Derivation and characterization of glycoinositol-phospholipid anchor-defective human K562 cell clones

Transfer of membrane(s) matter(s)-non-genetic inheritance of (metabolic) phenotypes?

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are anchored at the outer phospholipid layer of eukaryotic plasma membranes exclusively by a glycolipid. GPI-APs are not only released into extracellular compartments by lipolytic cleavage. In addition, certain GPI-APs with the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor including their fatty acids remaining coupled to the carboxy-terminus of their protein components are also detectable in body fluids, in response to certain stimuli, such as oxidative stress, radicals or high-fat diet. As a consequence, the fatty acid moieties of GPI-APs must be shielded from access of the aqueous environment by incorporation into membranes of extracellular vesicles or into micelle-like complexes together with (lyso)phospholipids and cholesterol. The GPI-APs released from somatic cells and tissues are transferred via those complexes or EVs to somatic as well as pluripotent stem cells with metabolic consequences, such as upregulation of glycogen and lipid synthesis. From these and additional findings, the following hypotheses are developed: i) Transfer of GPI-APs via EVs or micelle-like complexes leads to the induction of new phenotypes in the daughter cells or zygotes, which are presumably not restricted to metabolism. ii) The membrane topographies transferred by the concerted action of GPI-APs and interacting components are replicated by self-organization and self-templation and remain accessible to structural changes by environmental factors. iii) Transfer from mother cells and gametes to their daughter cells and zygotes, respectively, is not restricted to DNA and genes, but also encompasses non-genetic matter, such as GPI-APs and specific membrane constituents. iv) The intergenerational transfer of membrane matter between mammalian organisms is understood as an epigenetic mechanism for phenotypic plasticity, which does not rely on modifications of DNA and histones, but is regarded as molecular mechanism for the inheritance of acquired traits, such as complex metabolic diseases. v) The missing interest in research of non-genetic matter of inheritance, which may be interpreted in the sense of Darwin's "Gemmules" or Galton's "Stirps", should be addressed in future investigations of the philosophy of science and sociology of media.

Transfer of Proteins from Cultured Human Adipose to Blood Cells and Induction of Anabolic Phenotype Are Controlled by Serum, Insulin and Sulfonylurea Drugs

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are anchored at the outer leaflet of eukaryotic plasma membranes (PMs) only by carboxy-terminal covalently coupled GPI. GPI-APs are known to be released from the surface of donor cells in response to insulin and antidiabetic sulfonylureas (SUs) by lipolytic cleavage of the GPI or upon metabolic derangement as full-length GPI-APs with the complete GPI attached. Full-length GPI-APs become removed from extracellular compartments by binding to serum proteins, such as GPI-specific phospholipase D (GPLD1), or insertion into the PMs of acceptor cells. Here, the interplay between the lipolytic release and intercellular transfer of GPI-APs and its potential functional impact was studied using transwell co-culture with human adipocytes as insulin-/SU-responsive donor cells and GPI-deficient erythroleukemia as acceptor cells (ELCs). Measurement of the transfer as the expression of full-length GPI-APs at the ELC PMs by their microfluidic chip-based sensing with GPI-binding α-toxin and GPI-APs antibodies and of the ELC anabolic state as glycogen synthesis upon incubation with insulin, SUs and serum yielded the following results: (i) Loss of GPI-APs from the PM upon termination of their transfer and decline of glycogen synthesis in ELCs, as well as prolongation of the PM expression of transferred GPI-APs upon inhibition of their endocytosis and upregulated glycogen synthesis follow similar time courses. (ii) Insulin and SUs inhibit both GPI-AP transfer and glycogen synthesis upregulation in a concentration-dependent fashion, with the efficacies of the SUs increasing with their blood glucose-lowering activity. (iii) Serum from rats eliminates insulin- and SU-inhibition of both GPI-APs' transfer and glycogen synthesis in a volume-dependent fashion, with the potency increasing with their metabolic derangement. (iv) In rat serum, full-length GPI-APs bind to proteins, among them (inhibited) GPLD1, with the efficacy increasing with the metabolic derangement. (v) GPI-APs are displaced from serum proteins by synthetic phosphoinositolglycans and then transferred to ELCs with accompanying stimulation of glycogen synthesis, each with efficacies increasing with their structural similarity to the GPI glycan core. Thus, both insulin and SUs either block or foster transfer when serum proteins are depleted of or loaded with full-length GPI-APs, respectively, i.e., in the normal or metabolically deranged state. The transfer of the anabolic state from somatic to blood cells over long distance and its "indirect" complex control by insulin, SUs and serum proteins support the (patho)physiological relevance of the intercellular transfer of GPI-APs.

