transport a complex variety of carbohydrates, unlocking their nutritional value as energy source or as important building block. The endogenous glycosyl hydrolases (glycosidases) and glycosyl transporter proteins located in the enterocytes of the small intestine play a crucial role in this process and digest and/or transport nutritional sugars based on their structural features. It is for these reasons that glycosidases and glycosyl transporters are interesting therapeutic targets to combat sugar related diseases (such as diabetes) or to improve drug delivery. In this review we provide a detailed overview focused on the molecular structure of the substrates involved as a solid base to start from and to fuel research in the area of therapeutics and diagnostics.

Weaning affects the glycosidase activity towards phenolic glycosides in the gut of piglets

Phenolic compounds in pig diets, originating either from feed ingredients or additives, may occur as glycosides, that is conjugated to sugar moieties. Upon ingestion, their bioavailability and functionality depend on hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond by endogenous or microbial glycosidases. Hence, it is essential to map the glycosidase activities towards phenolic glycosides present along gut. Therefore, the activity of three key glycosidases, that is α-glucosidase (αGLU), β-glucosidase (βGLU) and β-galactosidase (βGAL), was quantified in small intestinal mucosa and digesta of piglets at different gastrointestinal sites (stomach, three parts of small intestine, caecum and colon) and at different ages around weaning (10 days before and 0, 2, 5, 14 and 28 days after weaning). Activity assays were performed with p-nitrophenyl glycosides at neutral pH. The αGLU activities in mucosa and digesta were low (overall means 1.4 and 60 U respectively) as compared to βGLU (15.2 and 199 U) and βGAL (23.4 and 298 U; p < .001). Moreover, αGLU activity in mucosa was unaffected by age. Conversely, βGLU and βGAL activities dropped significantly after weaning. Minimal levels, ranging between 18% and 54% of the pre-weaning values, were reached at 5 days post-weaning. Similarly, in small intestinal digesta, reductions from 60% up to 90% were observed for the three enzyme activities on day five post-weaning as compared to pre-weaning levels. In caecal contents, activities were lowest at 14 days post-weaning, while in stomach and colon no clear weaning-induced effects were observed. Our data suggest that weaning affects the glycosidase activity in mucosa (mainly endogenous origin) and digesta (primarily bacterial origin) with the most pronounced effects occurring 5 days post-weaning. Moreover, differences in activities exist between different glycosidases and between gut locations. These insights can facilitate the prediction of the fate of existing and newly synthetized glycosides after oral ingestion in piglets.

New insights into the molecular basis of lactase non-persistence/persistence: a brief review

Lactose, a disaccharide and main carbohydrate in milk, requires hydrolysis in the intestinal tract to release its monosaccharides galactose and glucose for use as energy source by enterocytes. This hydrolysis is catalyzed by the enzyme lactase, a β-galactosidase located in the brush border membrane of small intestinal enterocytes. In most mammals, lactase activity declines after the weaning, a condition known as lactase non-persistence (LNP). Lactase persistence (LP) is an autosomal dominant trait enabling the continued production of the enzyme lactase throughout adult life. Non-persistence or persistence of lactase expression into adult life being a polymorphic trait has been attributed to various single nucleotide polymorphisms in the enhancer region surrounding lactase gene (LCT). However, latest research has pointed to 'genetic-epigenetic interactions' as key to regulation of lactase expression. LNP and LP DNA haplotypes have demonstrated markedly different epigenetic aging as genetic factors contribute to gradual accumulation of epigenetic changes with age to affect lactase expression. This review will attempt to present an overview of latest insights into molecular basis of LNP/LP including the crucial role of 'genetic-epigenetic interactions' in regulating lactase expression.

Update on lactose malabsorption and intolerance: pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management

Lactose is the main source of calories in milk, an essential nutriedigestion, patients with visceral hypersensitivity nt in infancy and a key part of the diet in populations that maintain the ability to digest this disaccharide in adulthood. Lactase deficiency (LD) is the failure to express the enzyme that hydrolyses lactose into galactose and glucose in the small intestine. The genetic mechanism of lactase persistence in adult Caucasians is mediated by a single C→T nucleotide polymorphism at the LCTbo -13'910 locus on chromosome-2. Lactose malabsorption (LM) refers to any cause of failure to digest and/or absorb lactose in the small intestine. This includes primary genetic and also secondary LD due to infection or other conditions that affect the mucosal integrity of the small bowel. Lactose intolerance (LI) is defined as the onset of abdominal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea after lactose ingestion by an individual with LM. The likelihood of LI depends on the lactose dose, lactase expression and the intestinal microbiome. Independent of lactose digestion, patients with visceral hypersensitivity associated with anxiety or the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are at increased risk of the condition. Diagnostic investigations available to diagnose LM and LI include genetic, endoscopic and physiological tests. The association between self-reported LI, objective findings and clinical outcome of dietary intervention is variable. Treatment of LI can include low-lactose diet, lactase supplementation and, potentially, colonic adaptation by prebiotics. The clinical outcome of these treatments is modest, because lactose is just one of a number of poorly absorbed carbohydrates which can cause symptoms by similar mechanisms.

