High uptake of myo-inositol by rat pancreatic tissue in vitro stimulates secretion

Studies on avian erythrocyte metabolism. XVII. Kinetics and transport properties of myo-inositol in chicken reticulocytes

The uptake of myo-inositol was determined in a reticulocyte-enriched fraction prepared from chicken blood and compared with uptake in mature erythrocytes. While reticulocytes accumulated inositol at levels more than threefold that of the plasma concentration, erythrocyte levels were only slightly higher than that of the plasma concentration. The rate of uptake in reticulocytes was approximately 66 mumol/ml rbc/h compared to 5 mumol/ml rbc/h in mature erythrocytes when measured at an inositol medium concentration of 250 microM. The kinetic analysis of inositol influx by reticulocytes reveals a two component system: saturable and nonsaturable. The saturable component, which has a Km for inositol of approximately 222 microM, is Na-dependent. This Na-dependent saturable component, which presumably reflects active transport of inositol, accounts for 30-35% of the transport process. The saturable component is completely inhibited by amiloride but to a lesser extent by ouabain and bumetanide. Moreover, in the course of reticulocyte maturation, the saturable component is lost concomitantly with the completion of the synthesis of myo-inositol pentakisphosphate and the drastic decrease in the membrane permeability to inositol. In addition, phloretin and cytochalasin B, which bind to hexose carriers and inhibit hexose sugar transport, also inhibited inositol transport. The uptake of inositol was not affected by excesses of 3-O-methylglucose (100 mM) or by physiological concentrations of D-glucose. Thus, the transport mechanism of myo-inositol appears distinct from that of D-glucose.

Monensin influences basal and human growth hormone-releasing hormone 44-induced release of stored and new rat growth hormone and prolactin

When previous data suggested a growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF)-sensitive branch in intracellular hormone processing, the monensin-sensitive Golgi apparatus seemed a likely candidate. We examined monensin's effect on basal and GRF-stimulated release of newly synthesized and stored rat growth hormone (rGH) and rat prolactin (rPRL). 14C-Pre-labeled, perifused rat pituitary fragments were exposed to [3H]leucine in 0-10 microM monensin; a pulse of 3 nM GRF assessed subsequent secretory responsivity. Monensin dose-dependently reduced basal release of stored [14C]rGH and [14C]rPRL. GRF-stimulated release of stored [14C]hormone was doubled after 0.03 microM and 0.1 microM monensin; higher concentrations diminished stored hormone release. Low concentrations of monensin accelerated basal (0.03 microM and 0.1 microM) and GRF-stimulated (0.03 microM) [3H]rGH and [3H]rPRL release without altering recovery; higher monensin concentrations (greater than or equal to 1 microM) reduced basal, and abolished GRF-stimulated, new hormone release and reduced total [3H]rGH and [3H]rPRL recovery. These data are consistent with a GRF-sensitive and monensin-influenced branch in intracellular hormone processing that regulates the fraction of new hormone exiting the cell without prior immersion in storage compartments.

Intracellular transport of the major glycoprotein of zymogen granule membranes in the rat pancreas. Demonstration of high turnover at the plasma membrane

The intracellular transport and destination of the major glycoprotein associated with zymogen granule membranes in the pancreas (GP-2) was established. In suspensions of isolated acinar cells from rat pancreas, pulse-chase experiments were performed. The incorporation of the first newly synthesized GP-2 molecules into zymogen granule membranes occurred at about 60 min after beginning of the pulse. We demonstrated by using two different methods that newly made GP-2 reaches the cell surface within the same time span. After 6-8 h chase considerable more newly synthesized GP-2 has reached the cell surface than would be expected on account of secreted newly synthesized zymogens. These observations strongly suggest that at least part of the GP-2 molecules bypass the mature zymogen granule compartment on their way to the plasma membrane. GP-2 is the only protein that appears in discernable quantity in the plasma membrane during 1-4 h after a pulse label. Nevertheless GP-2 comprises only a small percentage of externally 125I-iodinated plasma membrane proteins. We conclude that GP-2 has a high turnover rate at the plasma membrane level. Treatment of the acinar cells with the N-glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin does not block the intracellular transport of GP-2.

Evidence that glucose "marks" beta cells resulting in preferential release of newly synthesized insulin

Studies of isolated islets labeled with radioactive leucine show that glucose at a critical time "marks" islets in such a way as to cause preferential release of newly synthesized insulin. The preferential release of insulin from marked islets is relatively independent of subsequent secretagogues or rates of insulin secretion. Previous kinetic studies have indicated that the critical time at which marking occurs is after proinsulin biosynthesis but before the secretory event. Thus, secretory cells may regulate the diversion of newly synthesized material for immediate release as it is approaching or transiting the Golgi apparatus.

