A membrane protein primarily associated with the lysosomal compartment

The alpha-L-iduronidase mutations R89Q and R89W result in an attenuated mucopolysaccharidosis type I clinical presentation

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I; McKusick 25280; Hurler syndrome, Hurler-Scheie syndrome and Scheie syndrome) is caused by a deficiency in the lysosomal hydrolase, alpha-L-iduronidase (EC 3.2.1.76). MPS I patients present within a clinical spectrum bounded by the extremes of Hurler and Scheie syndromes. The alpha-L-iduronidase missense mutations R89Q and R89W were investigated and altered an important arginine residue proposed to be a nucleophile activator in the catalytic mechanism of alpha-L-iduronidase. The R89Q alpha-L-iduronidase mutation was shown to result in a reduced level of alpha-L-iduronidase protein (< or =10% of normal control) compared to a normal control level of alpha-L-iduronidase protein that was detected for the R89W alpha-L-iduronidase mutation. When taking into account alpha-L-iduronidase specific activity, the R89W mutation had a greater effect on alpha-L-iduronidase activity than the R89Q mutation. However, overall the R89W mutation produced more residual alpha-L-iduronidase activity than the R89Q mutation. This was consistent with MPS I patients, with an R89W allele, having a less severe clinical presentation compared to MPS I patients with either a double or single allelic R89Q mutation. The effects of the R89Q and R89W mutations on enzyme activity supported the proposed role of R89 as a nucleophile activator in the catalytic mechanism of alpha-L-iduronidase.

Glycosidase active site mutations in human alpha-L-iduronidase

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I; McKusick 25280) results from a deficiency in alpha-L-iduronidase activity. Using a bioinformatics approach, we have previously predicted the putative acid/base catalyst and nucleophile residues in the active site of this human lysosomal glycosidase to be Glu182 and Glu299, respectively. To obtain experimental evidence supporting these predictions, wild-type alpha-L-iduronidase and site-directed mutants E182A and E299A were individually expressed in Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cell lines. We have compared the synthesis, processing, and catalytic properties of the two mutant proteins with wild-type human alpha-L-iduronidase. Both E182A and E299A transfected cells produced catalytically inactive human alpha-L-iduronidase protein at levels comparable to the wild-type control. The E182A protein was synthesized, processed, targeted to the lysosome, and secreted in a similar fashion to wild-type alpha-L-iduronidase. The E299A mutant protein was also synthesized and secreted similarly to the wild-type enzyme, but there were alterations in its rate of traffic and proteolytic processing. These data indicate that the enzymatic inactivity of the E182A and E299A mutants is not due to problems of synthesis/folding, but to the removal of key catalytic residues. In addition, we have identified a MPS I patient with an E182K mutant allele. The E182K mutant protein was expressed in CHO-K1 cells and also found to be enzymatically inactive. Together, these results support the predicted role of E182 and E299 in the catalytic mechanism of alpha-L-iduronidase and we propose that the mutation of either of these residues would contribute to a very severe clinical phenotype in a MPS I patient.

Lysosomal membrane proteins

The lysosomal system is the main intracellular mechanism for the turnover of endogenous and exogenous macromolecules. This catabolism is brought about in the lumen of lysosomes by a cocktail of predominantly hydrolytic enzymes with characteristic acidic pH-optima. The lysosomal membrane, which has a typical single phospholipid bilayer, controls the passage of material into and out of lysosomes, by its permeability and ability to fuse with digestive vacuoles or engulf cytosolic material. About 20 systems for transporting small molecules across the lysosomal membrane have been characterized but only two proteins, cystinosin and sialin, involved in the transport of cystine and sialic acid, respectively, have been cloned. A distinct, vacuolar proton pump (V-type H+ ATPase), which maintains the low luminal pH, has been characterized. Ubiquitous, highly glycosylated, integral membrane proteins of largely unknown function, called lysosome-associated membrane proteins (LAMPS) or lysosomal integral membrane proteins (LIMPS), account for about 50% of the protein in the lysosomal membrane. They have a short cytosolic domain of 10-20 amino acids containing single tyrosine or di-leucine motifs, which interact with adaptor complexes (APS) for sorting at the trans-Golgi network and targeting to lysosomes. A deficiency of LAMP-2 is the primary defect in Danon disease. Other proteins associate with the membrane transiently or cell-specifically. The structure, function and intracellular transport of these different classes of lysosomal membrane proteins will be reviewed.

Syntaxin 7 is localized to late endosome compartments, associates with Vamp 8, and Is required for late endosome-lysosome fusion

Protein traffic from the cell surface or the trans-Golgi network reaches the lysosome via a series of endosomal compartments. One of the last steps in the endocytic pathway is the fusion of late endosomes with lysosomes. This process has been reconstituted in vitro and has been shown to require NSF, alpha and gamma SNAP, and a Rab GTPase based on inhibition by Rab GDI. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fusion events to the lysosome-like vacuole are mediated by the syntaxin protein Vam3p, which is localized to the vacuolar membrane. In an effort to identify the molecular machinery that controls fusion events to the lysosome, we searched for mammalian homologues of Vam3p. One such candidate is syntaxin 7. Here we show that syntaxin 7 is concentrated in late endosomes and lysosomes. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments show that syntaxin 7 is associated with the endosomal v-SNARE Vamp 8, which partially colocalizes with syntaxin 7. Importantly, we show that syntaxin 7 is specifically required for the fusion of late endosomes with lysosomes in vitro, resulting in a hybrid organelle. Together, these data identify a SNARE complex that functions in the late endocytic system of animal cells.

Purification and partial characterisation of tentatively classified acid phosphatase from the earthworm Eisenia veneta

In order to use leakage of lysosomal acid phosphatase (AP) as a biomarker of stress to earthworms, more information about AP's in earthworms are needed. This paper describes the details about tentatively classified APs in the earthworm Eisenia veneta. Two isoenzymes (enzyme I and II) of acid phosphatase (AP) and one alkaline phosphatase (enzyme III) from the earthworm E. veneta were separated by gel filtration. All three enzymes were further purified and concentrated on a Con A Sepharose 4B column. Enzyme I was inhibited by tartrate, showed an optimal pH range between 4.0 and 5.0 and was assumed to be of lysosomal origin. Enzyme II was the major enzyme showing the highest activity of the three enzymes. It was expected to be a lysosomal AP under physiological conditions. Enzyme II had a molecular mass 113 kDa and was composed of apparently identical polypeptide chains of 36 kDa each. This enzyme was inhibited by tartrate, showed an optimal pH in the range 6.0-7.5 and was slowly degraded at temperatures above 40 degrees C. Enzyme III is not inhibited by tartrate and has a pH-optimum > 9. The subcellular location under physiological conditions was assumed to be the cytosol.