Glycol chitosan: A stabilizer of lipid rafts in the intestinal brush border

Chitosan is a polycationic polysaccharide consisting of β-(1-4)-linked glucosamine units and due to its mucoadhesive properties, chemical derivatives of chitosan are potential candidates as enhancers for transmucosal drug delivery. Recently, glycol chitosan (GC), a soluble derivative of chitosan, was shown to bind specifically to lipid raft domains in model bilayers. The small intestinal brush border membrane has a unique lipid raft composition with high amounts of glycolipids cross-linked by lectins, and the aim of the present work therefore was to study the interaction of FITC-conjugated GC (FITC-GC) with the small intestinal epithelium. Using organ culture of pig jejunal mucosal explants as a model system, we observed widespread binding of luminal FITC-GC to the brush border. Only little uptake via constitutive endocytosis into apical early endosomes occurred, unless endocytosis was induced by the simultaneous presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB). Biochemically, GC bound to microvillus membrane vesicles and caused a change in the density profile of detergent resistant membranes (DRMs). Collectively, the results showed that FITC-GC binds passively to lipid raft domains in the brush border, i.e. without inducing endocytosis like CTB. Instead, and unlike CTB, FITC-GC seems to exert a stabilizing, detergent-protective effect on the lipid raft organization of the brush border.

Genetic basis of maize kernel starch content revealed by high-density single nucleotide polymorphism markers in a recombinant inbred line population

BACKGROUND

Starch from maize kernels has diverse applications in human and animal diets and in industry and manufacturing. To meet the demands of these applications, starch quantity and quality need improvement, which requires a clear understanding of the functional mechanisms involved in starch biosynthesis and accumulation. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was developed from a cross between inbred lines CI7 and K22. The RIL population, along with both parents, was grown in three environments, and then genotyped using the MaizeSNP50 BeadChip and phenotyped to dissect the genetic architecture of starch content in maize kernels.

RESULTS

Based on the genetic linkage map constructed using 2,386 bins as markers, six quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for starch content in maize kernels were detected in the CI7/K22 RIL population. Each QTL accounted for 4.7% (qSTA9-1) to 10.6% (qSTA4-1) of the starch variation. The QTL interval was further reduced using the bin-map method, with the physical distance of a single bin at the QTL peak ranging from 81.7 kb to 2.2 Mb. Based on the functional annotations and prior knowledge of the genes in the top bin, seven genes were considered as potential candidate genes for the identified QTLs. Three of the genes encode enzymes in non-starch metabolism but may indirectly affect starch biosynthesis, and four genes may act as regulators of starch biosynthesis.

CONCLUSIONS

A few large-effect QTLs, together with a certain number of minor-effect QTLs, mainly contribute to the genetic architecture of kernel starch content in our maize biparental linkage population. All of the identified QTLs, especially the large-effect QTL, qSTA4-1, with a small QTL interval, will be useful for improving the maize kernel starch content through molecular breeding.

Generation of stable lipid raft microdomains in the enterocyte brush border by selective endocytic removal of non-raft membrane

The small intestinal brush border has an unusually high proportion of glycolipids which promote the formation of lipid raft microdomains, stabilized by various cross-linking lectins. This unique membrane organization acts to provide physical and chemical stability to the membrane that faces multiple deleterious agents present in the gut lumen, such as bile salts, digestive enzymes of the pancreas, and a plethora of pathogens. In the present work, we studied the constitutive endocytosis from the brush border of cultured jejunal explants of the pig, and the results indicate that this process functions to enrich the contents of lipid raft components in the brush border. The lipophilic fluorescent marker FM, taken up into early endosomes in the terminal web region (TWEEs), was absent from detergent resistant membranes (DRMs), implying an association with non-raft membrane. Furthermore, neither major lipid raft-associated brush border enzymes nor glycolipids were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy in subapical punctae resembling TWEEs. Finally, two model raft lipids, BODIPY-lactosylceramide and BODIPY-GM₁, were not endocytosed except when cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) was present. In conclusion, we propose that constitutive, selective endocytic removal of non-raft membrane acts as a sorting mechanism to enrich the brush border contents of lipid raft components, such as glycolipids and the major digestive enzymes. This sorting may be energetically driven by changes in membrane curvature when molecules move from a microvillar surface to an endocytic invagination.

