New form of acid phosphatase during lysosome biogenesis

Time-course study of the early lysosomal responses to pollutants in mussel digestive cells using acid phosphatase as lysosomal marker enzyme

Lysosomal biomarkers are early warning signals of the biological effects caused by environmental pollutants but the promptness of lysosomal responses to pollutants has not been investigated yet. This work is aimed to determine the response-time of digestive cell lysosomes in mussels exposed to metals and hydrocarbons. Mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, were exposed, under laboratory conditions to Cd and to the water-accommodated fraction of a lubricant oil. One mussel per experimental group was sacrificed and processed every hour from 0 h to 30 h. Changes in AcP activity, immunoreactivity and LMS test based on AcP histochemistry, discriminates significantly control and exposed mussels within 5 h exposure. The present results suggested that after 15-20 h exposure digestive cell loss might be accompanied by increased AcP activity (extralysosomal) without a parallel increase in the levels of immunoreactive AcP protein, especially after Cd-exposure. The reduced labilisation period of lysosomal membrane constitute a cost effective early warning signal that, however, is not necessarily correlated with the exposure time. The routine application of immunochemical techniques deserves more research efforts before its implementation although, these techniques are very valuable to understand and interpret correctly lysosomal responses to pollutants.

Lysosomal concept of platelet secretion--revisited

Certain morphological and biochemical aspects of platelet secretion are discussed. Based on own experiments and review of the literature a hypothesis is forwarded that platelet secretory granules or rather storage organelles can be viewed as secondary lysosomes participating in platelet endocytosis and exocytosis. Formation of the platelet thromboplastic activity, so called PF3, is linked to the platelet storage organelles disintegration and lypolysis during their exocytosis through the platelet plasma membrane.

Functional dichotomy of neutral and acidic sphingomyelinases in tumor necrosis factor signaling

Ceramide produced by sphingomyelinases (SMases) has been recognized as an important second messenger in growth factor receptor signaling. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), through binding to the 55 kDa TNF receptor (TNF-R55), rapidly activates two distinct types of SMase, a membrane-associated neutral (N-)SMase, and an endosomal acidic (A)-SMase. N-SMase and A-SMase are activated independently by different cytoplasmic domains of TNF-R55. Each type of SMase specifically couples to select pathways of TNF signaling. Ceramide generated by N-SMase directs the activation of proline-directed serine/threonine protein kinase(s) and phospholipase A2. In contrast, A-SMase triggers the activation of NF-kappa B. No apparent crosstalk was detected between N-SMase and A-SMase pathways, indicating that ceramide action depends on the topology of its production. These results suggest that N-SMase and A-SMase control important yet dissociable and nonoverlapping pathways of TNF receptor signal transduction.

TNF activates NF-kappa B by phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C-induced "acidic" sphingomyelin breakdown

In this paper, we describe a phospholipid transmission pathway mediating tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activation of the nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-kappa B). Central to this TNF signaling route is the second messenger-like molecule ceramide, which is generated by sphingomyelin (SM) breakdown catalyzed by a sphingomyelinase (SMase). SMase activation is secondary to the generation of 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) produced by a TNF-responsive PC-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC). The functional coupling of these two C type phospholipases is revealed by D609, a selective inhibitor of PC-PLC. SMase itself, or SMase-inducing regimens such as exogenous PLC or synthetic DAGs, induces NF-kappa B activation at pH 5.0, suggesting the operation of an acidic SMase. A model is proposed in which a TNF-responsive PC-PLC via DAG couples to an acidic SMase, resulting in the generation of ceramide, which eventually triggers rapid induction of nuclear NF-kappa B activity.

Differential kinetics and sensitivity to chloroquine of receptor-mediated insulin and prolactin endocytosis in liver parenchymal cells

Systemically injected [125I]prolactin or [125I]insulin was accumulated and cleared from rat liver at different rates. Quantitative subcellular fractionation indicated a predominant accumulation of [125I]insulin in liver microsomes while [125I]prolactin was found in both the light-mitochondrial and microsomal fractions. The acidotropic agent chloroquine diminished the rate and extent of loss of each ligand from liver homogenates. In chloroquine treated rats, radiolabeled insulin accumulated in both the light-mitochondrial and the microsomal fractions. Subfraction of microsomes on discontinuous sucrose gradients revealed "early' endosomes in which ligand uptake was maximal at 2-5 min. In contrast, comparable subfraction of the of light mitochondrial fraction revealed "late' endosomes in which ligand uptake was maximal at 10-20 min. Chloroquine-treated rats showed a more marked enhancement of insulin compared to prolactin uptake in the "early' endosomes. It is suggested that "early' endosomes found in the Golgi-intermediate and -heavy fractions floated from parent microsomes may selectively degrade insulin but not prolactin. This could account for the apparently different kinetics of insulin and prolactin uptake into liver parenchyma.

Activity of lysosomal enzymes in murine mammary tissue through pregnancy, lactation, and involution

Murine mammary tissue homogenates obtained during pregnancy, lactation, and involution were assayed for activities of two lysosomal marker enzymes, acid phosphatase, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Acid phosphatase activity per milligram protein was relatively constant through pregnancy and lactation, although a decrease was detected at parturition. Acid phosphatase activity per milligram deoxyribonucleic acid was also stable through pregnancy and lactation except for a peak of activity during lactogenesis. Acid phosphatase activity per gram wet weight also remained stable during pregnancy and lactation, but activity was significantly higher during lactation than pregnancy. Glucosaminidase activity, whether expressed as milligrams deoxyribonucleic acid of milligrams protein, tended to decrease during pregnancy, decreased further with lactogenesis, and remained significantly lower throughout lactation. Glucosaminidase activity per gram wet weight increased as pregnancy progressed and slowly decreased through lactogenesis to midpregnancy levels, which remained stable throughout the remainder of lactation. Both acid phosphatase and glucosaminidase activities were slightly higher at the end of lactation, and both decreased within 24 h of weaning. Significant increases in activities of both enzymes were observed from d 1 to 4 of involution.

Raman and infrared studies of homogeneous forms of acid phosphatase from rat liver

Raman spectra of acid phosphatase (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (acid optimum), EC 3.1.3.2) forms from rat liver in water solution, and infrared spectra of the same forms as thin films, have been investigated. The spectra show strong bands belonging to phosphodiester or phosphomonoester residues. These groups are modified during the postsynthetic modification of acid phosphatase and are probably connected with the process of bonding and splitting of mannose 6-phosphate and N-acetylglucosamine, in agreement with previous biochemical models for the intracellular transport of newly synthesized lysosomal hydrolases to lysosomes. Some other bands in the infrared spectra are assigned to vibrations of N-H groups which may belong to N-acetylglucosamine.