Biological Role of the Intercellular Transfer of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Proteins: Stimulation of Lipid and Glycogen Synthesis

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs), which are anchored at the outer leaflet of plasma membranes (PM) only by a carboxy-terminal GPI glycolipid, are known to fulfill multiple enzymic and receptor functions at the cell surface. Previous studies revealed that full-length GPI-APs with the complete GPI anchor attached can be released from and inserted into PMs in vitro. Moreover, full-length GPI-APs were recovered from serum, dependent on the age and metabolic state of rats and humans. Here, the possibility of intercellular control of metabolism by the intercellular transfer of GPI-APs was studied. Mutant K562 erythroleukemia (EL) cells, mannosamine-treated human adipocytes and methyl-ß-cyclodextrin-treated rat adipocytes as acceptor cells for GPI-APs, based on their impaired PM expression of GPI-APs, were incubated with full-length GPI-APs, prepared from rat adipocytes and embedded in micelle-like complexes, or with EL cells and human adipocytes with normal expression of GPI-APs as donor cells in transwell co-cultures. Increases in the amounts of full-length GPI-APs at the PM of acceptor cells as a measure of their transfer was assayed by chip-based sensing. Both experimental setups supported both the transfer and upregulation of glycogen (EL cells) and lipid (adipocytes) synthesis. These were all diminished by serum, serum GPI-specific phospholipase D, albumin, active bacterial PI-specific phospholipase C or depletion of total GPI-APs from the culture medium. Serum inhibition of both transfer and glycogen/lipid synthesis was counteracted by synthetic phosphoinositolglycans (PIGs), which closely resemble the structure of the GPI glycan core and caused dissociation of GPI-APs from serum proteins. Finally, large, heavily lipid-loaded donor and small, slightly lipid-loaded acceptor adipocytes were most effective in stimulating transfer and lipid synthesis. In conclusion, full-length GPI-APs can be transferred between adipocytes or between blood cells as well as between these cell types. Transfer and the resulting stimulation of lipid and glycogen synthesis, respectively, are downregulated by serum proteins and upregulated by PIGs. These findings argue for the (patho)physiological relevance of the intercellular transfer of GPI-APs in general and its role in the paracrine vs. endocrine (dys)regulation of metabolism, in particular. Moreover, they raise the possibility of the use of full-length GPI-APs as therapeutics for metabolic diseases.

Analysis of membrane topology and identification of essential residues for the yeast endoplasmic reticulum inositol acyltransferase Gwt1p

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) is a post-translational modification that anchors cell surface proteins to the plasma membrane, and GPI modifications occur in all eukaryotes. Biosynthesis of GPI starts on the cytoplasmic face of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, and GPI precursors flip from the cytoplasmic side to the luminal side of the ER, where biosynthesis of GPI precursors is completed. Gwt1p and PIG-W are inositol acyltransferases that transfer fatty acyl chains to the inositol moiety of GPI precursors in yeast and mammalian cells, respectively. To ascertain whether flipping across the ER membrane occurs before or after inositol acylation of GPI precursors, we identified essential residues of PIG-W and Gwt1p and determined the membrane topology of Gwt1p. Guided by algorithm-based predictions of membrane topology, we experimentally identified 13 transmembrane domains in Gwt1p. We found that Gwt1p, PIG-W, and their orthologs shared four conserved regions and that these four regions in Gwt1p faced the luminal side of the ER membrane. Moreover, essential residues of Gwt1p and PIG-W faced the ER lumen or were near the luminal edge of transmembrane domains. The membrane topology of Gwt1p suggested that inositol acylation occurred on the luminal side of the ER membrane. Rather than stimulate flipping of the GPI precursor across the ER membrane, inositol acylation of GPI precursors may anchor the precursors to the luminal side of the ER membrane, preventing flip-flops.

Altered lipid raft composition and defective cell death signal transduction in glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor-deficient PIG-A mutant cells

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a clonal disorder of haematopoietic stem cells caused by somatic PIGA mutations, resulting in a deficiency in glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-AP). Because GPI-AP associate with lipid rafts (LR), lack of GPI-AP on PNH cells may result in alterations in LR-dependent signalling. Conversely, PNH cells are a suitable model for investigating LR biology. LR from paired, wild-type GPI(+), and mutant GPI(-) cell lines (K562 and TF1) were isolated and analysed; GPI(-) LR contained important anti-apoptotic proteins, not found in LR from GPI(+) cells. When methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD) was utilized to probe for functional differences between normal and GPI(-) LR, increased levels of phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and phospho-p65 nuclear factor NF-kappaB were found in control and GPI(-) cells respectively. Subsequent experiments addressing the inhibition of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) suggest that the PI3K/AKT pathway may be responsible for the resistance of K562 GPI(-)cells to negative effects of MbetaCD. In addition, transduction of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) signals in a LR-dependent fashion increased induction of p38 MAPK in GPI(+) and increased pro-survival NF-kappaB levels in K562 GPI(-) cells. Therefore, we suggest that the altered LR-dependent signalling in PNH-like cells may induce different responses to pro-inflammatory cytokines from those observed in cells with intact GPI-AP.