The molecular basis of lactose intolerance

A staggering 4000 million people cannot digest lactose, the sugar in milk, properly. All mammals, apart from white Northern Europeans and few tribes in Africa and Asia, lose most of their lactase, the enzyme that cleaves lactose into galactose and glucose, after weaning. Lactose intolerance causes gut and a range of systemic symptoms, though the threshold to lactose varies considerably between ethnic groups and individuals within a group. The molecular basis of inherited hypolactasia has yet to be identified, though two polymorphisms in the introns of a helicase upstream from the lactase gene correlate closely with hypolactasia, and thus lactose intolerance. The symptoms of lactose intolerance are caused by gases and toxins produced by anaerobic bacteria in the large intestine. Bacterial toxins may play a key role in several other diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and some cancers. The problem of lactose intolerance has been exacerbated because of the addition of products containing lactose to various foods and drinks without being on the label. Lactose intolerance fits exactly the illness that Charles Darwin suffered from for over 40 years, and yet was never diagnosed. Darwin missed something else--the key to our own evolution--the Rubicon some 300 million years ago that produced lactose and lactase in sufficient amounts to be susceptible to natural selection.

Structure of microvillar enzymes in different phases of their life cycles

Structural changes have been studied during the life cycles of three glycosidases: sucrase-isomaltase (EC 3.2.48-10), lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.23-62), maltase-glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.20); and three peptidases: aminopeptidase A (EC 3.4.11.7), aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.5). The final forms of the enzymes can be divided into at least two groups: the sucrase-isomaltase type, characterized as dimers, which are asymmetric in their hydrophilic parts, have two types of active site and anchor only on one subunit; and the aminopeptidase N type, characterized as dimers, which are symmetric in their hydrophilic part, have only one type of active site and anchor on both subunits. These enzymes are likely to be synthesized on rough endoplasmic reticulum and simultaneously glycosylated into endoglycosidase H-sensitive forms. They are later reglycosylated to endoglycosidase H-resistant forms, which have relative molecular masses similar to the final forms. Enzymes of the sucrase-isomaltase type seem to be synthesized with a polypeptide-chain length corresponding to the sum of both subunits, whereas enzymes of the aminopeptidase N type seem to be synthesized with a polypeptide-chain length corresponding to the constituent subunits themselves. Not much is known about the catabolism of these enzymes. The enzyme activities and the amounts of enzyme protein decrease at the top of the villi, probably due to release into the lumen. The subunits of aminopeptidase N are cleaved by pancreatic proteases to smaller peptides, and sucrase-isomaltase may lose its sucrase polypeptide, while both enzymes remain bound to the membrane.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase: selective endocytosis from the enterocyte brush border during fat absorption

Absorption of dietary fat in the small intestine is accompanied by a rise of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) in the serum and of secretion of IAP-containing surfactant-like particles from the enterocytes. In the present work, fat absorption was studied in organ cultured mouse intestinal explants. By immunofluorescence microscopy, fat absorption caused a translocation of IAP from the enterocyte brush border to the interior of the cell, whereas other brush-border enzymes were unaffected. By electron microscopy, the translocation occurred by a rapid (5 min) induction of endocytosis via clathrin-coated pits. By 60 min, IAP was seen in subapical endosomes and along membranes surrounding fat droplets. IAP is a well-known lipid raft-associated protein, and fat absorption was accompanied by a marked change in the density and morphology of the detergent-resistant membranes harboring IAP. A lipid analysis revealed that fat absorption caused a marked increase in the microvillar membrane contents of free fatty acids. In conclusion, fat absorption rapidly induces a transient clathrin-dependent endocytosis via coated pits from the enterocyte brush border. The process selectively internalizes IAP and may contribute to the appearance of the enzyme in serum and surfactant-like particles.

Adult-type hypolactasia and regulation of lactase expression

A common genetically determined polymorphism in the human population leads to two distinct phenotypes in adults, lactase persistence and adult-type hypolactasia (lactase non-persistence). All healthy newborn children express high levels of lactase and are able to digest large quantities of lactose, the main carbohydrate in milk. Individuals with adult-type hypolactasia lose their lactase expression before adulthood and consequently often become lactose intolerant with associated digestive problems (e.g. diarrhoea). In contrast, lactase persistent individuals have a lifelong lactase expression and are able to digest lactose as adults. Lactase persistence can be regarded as the mutant phenotype since other mammals down-regulate their lactase expression after weaning (the postweaning decline). This phenomenon does not occur in lactase persistent individuals. The regulation of lactase expression is mainly transcriptional and it is well established that adult-type hypolactasia is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, whereas persistence is dominant. The recent findings of single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with lactase persistence have made it possible to study the potential mechanisms underlying adult-type hypolactasia. This work has led to the identification of gene-regulatory sequences located far from the lactase gene (LCT). The present review describes the recent advances in the understanding of the regulation of lactase expression and the possible mechanisms behind adult-type hypolactasia.

