Isolation and characterization of an enriched Golgi fraction from rat brain

Chronic ethanol effects on glycoconjugates and glycosyltransferases of rat brain

We studied the effects of a four week administration of low doses of ethanol on glycoconjugates of the synaptosomal and microsomal fraction prepared from the brain of rats aged 2 and 7 months. Synaptosomes were the more sensitive to ethanol treatment. Total lipid bound sialic acid and neutral glycolipid and glycoprotein content were significantly reduced only in the synaptosomal fraction, with greater differences in the younger age, while glycoprotein sialic acid was not affected. None of the above differences were statistically significant in the microsomal fraction. Ganglioside pattern was altered only in the 2 month rats, showing a reduction of GM1 and GM1a in the synaptosomal fraction and of GD1a in the microsomal fraction. UDP-Gal: asialo-mucin galactosyltransferase, UDP-Gal: GlcCer galactosyltransferase, and UDP-Gal: GM2 galactosyltransferase activities were decreased and could account for the observed modifications in glycoconjugate content and distribution.

Phosphatidylethanolamine: ceramide-ethanolaminephosphotransferase activity in synaptic plasma membrane vesicles. Influence of some cations and phospholipid environment on transferase activity. Further proof of its location

1. Synaptic plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV) from rat brain synthesized ceramide-phosphoethanolamine (SpE), an analogue of sphingomyelin (SpC) from phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and ceramide. 2. This reaction was catalyzed by PE: ceramide-phosphotransferase. 3. The presence of PC did not modify the SpE synthesis and PI and PS at twice PE concentration seemed to be activators; only PG was an inhibitor at all concentrations. 4. Some cations (Mg2+, Mn2+) were without effect, while Ca2+ increased transferase activity, so was interesting to study. 5. Transferase was compared with sialidase (external enzyme). 6. Kinetics other than those already performed by us were undertaken in order to confirm its location.

Chronic haloperidol and chlorpromazine treatment alters in vitro beta-endorphin metabolism in rat brain

To determine if chronic haloperidol (3.0 mg/kg per day) or chlorpromazine (4.2 mg/kg per day) treatment alters central beta-endorphin metabolism, haloperidol and chlorpromazine were perfused via Alzet minipumps into male Sprague-Dawley rats for 8 days. Crude twice-washed membranes, purified synaptic plasma membranes and Golgi-enriched membranes, respectively, were isolated from rat brains and time course incubated with beta-endorphin. All samples were analyzed by high resolution, reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The half-lives of beta-endorphin for animals treated with haloperidol or chlorpromazine were not statistically different from control animals at the crude washed membranes. At the purified synaptic plasma membranes, however, the half-lives of beta-endorphin from haloperidol (t 1/2 = 45.1 min)- and chlorpromazine (t1/2 = 47.0 min)-treated animals were significantly decreased as compared to the control animals (t1/2 = 78.0 min). The half-life of beta-endorphin at the Golgi-enriched membranes was increased for haloperidol (t1/2 = 112.3 min) and chlorpromazine (t1/2 = 103.0 min)-treated animals when compared to control animals (t1/2 = 80.2 min). The findings indicate a differential effect of the dopamine receptor antagonists haloperidol and chlorpromazine on the extracellular fate at the synaptic plasma membranes of beta-endorphin and the intracellular processing at the Golgi-enriched membranes in vitro.

Studies on the submicrosomal fractions of bovine oligodendroglia: lipid composition and glycolipid biosynthesis

Oligodendroglia were isolated from bovine brain, and a "crude" microsomal fraction obtained from cell homogenates was subfractionated into myelin (MP), plasma membranes (PM), Golgi (GF), smooth (SER) and rough (RER) endoplasmic membranes using discontinuous-sucrose gradient centrifugation. The submicrosomal fractions were characterized by ultrastructural examination and analysis of the specific organelle markers. The myelin and plasma membrane rich fractions contained characteristically the highest amounts of the lipid with lower mole percentages of total phospholipids and phosphatidylcholine, and higher concentrations of phosphatidylethanolamine (+ plasmalogens), cholesterol and galactolipids. Considerable amounts of the typical myelin galactolipids (galacto-cerebrosides, sulfatides and monogalactosyl diglycerides) were also found in the Golgi fraction (GF). The GF fraction had the greatest enrichment of glycolipid-forming galactosyltransferases, and the distribution of these enzymes correlated well with that of the Golgi marker enzymes. The results give evidence that intracellular Golgi apparatus of oligodendroglia is rich in the myelin-specific lipids, and suggest its involvement in the synthesis and processing of myelin lipids.

Effect of phenobarbital on metabolism of polyphosphoinositides of rat brain synaptosomes

Synthesis and degradation of polyphosphoinositides in a rat brain synaptosome preparation were depressed by phenobarbital. Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase (PIP-kinase), the enzyme which synthesizes phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) was most strongly affected (50% inhibition at 3 mM phenobarbital); phosphatidylinositol (PI-kinase) followed (50% at 15 mM). The phosphoesterases were less sensitive: PIP-monoesterase (50% at 39 mM), PIP2-monoesterase (at 47 mM), and, least inhibited, PIP-diesterase (50% at 65 mM) and PIP2-diesterase (at 68 mM). Phenobarbital by inhibiting PIP-kinase may reduce the membrane concentration of PIP2 and thus dampen the stimulus-response which leads to the hydrolysis of PIP2 and the formation of the second messenger, inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), involved in mobilization of intracellular Ca2+.