Retrotranslocation of prion proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum by preventing GPI signal transamidation

Neurodegeneration in diseases caused by altered metabolism of mammalian prion protein (PrP) can be averted by reducing PrP expression. To identify novel pathways for PrP down-regulation, we analyzed cells that had adapted to the negative selection pressure of stable overexpression of a disease-causing PrP mutant. A mutant cell line was isolated that selectively and quantitatively routes wild-type and various mutant PrPs for ER retrotranslocation and proteasomal degradation. Biochemical analyses of the mutant cells revealed that a defect in glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor synthesis leads to an unprocessed GPI-anchoring signal sequence that directs both ER retention and efficient retrotranslocation of PrP. An unprocessed GPI signal was sufficient to impart ER retention, but not retrotranslocation, to a heterologous protein, revealing an unexpected role for the mature domain in the metabolism of misprocessed GPI-anchored proteins. Our results provide new insights into the quality control pathways for unprocessed GPI-anchored proteins and identify transamidation of the GPI signal sequence as a step in PrP biosynthesis that is absolutely required for its surface expression. As each GPI signal sequence is unique, these results also identify signal recognition by the GPI-transamidase as a potential step for selective small molecule perturbation of PrP expression.

A chemical approach to unraveling the biological function of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor is a C-terminal posttranslational modification found on many eukaryotic proteins that reside in the outer leaflet of the cell membrane. The complex and diverse structures of GPI anchors suggest a rich spectrum of biological functions, but few have been confirmed experimentally because of the lack of appropriate techniques that allow for structural perturbation in a cellular context. We previously synthesized a series of GPI anchor analogs with systematic deletions within the glycan core and coupled them to the GFP by a combination of expressed protein ligation and native chemical ligation [Paulick MG, Wise AR, Forstner MB, Groves JT, Bertozzi CR (2007) J Am Chem Soc 129:11543-11550]. Here we investigate the behavior of these GPI-protein analogs in living cells. These modified proteins integrated into the plasma membranes of a variety of mammalian cells and were internalized and directed to recycling endosomes similarly to GFP bearing a native GPI anchor. The GPI-protein analogs also diffused freely in cellular membranes. However, changes in the glycan structure significantly affected membrane mobility, with the loss of monosaccharide units correlating to decreased diffusion. Thus, this cellular system provides a platform for dissecting the contributions of various GPI anchor components to their biological function.

Recent developments in the molecular, biochemical and functional characterization of GPI8 and the GPI-anchoring mechanism [review]

Glycoconjugates are utilized by eukaryotic organisms ranging from yeast to humans for the cell surface expression of a wide variety of proteins and lipids. These glycoconjugates are expressed as enzymes or receptors and serve a diversity of functions, including cell signaling and cell survival. In parasitic protozoans, glycoconjugates play roles in infectivity, survival, virulence and immune evasion. Among the alternate glycoconjugate structures that have been identified, glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) represent a universal structure for the anchorage of proteins, lipids, and phosphosaccharides to cellular membranes. Biosynthesis of the GPI is a multi-step process that culminates in the attachment of the assembled GPI to a precursor protein. This final step in the transfer of the GPI to a protein is catalyzed by GPI8 of the putative transamidase complex (TAM). GPI8 functions dually to perform the proteolytic cleavage of the C-terminal signal sequence of the precursor protein, followed by the formation of an amide bond between the protein and the ethanolamine phosphate of the GPI. This review summarizes the current aggregate of biochemical, gene-disruption and active site mutagenesis studies, which provide evidence that GPI8 is responsible for the protein-GPI anchoring reaction. We describe recently published studies that have identified other potential components of the TAM complex and that have elucidated their likely role in protein-GPI attachment. Further, we discuss the biochemical, molecular and functional differences between protozoan and mammalian GPI8 and the protein-GPI anchoring machinery. Finally, we will present the implications of these studies for the development of anti-parasite drug therapies.

GPI7 is the second partner of PIG-F and involved in modification of glycosylphosphatidylinositol

Many eukaryotic cell surface proteins are anchored to the membrane via glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). GPI is synthesized from phosphatidylinositol by stepwise reactions and attached en bloc to nascent proteins. In mammalian cells, the major GPI species transferred to proteins is termed H7. By attachment of an additional ethanolamine phosphate (EtNP) to the second mannose, H7 can be converted to H8, which acts as a minor type of protein-linked GPI and also exists as a free GPI on the cell surface. Yeast GPI7 is involved in the transfer of EtNP to the second mannose, but the corresponding mammalian enzyme has not yet been clarified. Here, we report that the human homolog of Gpi7p (hGPI7) forms a protein complex with PIG-F and is involved in the H7-to-H8 conversion. We knocked down hGPI7 by RNA interference and found that H7 accumulated with little production of H8. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that hGPI7 was associated with and stabilized by PIG-F, which is known to bind to and stabilize PIG-O, a protein homologous to hGPI7. PIG-O is a transferase that adds EtNP to the third mannose, rendering GPI capable of attaching to proteins. We further found that the overexpression of hGPI7 decreased the level of PIG-O and, therefore, decreased the level of EtNP transferred to the third mannose. Finally, we propose a mechanism for the regulation of GPI biosynthesis through competition between the two independent enzymes, PIG-O and hGPI7, for the common stabilizer, PIG-F.