The molecular basis of lactose intolerance

A staggering 4000 million people cannot digest lactose, the sugar in milk, properly. All mammals, apart from white Northern Europeans and few tribes in Africa and Asia, lose most of their lactase, the enzyme that cleaves lactose into galactose and glucose, after weaning. Lactose intolerance causes gut and a range of systemic symptoms, though the threshold to lactose varies considerably between ethnic groups and individuals within a group. The molecular basis of inherited hypolactasia has yet to be identified, though two polymorphisms in the introns of a helicase upstream from the lactase gene correlate closely with hypolactasia, and thus lactose intolerance. The symptoms of lactose intolerance are caused by gases and toxins produced by anaerobic bacteria in the large intestine. Bacterial toxins may play a key role in several other diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and some cancers. The problem of lactose intolerance has been exacerbated because of the addition of products containing lactose to various foods and drinks without being on the label. Lactose intolerance fits exactly the illness that Charles Darwin suffered from for over 40 years, and yet was never diagnosed. Darwin missed something else--the key to our own evolution--the Rubicon some 300 million years ago that produced lactose and lactase in sufficient amounts to be susceptible to natural selection.

Microvillar membrane microdomains exist at physiological temperature. Role of galectin-4 as lipid raft stabilizer revealed by "superrafts"

Lipid rafts (glycosphingolipid/cholesterol-enriched membrane microdomains) have been isolated as low temperature, detergent-resistant membranes from many cell types, but despite their presumed importance as lateral sorting and signaling platforms, fundamental questions persist concerning raft function and even existence in vivo. The nonionic detergent Brij 98 was used to isolate lipid rafts from microvillar membrane vesicles of intestinal brush borders at physiological temperature to compare with rafts, obtained by "conventional" extraction using Triton X-100 at low temperature. Microvillar rafts prepared by the two protocols were morphologically different but had essentially similar profiles of protein- and lipid components, showing that raft microdomains do exist at 37 degrees C and are not "low temperature artifacts." We also employed a novel method of sequential detergent extraction at increasing temperature to define a fraction of highly detergent-resistant "superrafts." These were enriched in galectin-4, a beta-galactoside-recognizing lectin residing on the extracellular side of the membrane. Superrafts also harbored the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked alkaline phosphatase and the transmembrane aminopeptidase N, whereas the peripheral lipid raft protein annexin 2 was essentially absent. In conclusion, in the microvillar membrane, galectin-4, functions as a core raft stabilizer/organizer for other, more loosely raft-associated proteins. The superraft analysis might be applicable to other membrane microdomain systems.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of pyridoxine-5'-beta-D-glucoside is catalyzed by intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase

An obligatory step in the mammalian nutritional utilization of pyridoxine-5'-beta-D-glucoside (PNG) is the intestinal hydrolysis of its beta-glucosidic bond that releases pyridoxine (PN). This laboratory previously reported the purification and partial characterization of a novel cytosolic enzyme, designated PNG hydrolase, which hydrolyzed PNG. An investigation of the subcellular distribution of intestinal PNG hydrolysis found substantial hydrolytic activity in the total membrane fraction, of which 40-50% was localized to brush border membrane. To investigate the possible role of a brush border beta-glucosidase in the hydrolysis of PNG, lactase phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) was purified from rat small intestinal mucosa. LPH hydrolyzed PNG with a K(m) of 1.0 +/- 0.1 mm, a V(max) of 0.11 +/- 0.01 micromol/min.mg protein, and a k(cat) of 1.0 s(-1). LPH-catalyzed PNG hydrolysis was inhibited by glucose, lactose, and cellobiose but not by PN. Specific blockage of the phlorizin hydrolase site of LPH using 2',4'-dintrophenyl-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranoside did not reduce PNG hydrolysis. Evidence of transferase activity was also obtained. Reaction mixtures containing LPH, PNG, and lactose yielded the formation of another PN derivative that was identified as a pyridoxine disaccharide. These results indicate that LPH may play an important role in the bioavailability of PNG, but further characterization is needed to assess its physiological function.

Lipid rafts exist as stable cholesterol-independent microdomains in the brush border membrane of enterocytes

Glycosphingolipid/cholesterol-rich membranes ("rafts")can be isolated from many types of cells, but their existence as stable microdomains in the cell membrane has been elusive. Addressing this problem, we studied the distribution of galectin-4, a raft marker, and lactase, a protein excluded from rafts, on microvillar vesicles from the enterocyte brush border membrane. Magnetic beads coated with either anti-galectin-4 or anti-lactase antibodies were used for immunoisolation of vesicles followed by double immunogold labeling of the two proteins. A morphometric analysis revealed subpopulations of raft-rich and raft-poor vesicles by the following criteria: 1) the lactase/galectin-4 labeling ratio/vesicle captured by the anti-lactase beads was significantly higher (p < or = 0.01) than that of vesicles captured by anti-galectin-4 beads, 2) subpopulations of vesicles labeled by only one of the two antibodies were preferentially captured by beads coated with the respective antibody (p < or = 0.01), 3) the average diameter of "galectin-4 positive only" vesicles was smaller than that of vesicles labeled for lactase. Surprisingly, pretreatment with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, which removed >70% of microvillar cholesterol, did not affect the microdomain localization of galectin-4. We conclude that stable, cholesterol-independent raft microdomains exist in the enterocyte brush border.