Isolation and characterization of an enriched Golgi fraction from neurons of developing rat brains

We report a method for the isolation of enriched fractions of intact Golgi apparatus from neurons of 10- to 12-day-old rat brains. Neurons were prepared according to a modified method of Farooq and Norton [J. Neurochem. 31, 887-894 (1978)]. Golgi-enriched fractions were obtained after centrifugation of postmitochondrial supernatants in a discontinuous sucrose gradient. Golgi fractions 1 and 2, recovered at the interfaces of 28-34% and 34-36% sucrose densities, respectively, were examined with morphometric and enzymatic methods. Morphometric analyses showed that 21-34% of fraction 1 and 11-29% of fraction 2 consisted of intact Golgi apparatus. Lysosomes, mitochondria, ribosomes, and rough endoplasmic reticulum contaminated fraction 1 (6-10%) and fraction 2 (14-26%). Golgi fraction 1 showed a 25- to 65-fold enrichment over neurons of UDP Gal:GlcNAc galactosyltransferase, CMP-sialic acid:lactosylceramide sialyltransferase, and PAPS:cerebroside sulfotransferase activities. Golgi fraction 2 showed a 8- to 23-fold enrichment over neurons of the activities of the above glycolipid- and glycoprotein-synthesizing enzymes. The activities of the possible marker enzymes rotenone-insensitive NADH-cytochrome c reductase, succinate-cytochrome c reductase, and arylsulfatase were low or minimally elevated in the Golgi fractions. A sevenfold enrichment of Na+, K+-ATPase activities was found in the Golgi fractions. This is consistent either with significant plasma membrane contamination or with the presence of this enzyme in the neuronal Golgi apparatus.

Analytical subcellular fractionation of rat cortex: resolution of serotonergic nerve endings and receptors

An analytical procedure for the subcellular fractionation of rat brain cortex is presented; it consists of a two-step procedure involving a differential centrifugation using the five-fraction scheme and an isopycnic centrifugation in continuous sucrose gradients. All fractions obtained were analyzed for their content of various constituents, such as receptor binding, uptake, and several marker enzymes. Special attention was paid to the subcellular distribution of the serotonin S2 receptors; they were mainly recovered in the microsomal P fraction, but a significant amount was also associated with the mitochondrial (M and L) fractions. After equilibration in density gradients, serotonin S2 receptors revealed two peaks, which were similarly affected after treatment with amitriptyline and/or yohimbine. There is no evidence to suggest that serotonin S2 receptors are associated with nerve endings containing the neurotransmitter serotonin. Although three main profiles, a microsomal, a mitochondrial, and a mixed one, clearly appear from the differential centrifugation, subgroups of these main profiles were also found. For instance, the microsomal distribution patterns of serotonin S2 receptors and 5'-nucleotidase are very similar, but differ from that of UDP-galactosyltransferase. Similarly, the mitochondrial profiles of cytochrome oxidase and 5-HT (serotonin) uptake are different. An analytical approach for brain fractionation, when performed with appropriate measurements (cytochrome oxidase, amine uptake, 5'-nucleotidase, and receptor binding), is rapid and clearly differentiates pre- and postsynaptic constituents.

Cerebroside sulfotransferase in Golgi-enriched fractions from rat brain

Golgi-enriched fractions were prepared from brainstems of 17-day-old rats by first floating off myelin, then fractionating the remaining pellet by a series of differential and density gradient centrifugations in sucrose. Fractions enriched in Golgi membranes were recovered at 0.46/0.76 M and 0.76/0.87 M interfaces on the final sucrose gradient as indicated by morphology and the biochemical markers thiamine pyrophosphatase and [3H]fucose-labeled glycoprotein. Morphology of the two fractions indicated very little contamination with myelin lamellae; however, the presence of significant levels of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotidase in the lighter fraction suggested a contribution from oligodendroglial or myelin-related membranes. Cerebroside sulfotransferase was highly enriched in the lighter Golgi-enriched fraction relative to the denser fraction, the post-34,880 X g microsomes, and the myelin-like fraction. In contrast, ceramide galactosyl transferase was more evenly distributed among the fractions. Our results show a more highly localized distribution of sulfatide synthesis than of galactocerebroside synthesis, probably in Golgi membranes or oligodendroglia-related membranes with similar properties.

Fucose incorporation and identification of fucosylglycoproteins in synaptosomes

A synaptosome-enriched fraction from sheep cortex was incubated with L-fucose. The uptake of the sugar into this preparation was dependent on time, temperature, and concentration. A Kmapp of 0.94 mM-L-fucose and a Vmaxapp value of 0.24 nM-L-fucose/mg synaptosomal soluble protein/20 min was determined. After incubation for 10 min at 25 degrees C with L-[3H]fucose, 70% of the radioactive label was found in the soluble fraction. DEAE-cellulose chromatography resulted in the elution of three fucosylprotein peaks which were then characterised by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). At least eleven 3H protein-staining bands were identified with M. W. 13,000--115,000. Control experiments involving the incubation of the hexose with heat-treated synaptosomes and myelin, mitochondria, and microsomes indicted that the tritiated material associated with the synaptosomal soluble fraction was not due to nonspecific binding or to the presence of contaminating subcellular material. A 3H glycopeptide was identified, and on analysis the carbohydrate moiety was found to be rich in sialic acid, fucose, galactose, mannose, and N-acetylglucosamine. Mild acid treatment of the glycopeptide released fucose, which implies that this carbohydrate occupies a terminal position in the oligosaccharide chain. From these results it is proposed that synthesis or the modification of soluble fucosylglycoproteins is possible in synaptosomes.