GWT1 gene is required for inositol acylation of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors in yeast

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) is a conserved post-translational modification to anchor cell surface proteins to plasma membrane in all eukaryotes. In yeast, GPI mediates cross-linking of cell wall mannoproteins to beta1,6-glucan. We reported previously that the GWT1 gene product is a target of the novel anti-fungal compound, 1-[4-butylbenzyl]isoquinoline, that inhibits cell wall localization of GPI-anchored mannoproteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Tsukahara, K., Hata, K., Sagane, K., Watanabe, N., Kuromitsu, J., Kai, J., Tsuchiya, M., Ohba, F., Jigami, Y., Yoshimatsu, K., and Nagasu, T. (2003) Mol. Microbiol. 48, 1029-1042). In the present study, to analyze the function of the Gwt1 protein, we isolated temperature-sensitive gwt1 mutants. The gwt1 cells were normal in transport of invertase and carboxypeptidase Y but were delayed in transport of GPI-anchored protein, Gas1p, and were defective in its maturation from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi. The incorporation of inositol into GPI-anchored proteins was reduced in gwt1 mutant, indicating involvement of GWT1 in GPI biosynthesis. We analyzed the early steps of GPI biosynthesis in vitro by using membranes prepared from gwt1 and Deltagwt1 cells. The synthetic activity of GlcN-(acyl)PI from GlcN-PI was defective in these cells, whereas Deltagwt1 cells harboring GWT1 gene restored the activity, indicating that GWT1 is required for acylation of inositol during the GPI synthetic pathway. We further cloned GWT1 homologues in other yeasts, Cryptococcus neoformans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and confirmed that the specificity of acyl-CoA in inositol acylation, as reported in studies of endogenous membranes (Franzot, S. P., and Doering, T. L. (1999) Biochem. J. 340, 25-32), is due to the properties of Gwt1p itself and not to other membrane components.

A SIN lentiviral vector containing PIGA cDNA allows long-term phenotypic correction of CD34+-derived cells from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) disorder in which an acquired somatic mutation of the X-linked PIGA gene results in a deficiency in GPI-anchored surface proteins. Clinically, PNH is dominated by a chronic hemolytic anemia, often associated with recurrent nocturnal exacerbations, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and thrombotic tendency. Allogenic bone marrow transplantation is the only potentially curative treatment for severe forms of PNH but is associated with a high treatment-related morbidity and mortality. HSC gene therapy could provide a new therapeutic option, especially when an HLA-matched donor is not available. To develop an efficient gene transfer approach, we have designed a new SIN lentiviral vector (TEPW) that contains the PIGA cDNA driven by the human elongation factor 1 alpha promoter, the central DNA flap of HIV-1, and the WPRE cassette. TEPW transduction led to a complete surface expression of the GPI anchor and CD59 in PIGA-deficient cell lines without any selection procedure. Moreover, efficient gene transfer was achieved in bone marrow and mobilized peripheral blood CD34(+) cells derived from two patients with severe PNH disease. This expression was stable during erythroid, myeloid, and megakaryocytic liquid culture differentiation. CD59 surface cell expression was fully restored during 5 weeks of long-term culture.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in pregnancy

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired hemolytic anemia in which a defect of glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins in the cell membrane of bone marrow stem cells leads to increased sensitivity of the red cells to complement, causing intravascular hemolysis and hemoglobinuria. Other clinical features of this disease are cytopenia and an increased frequency of thrombotic events. We report a case of a pregnant woman with PNH on high-dosage anticoagulation therapy, the follow-up during the pregnancy, the delivery and the postpartum period. The obstetric literature on women with PNH is reviewed, the maternal and fetal risks are evaluated and the management of pregnancies and deliveries in such patients are discussed. During the pregnancy our patient was hypertransfused and used anticoagulation treatment. A healthy child was delivered in week 37 by cesarean section because of premature rupture of the membranes, unsuccessful induction and intrauterine infection. Because of bleeding problems a hysterectomy also had to be performed. In the postpartum period the patient developed her second episode of a liver vein thrombosis. She recovered gradually and 18 months after the delivery her disease is now in a stable phase. The literature shows a high maternal morbidity and mortality among pregnant PNH patients. Fetal wastage and prematurity rate are also high. Pregnancy in patients with PNH represents a high-risk situation for both the mother and the child and should not be recommended. A pregnant PNH woman should be followed closely by both obstetricians and hematologists.