Human milk oligosaccharides are minimally digested in vitro

In examining the functional aspects of human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), it is not known whether they are digested during the passage through the infant's gastrointestinal tract. HMO were prepared from individual milk samples (n = 6) and separated into neutral and acidic compounds by chromatography. These oligosaccharide fractions were studied for their digestibility by human salivary amylase, porcine pancreatic amylase and brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) isolated from porcine small intestine; we also examined the effect of low pH on these structures. The characterization of HMO and their digestion products was performed by high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) as well as TLC. It was shown that neither salivary amylase nor pancreatic amylase cleaved HMO. Only after a 2-h incubation with BBMV were slight modifications of the HMO observed. HPAEC-PAD analysis revealed two new components within the neutral oligosaccharide fractions; these were characterized by mass spectrometric analysis as lacto-N:-triose and galactose. Only lacto-N:-triose was present within digestion assays of oligosaccharides, which did not contain fucosyl or N:-acetylneuraminic acid residues. These results suggest that <5% of the HMO are digested in the intestinal tract. Hence, HMO may play a role as prebiotics or as factors influencing the local immune system of the intestine in breast-fed infants.

Differential mechanism-based labeling and unequivocal activity assignment of the two active sites of intestinal lactase/phlorizin hydrolase

Milk lactose is hydrolysed to galactose and glucose in the small intestine of mammals by the lactase/phlorizin hydrolase complex (LPH; EC 3.2.1.108/62). The two enzymatic activities, lactase and phlorizin hydrolase, are located in the same polypeptide chain. According to sequence homology, mature LPH contains two different regions (III and IV), each of them homologous to family 1 glycosidases and each with a putative active site. There has been some discrepancy with regard to the assignment of enzymatic activity to the two active sites. Here we show differential reactivity of the two active sites with mechanism-based glycosidase inhibitors. When LPH is treated with 2',4'-dinitrophenyl 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) and 2', 4'-dinitrophenyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-galactopyranoside (2), known mechanism-based inhibitors of glycosidases, it is observed that compound 1 preferentially inactivates the phlorizin hydrolase activity whereas compound 2 is selective for the lactase active site. On the other hand, glycals (D-glucal and D-galactal) competitively inhibit lactase activity but not phlorizin hydrolase activity. This allows labeling of the phlorizin site with compound 1 by protection with a glycal. By differential labeling of each active site using 1 and 2 followed by proteolysis and MS analysis of the labeled fragments, we confirm that the phlorizin hydrolysis occurs mainly at the active site located at region III of LPH and that the active site located at region IV is responsible for the lactase activity. This assignment is coincident with that proposed from the results of recent active-site mutagenesis studies [Zecca, L., Mesonero, J.E., Stutz, A., Poiree, J.C., Giudicelli, J., Cursio, R., Gloor, S.M. & Semenza, G. (1998) FEBS Lett. 435, 225-228] and opposite to that based on data from early affinity labeling with conduritol B epoxide [Wacker, W., Keller, P., Falchetto, R., Legler, G. & Semenza, G. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 18744-18752].

Ontogeny of intestinal safety factors: lactase capacities and lactose loads

We measured intestinal safety factors (ratio of a physiological capacity to the load on it) for lactose digestion in developing rat pups. Specifically, we assessed the quantitative relationships between lactose load and the series capacities of lactase and the Na+-glucose cotransporter (SGLT-1). Both capacities increased significantly with age in suckling pups as a result of increasing intestinal mass and maintenance of mass-specific activities. The youngest pups examined (5 days) had surprisingly high safety factors of 8-13 for both lactase and SGLT-1, possibly because milk contains lactase substrates other than lactose; it also, however, suggests that their intestinal capacities were being prepared to meet future demands rather than just current ones. By day 10 (and also at day 15), increased lactose loads resulted in lower safety factors of 4-6, values more typical of adult intestines. The safety factor of SGLT-1 in day 30 (weanling) and day 100 (adult) rats was only approximately 1.0. This was initially unexpected, because most adult intestines maintain a modest reserve capacity beyond nutrient load values, but postweaning rats appear to use hindgut fermentation, assessed by gut morphology and hydrogen production assays, as a built-in reserve capacity. The series capacities of lactase and SGLT-1 varied in concert with each other over ontogeny and as lactose load was manipulated by experimental variation in litter size.

Intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH): the two catalytic sites; the role of the pancreas in pro-LPH maturation

Brush border lactase-phlorizin hydrolase carries two catalytic sites. In the human enzyme lactase comprises Glu-1749, phlorizin hydrolase Glu-1273. The proteolytic processing of pro-lactase-phlorizin hydrolase by (rat) enterocytes stops two amino acid residues short of the N-terminus of 'mature' final, brush border lactase-phlorizin hydrolase. Only these two amino acid residues are removed by luminal pancreatic protease(s), probably trypsin.