Cation ionophores A23187 and valinomycin enhance protein-mediated transfer of rat liver microsomal phosphatidylinositol to liposomes

A standard reaction mixture has been established in which partially purified rat liver phosphatidylinositol exchange proteins sustain a maximal rate of phosphatidylinositol transfer from rat liver microsomes to liposomes. Determination of the transfer kinetics confirms the findings of Brophy et al. (Biochem J. 174:413-420,1978) that under such conditions a maximum 70-80% of the homogeneously radiolabeled, microsomal phosphatidylinositol is exchanged with biphasic kinetics. The phosphatidylinositol exchange proteins thus indicate the presence of three microsomal phosphatidylinositol pools: One pool is not subject to protein-mediated exchange; the other two pools are both exchangeable but are exchanged with significantly different half-lives. Both the divalent cation ionophore, A23187, and the monovalent cation ionophore, valinomycin, significantly enhance phosphatidylinositol transfer in the standard reaction mixture at concentrations 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater than those sufficient for the ionophores to facilitate cation transport across membranes. The stimulatory effect of each ionophore, however, is not a function of the ionophore/microsome mass ratio in the reaction mixture. Although both ionophores increase the relative amount of exchangeable phosphatidylinositol, either ionophore results in all of the exchangeable phosphatidylinositol being transferred with single-state kinetics. The evidence demonstrates that A23187 and valinomycin are the first substances found to markedly enhance the reactivity of a microsomal phospholipid class with phospholipid exchange proteins.

The nutritional significance, metabolism, and function of myo-inositol and phosphatidylinositol in health and disease

Recent advances in nutritional and biochemical research have substantiated the importance of inositol as a dietary and cellular constituent. The processes involved in the metabolism of inositol and its derivatives in mammalian tissues have been characterized both in vivo and at the enzyme level. Biochemical functions elucidated for phosphatidylinositol in biological membranes include the mediation of cellular responses to external stimuli, nerve transmission, and the regulation of enzyme activity through specific interactions with various proteins. Inositol deficiency in animals has been shown to produce an accumulation of triglyceride in liver, intestinal lipodystrophy, and other abnormalities. The metabolic mechanisms giving rise to these latter phenomena have been extensively studied as a function of dietary inositol. Altered metabolism of inositol has been documented in patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, galactosemia, and multiple sclerosis. A moderate increase in plasma and nerve inositol levels by dietary supplementation has been suggested as a means of treating diabetic neuropathy, although excessively high levels, such as are found in uremic patients, may be neurotoxic. A thorough consideration of the biochemical functions of inositol and a further characterization of various diseases with the aid of appropriate animal models may suggest a possible role for inositol and other dietary components in their prevention and treatment

Exogenous secretory proteins do not inhibit carbamylcholine-stimulated release of pulse-labelled secretory proteins from rat pancreatic tissue slices

Experiments were conducted to test the concept that the results of secretion studies employing pancreatic tissue slices are significantly biased by the distribution of exocrine secretory proteins between the tissue and the incubation medium. The findings demonstrate (1) that the kinetics of release of pulse-labelled secretory proteins from cholinergically-stimulated tissue slices are independent of the concentration of exogenous exocrine secretory proteins and (2) that if there are bidirectional fluxes of secretory proteins across the cell membrane of pancreatic exocrine cells, these fluxes do not account for the fractional release of pulse-labelled secretory proteins.

Characterization of rat somatotroph and mammotroph secretory granules. Presence of sulfated molecules

The contents of a purified somatotroph and mammotroph secretory granule fraction isolated from rat anterior pituitaries were solubilized in 4 M urea and analyzed by PAGE. In gels electrophoresed under a variety of conditions and stained with Coomassie Blue only two major bands, identified as GH and PRL, were present. In gels stained with Stains-All (which stains anionic substances), several additional bands were detected. When quarter pituitaries were labeled with a [3H]amino acid mixture, GH and PRL accounted for greater than 95% of the radioactivity incorporated into the granules. After labeling with [35S]sulfate, two classes of radiolabeled sulfated components were detected in the granules: a class of trypsin-sensitive macromolecular components which were coincident with two of the bands seen after Stains-All, and a class of low molecular weight components. In order to examine the distribution of the two classes of sulfated components within somatotroph and mammotroph granules, granules were suspended in 0.4% (w/v) Lubrol PX at pH 4.0, a treatment which has been shown to selectively solubilize somatotroph granule contents leaving mammotroph granule cores intact. This treatment was found to solubilize greater than 95% of the GH and greater than 99% of the radiolabeled, low molecular weight sulfated components; in contrast, there was virtually no solubilization of either PRL or macromolecular sulfated components. The findings indicate (a) that [35S]sulfate is incorporated into both somatotroph and mammotroph granules, and (b) that the low molecular weight sulfated components are associated with somatotroph granules whereas the macromolecular sulfated components are associated with mammotroph granules.