Decreased susceptibility of leukemic cells with PIG-A mutation to natural killer cells in vitro

The cloning of the PIG-A gene has facilitated the unraveling of the complex pathophysiology of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Of current major concern is the mechanism by which a PNH clone expands. Many reports have suggested that an immune mechanism operates to cause bone marrow failure in some patients with PNH, aplastic anemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Because blood cells of PNH phenotype are often found in patients with these marrow diseases, one hypothesis is that the PNH clone escapes immune attack, producing a survival advantage by immunoselection. To test this hypothesis, we examined the sensitivity of blood cells, with or without PIG-A mutations, to killing by natural killer (NK) cells, using 51Cr-release assay in vitro. To both peripheral blood and cultured NK cells, PIG-A mutant cells prepared from myeloid and lymphoid leukemic cell lines were less susceptible than their control counterparts (reverted from the mutant cells by transfection with a PIG-A cDNA). NK activity was completely abolished with concanamycin A and by calcium chelation, indicating that killing was perforin-dependent. There were no differences in major histocompatibility (MHC) class I expression or sensitivity to either purified perforin or to interleukin-2-activated NK cells between PIG-A mutant and control cells. From these results, we infer that PIG-A mutant cells lack molecules needed for NK activation or to trigger perforin-mediated killing. Our experiments suggest that PIG-A mutations confer a relative survival advantage to a PNH clone, contributing to selective expansion of these cells in the setting of marrow injury by cytotoxic lymphocytes.

The glycan core of GPI-anchored proteins modulates aerolysin binding but is not sufficient: the polypeptide moiety is required for the toxin-receptor interaction

Sensitivity of mammalian cells to the bacterial toxin aerolysin is due to the presence at their surface of glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored proteins which act as receptors. Using a panel of mutants that are affected in the GPI biosynthetic pathway and Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoproteins, we show that addition of an ethanolamine phosphate residue on the first mannose of the glycan core does not affect binding. In contrast, the addition of a side chain of up to four galactose residues at position 3 of this same mannose leads to an increase in binding. However, protein free GPIs, which accumulate in mutant cells deficient in the transamidase that transfers the protein to the pre-formed GPI-anchor, were unable to bind the toxin indicating a requirement for the polypeptide moiety, the nature and size of which seem of little importance although two exceptions have been identified.

Lipid protein interactions: the assembly of CD1d1 with cellular phospholipids occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum

CD1d1 is a member of a family of lipid Ag-presenting molecules. The cellular ligands associated with CD1d1 were isolated and characterized by biochemical means as an approach to elucidate the mechanism by which CD1 molecules assemble in vivo. Natural ligands of mouse CD1d1 included cellular phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol-glycans that are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Further biochemical data revealed that the two CD1d1 mutants, one defective in recycling from-and-to the plasma membrane and the other in efficiently negotiating the secretory pathway, associated with phosphatidylinositol. Thus phosphatidylinositol associated with CD1d1 in the early secretory pathway. Phosphatidylinositol also associated with CD1d1 in Pig-A-deficient cells that are defective in the first glycosylation step of glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis. Moreover, cellular phosphatidylinositol-glycans are not Valpha14Jalpha15 natural T cell Ags. Therefore, we predict that cellular lipids occlude the hydrophobic Ag-binding groove of CD1 during assembly until they are exchanged for a glycolipid Ag(s) within the recycling compartment for display on the plasma membrane. In this manner, cellular lipids might play a chaperone-like role in the assembly of CD1d1 in vivo, akin to the function of invariant chain in MHC class II assembly.

Efficient retrovirus-mediated PIG-A gene transfer and stable restoration of GPI-anchored protein expression in cells with the PNH phenotype

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorder characterized by complement-mediated hemolysis due to deficiencies of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) in subpopulations of blood cells. Acquired mutations in the X-linked phosphatidylinositol glycan-class A (PIG-A) gene appear to be the characteristic and pathogenetic cause of PNH. To develop a gene therapy approach for PNH, a retroviral vector construct, termed MPIN, was made containing the PIG-A complementary DNA along with an internal ribosome entry site and the nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) as a selectable marker. MPIN transduction led to efficient and stable PIG-A and NGFR gene expression in a PIG-A-deficient B-cell line (JY5), a PIG-A-deficient K562 cell line, an Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell line (TK-14(-)) established from a patient with PNH, as well as peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells from a patient with PNH. PIG-A expression in these cell lines stably restored GPI-AP expression. MPIN was transduced into bone marrow mononuclear cells from a patient with PNH, and myeloid/erythroid colonies and erythroid cells were derived. These transduced erythroid cells restored surface expression of GPI-APs and resistance to hemolysis. These results indicate that MPIN is capable of efficient and stable functional restoration of GPI-APs in a variety of PIG-A-deficient hematopoietic cell types. Furthermore, MPIN also transduced into PB CD34(+) cells from a normal donor, indicating that MPIN can transduce primitive human progenitors. These findings set the stage for determining whether MPIN can restore PIG-A function in multipotential stem cells, thereby providing a potential new therapeutic option in PNH.