Protein domains implicated in intracellular transport and sorting of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase

The roles of various domains of intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (pro-LPH) on its folding, dimerization, and polarized sorting are investigated in deletion mutants of the ectodomain fused or not fused with the membrane-anchoring and cytoplasmic domains (MACT). Deletion of 236 amino acids immediately upstream of MACT has no effect on the folding, dimerization, transport competence, or polarized sorting of the mutant LPH1646MACT. By contrast, LPH1646, an anchorless counterpart of LPH1646MACT, is not transported beyond the ER and persists as a mannose-rich monomer during its entire life cycle. The further deletion of 87 amino acids generates a correctly folded but transport-incompetent monomeric LPH1559MACT mutant. The results strongly suggest that dimerization and transport of pro-LPH implicate a stretch of 87 amino acids in the ectodomain between LPH1646MACT and LPH1559MACT. In addition, dimerization of pro-LPH requires at least two further criteria: (i) a correctly folded ectodomain of pro-LPH and (ii) the presence of the transmembrane region. Neither of these requirements alone is sufficient for dimerization. Finally, the sorting of pro-LPH appears to be mediated by signals located between the cleavage site of pro-LPH and the LPH1646MACT mutant.

Disaccharide digestion and maldigestion

All food carbohydrates are hydrolysed to monosaccharides before transport across the microvillus membrane. The digestion of disaccharides and some oligosaccharides is undertaken by a number of small intestinal brush border enzymes: sucrase-isomaltase, lactase phlorizinhydrolase, maltase-glycoamylase and trehalase. The distribution of the enzymes in the small intestine has been investigated. Different disaccharide maldigestion syndromes have been described. Lactase deficiency in adults is a condition found in the majority of inhabitants of the world. However, the prevalence varies widely between different populations. Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency is a very rare congenital condition except in Greenland. Trehalose maldigestion is likewise rare outside Greenland. Different hypotheses regarding the molecular background of the maldigestion syndromes are discussed.

Disposition of the carboxy-terminus tail of rabbit lactase-phlorizin hydrolase elucidated by phosphorylation with protein kinase A in vitro and in tissue culture

The intracellular disposition of the carboxy-terminus tail of rabbit lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) is demonstrated, using a specific phosphorylation of Ser1916 by protein kinase A (PKA). This phosphorylation is shown to occur not only in vitro (with pure LPH and pure catalytic subunit of PKA), but also in an organ culture of the small intestine. Cholera toxin, which is known to act in vivo on the membranes of the small intestine, with severe clinical consequences, and to elevate the intracellular cyclic AMP of enterocytes, is shown to enhance significantly the phosphorylation of LPH in intact cells grown as an organ culture. These findings establish the cytosolic orientation of the carboxy-terminus tail of LPH in situ, and raise the possibility that the tail itself and its phosphorylation by PKA may have a physiological or physiopathological significance.

Substrate specificity of small-intestinal lactase: study of the steric effects and hydrogen bonds involved in enzyme-substrate interaction

Milk lactose is hydrolysed to D-galactose and D-glucose in the small intestine of mammals by the lactase-phlorizin hydrolase complex (LPH, EC 3.2.1.23-62). Lactase activity has broad substrate selectivity and several glycosides are substrates. Recently, using the monodeoxy derivatives of methyl beta-lactoside (1), we have shown the importance of each hydroxyl group in the substrate molecule concerning the interaction with the enzyme. Now we have studied the corresponding O-methyl derivatives, as well as some of the halo derivatives of 1. We have found that the enzyme presents steric restrictions to the recognition of substrates modified in the galactose moiety. In contrast, the binding site for the aglycon part of the substrate is looser. On the other hand, we have previously shown that HO-3' and HO-6 were important for the recognition of the substrate by the enzyme. Now we have found that the corresponding fluorine derivatives are not, or very poorly, recognized. This suggests that the HO-3' and HO-6 participate, as donors, in hydrogen bonds in the interaction with the enzyme.

Maturation of human lactase-phlorizin hydrolase. Proteolytic cleavage of precursor occurs after passage through the Golgi complex

Maturation of human intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) requires that a precursor (pro-LPH) be proteolytically processed to the mature microvillus membrane enzyme (m-LPH). The subcellular site of this processing is unknown. Using low-temperature experiments and brefeldin A (BFA), intracellular transport was blocked in intestinal epithelial cells. In Caco-2 cells incubated at 18 degrees C, pro-LPH was complex-glycosylated but not cleaved, while at 20 degrees C small amounts of proteolytically processed LPH were observed. These data exclude a pre-Golgi proteolytic event. BFA completely blocked proteolytic maturation of LPH and lead to an aberrant form of pro-LPH in both Caco-2 cells and intestinal explants. Therefore, proteolytic processing of LPH is a post-Golgi event, occurring either in the trans-Golgi network, transport vesicles, or after insertion of pro-LPH into the microvillus membrane.