Early events in glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor addition. substrate proteins associate with the transamidase subunit gpi8p

The addition of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors to proteins occurs by a transamidase-catalyzed reaction mechanism soon after completion of polypeptide synthesis and translocation. We show that placental alkaline phosphatase becomes efficiently GPI-anchored when translated in the presence of semipermeabilized K562 cells but is not GPI-anchored in cell lines defective in the transamidase subunit hGpi8p. By studying the synthesis of placental alkaline phosphatase, we demonstrate that folding of the protein is not influenced by the addition of a GPI anchor and conversely that GPI anchor addition does not require protein folding. These results demonstrate that folding of the ectodomain and GPI addition are two distinct processes and can be mutually exclusive. When GPI addition is prevented, either by synthesis of the protein in the presence of cell lines defective in GPI addition or by mutation of the GPI carboxyl-terminal signal sequence cleavage site, the substrate forms a prolonged association with the transamidase subunit hGpi8p. The ability of the transamidase to recognize and associate with GPI anchor signal sequences provides an explanation for the retention of GPI-anchored protein within the ER in the absence of GPI anchor addition.

Identification of the Dombrock blood group glycoprotein as a polymorphic member of the ADP-ribosyltransferase gene family

Identification of the 25 known human blood group molecules is of fundamental importance for the fields of erythroid cell biology and transfusion medicine. Here we provide the first molecular description of the “Dombrock” blood group system. A candidate gene was identified by in silico analyses of approximately 5000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from terminally differentiating human erythroid cells. Transfection experiments demonstrated specific binding of anti-Dombrock and confirmed glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane attachment. Dombrock expression is developmentally regulated during erythroid differentiation and occurs at highest levels in the fetal liver. Homology studies suggest that the Dombrock molecule is a member of the adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP)–ribosyltransferase ectoenzyme gene family. Genotypic comparisons suggest Doa versus Dob antigenicity results from a single amino acid substitution within an encoded arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif of the molecule.

Identification of the Dombrock blood group glycoprotein as a polymorphic member of the ADP-ribosyltransferase gene family

Identification of the 25 known human blood group molecules is of fundamental importance for the fields of erythroid cell biology and transfusion medicine. Here we provide the first molecular description of the “Dombrock” blood group system. A candidate gene was identified by in silico analyses of approximately 5000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from terminally differentiating human erythroid cells. Transfection experiments demonstrated specific binding of anti-Dombrock and confirmed glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane attachment. Dombrock expression is developmentally regulated during erythroid differentiation and occurs at highest levels in the fetal liver. Homology studies suggest that the Dombrock molecule is a member of the adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP)–ribosyltransferase ectoenzyme gene family. Genotypic comparisons suggest Doa versus Dob antigenicity results from a single amino acid substitution within an encoded arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif of the molecule.

Biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositols in mammals and unicellular microbes

Membrane anchoring of cell surface proteins via glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) occurs in all eukaryotic organisms. In addition, GPI-related glycophospholipids are important constituents of the glycan coat of certain protozoa. Defects in GPI biosynthesis can retard, if not abolish growth of these organisms. In humans, a defect in GPI biosynthesis can cause paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a severe acquired bone marrow disorder. Here, we review advances in the characterization of GPI biosynthesis in parasitic protozoa, yeast and mammalian cells. The GPI core structure as well as the major steps in its biosynthesis are conserved throughout evolution. However, there are significant biosynthetic differences between mammals and microbes. First indications are that these differences could be exploited as targets in the design of novel pharmacotherapeutics that selectively inhibit GPI biosynthesis in unicellular microbes.

Mammalian glycophosphatidylinositol anchor transfer to proteins and posttransfer deacylation

The glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors of proteins expressed on human erythrocytes and nucleated cells differ with respect to acylation of an inositol hydroxyl group, a structural feature that modulates their cleavability by PI-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). To determine how this GPI anchor modification is regulated, the precursor and protein-associated GPIs in two K562 cell transfectants (ATCC and .48) exhibiting alternatively PI-PLC-sensitive and resistant surface proteins were analyzed and the temporal relationship between GPI protein transfer and acquisition of PI-PLC sensitivity was determined. Nondenaturing PAGE analyses demonstrated that, whereas in .48 transfectants the GPI anchors in decay accelerating factor (DAF) and placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) were >95% acylated, in ATCC transfectants, they were 60 and 33% unsubstituted, respectively. In contrast, TLC analyses revealed that putative GPI donors in the two lines were identical and were >/=95% acylated. Studies of de novo DAF biosynthesis in HeLa cells bearing proteins with >90% unacylated anchors showed that within 5 min at 37 degreesC (or at 18 degreesC, which does not permit endoplasmic reticilum exit), >50% of the anchor in nascent 44-kDa proDAF protein exhibited PI-PLC sensitivity. In vitro analyses of the microsomal processing of miniPLAP, a truncated PLAP reporter protein, demonstrated that the anchor donor initially transferred to prominiPLAP was acylated and then progressively was deacylated. These findings indicate that (i) the anchor moiety that initially transfers to nascent proteins is acylated, (ii) inositol acylation in mature surface proteins is regulated via posttransfer deacylation, which in general is cell-specific but also can be protein-dependent, and (iii) deacylation occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum immediately after GPI transfer.

Molecular cloning of human homolog of yeast GAA1 which is required for attachment of glycosylphosphatidylinositols to proteins

Anchoring proteins to cell surface membranes by glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) is important. We have isolated a component of the putative transamidase machinery, hGaa1p (human GPI anchor attachment protein). hGAA1 cDNA is approximately 2 kb in length and codes 621 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of hGaa1p is 25%, identical and 57% homologous to that of yeast Gaa1p. Moreover, Kite-Dolittle hydrophobicity plots of both proteins show marked similarity. hGAA1 gene is expressed ubiquitously and mRNA levels are higher in the undifferentiated state. Overexpression of antisense hGAA1 in human K562 cells significantly reduced the production of a reporter GPI-anchored protein.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria as a molecular disease

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired, clonal disorder of hematopoietic cells caused by somatic mutation in the X-linked PIGA gene encoding a protein involved in the synthesis of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor by which many proteins are attached to the membrane of cells. About 15 proteins have been found to be lacking or markedly deficient on the abnormal blood cells. These defects result in a clinical syndrome that includes intravascular hemolysis mediated by complement, unusual venous thromboses, deficits of hematopoiesis, and other manifestations. Therapy is presently directed mainly at the consequences of the disorder rather than its basic causes and includes replacement of iron, folic acid, and whole blood; hormonal modulation (prednisone, androgens); anticoagulation; and bone marrow transplantation. PNH is a chronic disease with more than half of adult patients surviving 15 years or more; prognosis is less good in children.

The essential Schizosaccharomyces pombe gpil+ gene complements a bakers' yeast GPI anchoring mutant and is required for efficient cell separation

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe gpil+ gene was cloned by complementation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gpil mutant, which has temperature-sensitive defects in growth and glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchoring or protein, and which is defective in vitro in the first step in GPI anchor assembly, the formation of n-acetylglucosaminyl phosphatidylinositol (GlcNAc-PI). S. pombe gpil+ encodes a protein with 29% identity to amino acids 87-609 of the S. cerevisiae protein, and is the functional homolog of the S. cerevisiae Gpil protein, for it restores [3H]inositol-labelling of protein and in vitro GlcNAc-PI synthetic activity to both S. cerevisiae gpil and gpil::URA3 cells. Disruption of gpil+ is lethal. Haploid delta gpil+::his7+ spores germinate, but proceed through no more than three rounds of cell division, many cells ceasing growth as binucleate, septate cells with thickened septa. These results indicate that GPI synthesis is an essential function in fission yeast, and suggest that GPI anchoring is also required for completion of cytokinesis.

Gpi1, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein that participates in the first step in glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor synthesis

The temperature-sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae gpi1 mutant is blocked in [3H]inositol incorporation into protein and defective in the synthesis of N-acetylglucosaminylphosphatidylinositol, the first step in glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor assembly (Leidich, S. D., Drapp, D. A., and Orlean, P. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 10193-10196). The GPI1 gene, which encodes a 609-amino acid membrane protein, was cloned by complementation of the temperature sensitivity of gpi1 and corrects the mutant's [3H]inositol labeling and enzymatic defects. Disruption of GPI1 yields viable haploid cells that are temperature-sensitive for growth, for [3H]inositol incorporation into protein, and for GPI anchor-dependent processing of the Gas1/Ggp1 protein and that lack in vitro N-acetylglucosaminylphosphatidylinositol synthetic activity. The Gpi1 protein thus participates in GPI synthesis and is required for growth at 37 degrees C. When grown at a semipermissive temperature of 30 degrees C, gpi1 cells and gpi1::URA3 disruptants form large, round, multiply budded cells with a separation defect. Homozygous gpi1/gpi1, gpi1::URA3/gpi1::URA3, gpi2/gpi2, and gpi3/gpi3 diploids undergo meiosis, but are defective in ascospore wall maturation for they fail to give the fluorescence due to the dityrosine-containing layer in the ascospore wall. These findings indicate that GPIs have key roles in the morphogenesis and development of S. cerevisiae.