Substrate specificity of small-intestinal lactase. Assessment of the role of the substrate hydroxyl groups

Lactase-phlorizin hydrolase is a disaccharidase present in the small intestine of mammals. This enzyme has two active sites, one being responsible for the hydrolysis of lactose. Lactase activity is thought to be selective towards glycosides with a hydrophilic aglycon. In this work, we report a systematic study on the importance of each hydroxyl group in the substrate molecule for lactase activity. For this purpose, all of the monodeoxy derivatives of methyl beta-lactoside and other lactose analogues are studied as lactase substrates. With respect to the galactose moiety, it is shown here that HO-3' and HO-2' are necessary for hydrolysis of the substrates by lactase. Using these chemically modified substrates, it has been confirmed that lactase does not behave as a typical beta-galactosidase, since it does not show an absolute selectivity with respect to substitution and stereochemistry at C4' in the galactose moiety of the substrate. However, the glucose moiety, in particular the HO-6, appears to be important for substrate hydrolysis, although none of the hydroxyl groups seemed to be essential. In order to differentiate both activities of the enzyme, a new assay for the phlorizin-hydrolase activity has also been developed.

Structure of the beta-glucosidase gene bglA of Clostridium thermocellum. Sequence analysis reveals a superfamily of cellulases and beta-glycosidases including human lactase/phlorizin hydrolase

The nucleotide sequence of the Clostridium thermocellum gene bglA, coding for the thermostable beta-glucosidase A, has been determined. The coding region of 1344 bp was identified by comparison with the N-terminal amino acid squence of recombinant beta-glucosidase A purified from Escherichia coli. The deduced amino acid sequence corresponds to a protein of 51,482 Da. The coding region is flanked by putative promoter and transcription terminator sequences. The protein is unrelated to beta-glucosidase B of C. thermocellum, but has a high level of similarity with other bacterial beta-glucosidases and phospho-beta-glucosidases. Similarity is also observed with the beta-galactosidase of the archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus. Unexpectedly, it was found that human lactase-phlorizin hydrolase contains three copies of a sequence closely related to C. thermocellum beta-glucosidase A (up to 40% sequence identity). These diverse beta-glucosidases can therefore be grouped into an enzyme family (BGA) of common structural design. Sequence comparison by hydrophobic cluster analysis revealed that all BGA enzymes share a well conserved region which is homologous to the catalytic domain of the widely distributed cellulase family A. A distinctive feature of this domain is the sequence motif His-Asn-Glu-Pro in which the catalytic residues His and Glu are separated by 35-55 amino acid residues. The cellulase family A and the beta-glucosidase family BGA might thus be considered as members of a protein super-family comprising beta-glucanases and beta-glycosidases from all three primary kingdoms of living organisms.

Posttranslational cleavage of rat intestinal lactase occurs at the luminal side of the brush border membrane

The intestinal sucrase-isomaltase precursor is cleaved at the brush border membrane by luminal proteases. Whether the lactase precursor also is cleaved by luminal proteases is uncertain. Lactase synthesis and processing was studied in 0- and 15-day-old rats after IP administration of [35S]methionine, and changes in precociously cortisone-induced sucrase-isomaltase were used as an internal control. Mucosal lactase and sucrase-isomaltase were separately immunoprecipitated and analyzed by autoradiography after electrophoresis. In both 0- and 15-day-old rats, mucosal lactase appeared as a 200K lactase precursor band at 30 minutes and as 200K and 225K lactase precursor bands at 60 minutes and was cleaved to form a 130K lactase band 120-240 minutes after labeling; sucrase-isomaltase similarly appeared as 210K and 220K bands at 30-60 minutes and was cleaved to form 140K I and 120K S subunits by 240 minutes in day 15 rats. To determine the role of luminal proteases, intestinal segments were isolated in situ and the luminal contents were flushed 30 minutes after labeling. Unflushed segments were used as controls. Only lactase precursor and sucrase-isomaltase precursor were present 240 minutes after labeling in flushed intestinal segments, but lactase precursor and sucrase-isomaltase precursor were cleaved in unflushed segments. Addition of trypsin or elastase into the lumen of flushed segments resulted in partial cleavage of lactase precursor but not of sucrase-isomaltase precursor. Luminal contents collected from the small intestine of day 15 rats 120 and 240 minutes after labeling showed 35S-labeled 130K and 80K polypeptides in lactase immunoprecipitates. It is concluded that intestinal lactase is synthesized as lactase precursor and transported to brush border membrane and cleaved by luminal proteases, and the amino end polypeptide cleaved from lactase precursor is released into the lumen.

Mosaic pattern of lactase expression by villous enterocytes in human adult-type hypolactasia

Immunohistological analysis of the expression of lactase protein in adults with hypolactasia has been carried out using monoclonal antibodies. Eight different antibodies that recognize at least three distinct epitopes on the lactase protein each gave the same result. Strong brush border staining was observed in all the lactase-persistent adults. No staining at all was detected in 9 of the hypolactasic subjects. In the remaining 12 individuals a mosaic pattern of expression was observed: small patches of enterocytes stained strongly, whereas the surrounding areas showed no staining at all. Sucrase-isomaltase, in contrast, showed no such mosaicism in these or in any of the other individuals. The mosaicism observed in the 12 hypolactasic individuals suggests that the differentiation of the columnar cells along the villus is not homogeneous. Furthermore, the existence of two patterns of expression of the lactase protein in the lactase-deficient individuals (i.e., absence of protein and mosaicism), if characteristic of the entire length of the intestine of the individuals tested, would suggest the existence of two phenotypes of adult-type hypolactasia in the population studied.

Discrepancy between the intestinal lactase enzymatic activity and mRNA accumulation in sucklings and adults. Effect of starvation and thyroxine treatment

The accumulation profile of intestinal lactase mRNA was investigated in suckling and adult rats and pigs. We found no correlation between the lactase enzymatic activity and the accumulation of the messenger at both developmental stages. Modulation of lactase activity by starvation or thyroxine treatment had no effect on lactase mRNA accumulation in the rat intestine. These results confirm that thyroxine modulates lactase expression essentially at the post-transcriptional level.

The sucrase-isomaltase complex: primary structure, membrane-orientation, and evolution of a stalked, intrinsic brush border protein

The complete primary structure (1827 amino acids) of rabbit intestinal pro-sucrase-isomaltase (pro-SI) was deduced from the sequence of a nearly full-length cDNA. Pro-SI is anchored in the membrane by a single 20 amino acid segment spanning the bilayer only once. The amino-terminal, cytoplasmic domain consists of 12 amino acids and is not preceded by a cleaved leader sequence. This suggests a dual role for the membrane-spanning segment as an uncleaved signal for membrane insertion. This is followed by a 22 residue serine/threonine-rich, probably glycosylated, stretch, presumably forming the stalk on which the globular, catalytic domains are directed into the intestinal lumen. Following this is a high degree of homology between the isomaltase and sucrase portions (41% amino acid identity), indicating that pro-SI evolved by partial gene duplication.

The nature of maturational decline of intestinal lactase activity

We have examined the nature of the decline of lactase (EC 3.2.1.23) activity in the maturing rat intestine. It was established in an initial study that the activity decline reflected a proportional reduction in the concentration of the enzyme protein. Accumulation patterns of label into lactase, total intestinal proteins and sucrase (EC 3.2.1.48)-isomaltase (EC 3.2.1.10) were compared, 4 h following administration of a tracer dose of [3H]leucine to weanling rats exhibiting a wide range of lactase decline. Accumulation of increasing amounts of label in total intestinal proteins and sucrase-isomaltase pools was found to accompany the lactase decline, in contrast to accumulation of a constant amount of label in the declining lactase pools. The pattern of increased label accumulation in total intestinal proteins was shown in a corollary study to reflect a corresponding acceleration of total protein synthesis. On this basis, the finding of a constant amount of label in the declining lactase pools suggested a constant synthesis of lactase. We proposed earlier that associated reductions in enterocyte life-span (leading to correspondingly less lactase accumulation) rather than suppressed synthesis may provide the primary causal basis of lactase decline in the postweaned mammal.

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Intracellular processing of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase

The biosynthesis of pig small intestinal lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.23-62) was studied by labelling of organ cultured mucosal explants with [35S]methionine. The earliest detactable form of the enzyme was an intracellular, membrane-bound polypeptide of Mr 225 000, sensitive to endo H as judged by its increased electrophoretic mobility (Mr 210 000 after treatment). The labelling of this form decreased during a chase of 120 min and instead two polypeptides of Mr 245 000 and 160 000 occurred, which both barely had their electrophoretic mobility changed by treatment with endo H. The Mr 160 000 polypeptide is of the same size as the mature lactase-phlorizin hydrolase and was the only form expressed in the microvillar membrane. Together, these data are indicative of an intracellular proteolytic cleavage during transport. The presence of leupeptin during labelling prevented the appearance of the Mr 160 000 form but not that of the Mr 245 000 polypeptide, suggesting that the proteolytic cleavage takes place after trimming and complex glycosylation. The proteolytic cleavage was not essential for the transport since the precursor was expressed in the microvillar membrane in the presence of leupeptin.

Evidence for biosynthesis of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase as a single-chain high-molecular weight precursor

Precursor forms of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase, sucrase-isomaltase and aminopeptidase N were studied by pulse-labelling of organ-cultured human intestinal biopsies. After labelling the biopsies were fractionated by the Ca2+-precipitation method and the enzymes isolated by immunoprecipitation. The results indicate that the lactase-phlorizin hydrolase is synthesized as a Mr 245 000 polypeptide, which is intracellularly cleaved into its mature Mr 160 000 form. Sucrase-isomaltase is shown to be synthesized as a single chain precursor (Mr 245 000 and 265 000) while the precursor of aminopeptidase N is shown to be of apparently the same size as the mature enzyme (Mr 140 000 and 160 000).