Temperature-sensitive yeast GPI anchoring mutants gpi2 and gpi3 are defective in the synthesis of N-acetylglucosaminyl phosphatidylinositol. Cloning of the GPI2 gene

To identify genes required for the synthesis of glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchors in yeast, we devised a way to isolate GPI anchoring mutants in which colonies are screened for defects in [3H]-inositol incorporation into protein. The gpi1 mutant, identified in this way, is temperature sensitive for growth and defective in vitro in the synthesis of GlcNAc-phosphatidylinositol, the first intermediate in GPI biosynthesis (Leidich, S. D., Drapp, D. A., and Orlean, P. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 10193-10196). We report the isolation of two more conditionally lethal mutants, gpi2 and gpi3, which, like gpi1, have a temperature-sensitive defect in the incorporation of [3H]inositol into protein and which lack in vitro GlcNAc-phosphatidylinositol synthetic activity. Haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains containing any pairwise combination of the gpi1, gpi2, and gpi3 mutations are inviable. The GPI2 gene, cloned by complementation of the gpi2 mutant's temperature sensitivity, encodes a hydrophobic 269-amino acid protein that resembles no other gene product known to participate in GPI assembly. Gene disruption experiments show that GPI2 is required for vegetative growth. Overexpression of the GPI2 gene causes partial suppression of the gpi1 mutant's temperature sensitivity, a result that suggests that the Gpi1 and Gpi2 proteins interact with one another in vivo. The gpi3 mutant is defective in the SPT14 gene, which encodes a yeast protein similar to the product of the mammalian PIG-A gene, which complements a GlcNAc-phosphatidylinositol synthesis-defective human cell line. In yeast, at least three gene products are required for the first step in GPI synthesis, as is the case in mammalian cells, and utilization of several different proteins at this stage is therefore likely to be a general characteristic of the GPI synthetic pathway.

Mammalian glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins and intracellular precursors

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins can be specifically identified by several methods. PI-PLC digestion analyses, the most widely used technique, can be performed more reliably when conducted with purified protein and phase partitioning to exclude steric effects and when combined with alkaline hydrolysis to control for inositol acylation. Reductive radiomethylation not only can definitively identify a candidate protein as being GPI anchored, but also can provide information on the number of amine components (GlcN, ethanolamine) in the anchor structure. Biosynthetic labeling with anchor precursors is relatively specific when performed with [3H]ethanolamine or [3H]inositol. Incorporation of the precursors additionally can be used to (1) document anchor transfer to primary translation products, (2) identify soluble derivatives of GPI-anchored proteins that have been released from cell surfaces, and (3) localize the site of GPI anchor attachment within a GPI-anchored protein. A pathway for mammalian GP anchor assembly is depicted in Fig. 12. Initially GlcNAc is transferred to PI. The resulting GlcNAc-PI is then deacetylated to yield GlcN-PI. After that step, several points of divergence are identifiable between the mammalian and T. brucei pathways: (1) all mammalian Man-containing intermediates are built on acylated inositol phospholipids; (2) a proximal phosphoethanolamine is found in mammalian GPI anchor intermediates and is added to Man 1 prior to incorporation of Man 2 and Man 3; (3) no Gal branching substituent is added to the mammalian core glycan; and (4) the most polar mammalian GPI contains a third phosphoethanolamine substituent linked to the 6 position of Man 2.

GPI-anchor synthesis

The glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor of membrane proteins is widely distributed in eukaryotes and parasitic protozoa. The structure and biosynthetic pathway of its core have been elucidated and appear to be conserved in various species. Some of the genes involved in mammalian GPI-anchor biosynthesis have recently been isolated using GPI-anchor-deficient mutant cell lines and expression cloning methods. One of these genes proved to be responsible for a GPI-anchor deficiency known as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Since the core of the GPI anchor is variously modified in different species and since there may be other differences between its biosynthetic pathway in parasites and their hosts, this pathway could be a target for chemotherapy. In this review, Taroh Kinoshita and Junji Takeda focus on the GPI-anchor biosynthetic pathway and the genes involved in it.

Deficiency of the GPI anchor caused by a somatic mutation of the PIG-A gene in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is an acquired hematopoietic disease characterized by abnormal blood cell populations in which the biosynthesis of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor is deficient. Deficiency of surface expressions of GPI-anchored complement inhibitors leads to complement-mediated hemolysis. Here we report that PIG-A, which participates in the early step of GPI anchor biosynthesis, is the gene responsible for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Affected granulocytes and B lymphocytes had the same somatic mutation of PIG-A, indicating their clonal origin from a multipotential hematopoietic stem cell. We localized PIG-A to the X chromosome, which accounts for expression of the recessive phenotype of the somatic mutation and the fact that the same one of the multiple biosynthetic steps is affected in all patients so far characterized.

The cloning of PIG-A, a component in the early step of GPI-anchor biosynthesis

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor is a membrane attachment structure of many proteins and occurs in a wide variety of eukaryotes from yeasts to mammals. The structure of the core of the GPI anchor is conserved in protozoa and mammals and so is its biosynthetic pathway. A complementary DNA encoding a human protein termed PIG-A (phosphatidylinositol glycan-class A) was cloned. PIG-A was necessary for synthesis of N-acetylglucosaminyl-phosphatidylinositol, the very early intermediate in GPI-anchor biosynthesis.