Purification and characterization of a differentiation-specific sialoglycoprotein of lactating-guinea-pig mammary tissue

Distribution and carbohydrate structures of high molecular weight glycoproteins, MUC1 and MUCX, in bovine milk

High molecular weight glycoproteins, MUC1 and MUCX, originating from bovine milk, were compared with regard to their distribution in milk fat and skim milk fractions and for presence of carbohydrate structures. Polymorphic MUC1, which migrated into 6% resolving SDS-PAGE gels, was found in both milk fat globule membrane and skim milk phases of bovine milk. In contrast, MUCX, appearing as a non-polymorphic single band in 3% polyacrylamide stacking gels, was present only in the skim milk fraction. Peptide-N-glycosidase F digestion studies indicated that MUC1 and MUCX possessed N-glycans with MUC1 containing more N-glycans than MUCX. Exoglycosidase digestion studies revealed the existence of abundant terminal sialic acid residues in both MUC1 and MUCX. Lectin-binding studies showed that MUCX likely possessed more complex carbohydrate structures than MUC1. The complex carbohydrate structures carried by both MUC1 and MUCX suggest that they may have potential to bind a wide spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms. If that proves to be the case in vivo, such structures could have a role in preventing or reducing some infectious diseases.

A review and proposed nomenclature for major proteins of the milk-fat globule membrane

The characteristics and possible functions of the most abundant proteins associated with the bovine milk-fat globule membrane are reviewed. Under the auspices of the Milk Protein Nomenclature Committee of the ADSA, a revised nomenclature for the major membrane proteins is proposed and discussed in relation to earlier schemes. We recommend that proteins be assigned specific names as they are identified by molecular cloning and sequencing techniques. The practice of identifying proteins according to their Mr, electrophoretic mobility, or staining characteristics should be discontinued, except for uncharacterized proteins. The properties and amino acid sequences of the following proteins are discussed in detail: MUC1, xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase, CD36, butyrophilin, adipophilin, periodic acid Schiff 6/7 (PAS 6/7), and fatty acid binding protein. In addition, a compilation of less abundant proteins associated with the bovine milk-fat globule membrane is presented.

The epithelial mucin, MUC1, of milk, mammary gland and other tissues

MUC1 is a mucin-type glycoprotein that is integrally disposed in the apical plasma membrane of the lactating epithelial cell and protrudes from the cell surface into the alveolar lumen where milk is stored. Envelopment of milk fat globules by this membrane accomplishes their secretion and conveys MUC1 into milk. The human form of this mucin has been detected in many other organs, tissues and body fluids. It projects from the cell surface as long filaments. In the human and a number of other species, MUC1 is polymorphic due to variable numbers of a tandemly repeated segment 20 amino acids in length. The individual codominantly expresses two alleles for the mucin so that differences in its size among individuals and between the two forms of an individual are observed. The tandem repeats are rich in serines and threonines which serve as O-glycosylation sites. Carbohydrate content of MUC1, as isolated from milk of human, bovine and guinea pig, is approximately 50%. The oligosaccharides carry substantial sialic acid at their termini and this accounts for two putative functions of this mucin, i.e., to keep ducts and lumens open by creating a strong negative charge on the surface of epithelial cells which would repel opposite sides of a vessel, and to bind certain pathogenic microorganisms. MUC1 is protease resistant (trypsin, chymotrypsin and pepsin) and large fragments of it can be found in the feces of some but not all breast-fed infants. MUC1 has a highly varied structure because of its polymorphism, qualitative and quantitative variations in its glycosylation between tissues, individuals and species, and differences due to divergence in the nucleotide sequences among species. Sequencing of the MUC1 gene for various species is showing promise of revealing unique evolutionary relationships and has already indicated conserved aspects of the molecule that may be functionally important. Among these are positions of serine, threonine and proline in the tandem repeats and a high degree of homology in the transmembrane and cytoplasmic segments of the molecule.

Polymorphic forms of the epithelial mucin, PAS-I (MUC1), in milk of Holstein cows (Bos taurus)

The polymorphic epithelial mucin, PAS-I (also known as MUC1), in individual milk samples from 119 Holstein cows was resolved into bands on SDS-gels. Mobility indices established for these bands provided evidence of four and possibly five polymorphic forms. Sialic acid, a major component of the oligosaccharide portion of PAS-I, was removed from the mucin by treatment of milk samples with neurominidase. This reduced the mobility of the mucin bands but did not alter their mobility relationships within a sample or among samples. Consideration of evidence from this and other studies indicates that the four or five polymorphic forms correspond to alleles, which are inherited, one each from sire and dam, and co-dominantly expressed. It appears that the Holstein population may carry several more alleles for PAS-I than do Ayrshire, Jersey or Brown Swiss cattle. In addition to these breed differences, some remarkable molecular differences have been noted between MUC1 (PAS-I) of human and mouse suggesting that research regarding molecular evolution of this mucin could provide another approach to understanding relationships among species.

Presence and genetic polymorphism of an epithelial mucin in milk of the goat (Capra hircus)

1. Analysis of individual samples of goat's milk by SDS-PAGE confirmed that they contain a polymorphic, high molecular weight (M(r) greater than 205 kDa) glycoprotein. 2. On SDS-gels, the polymorphism takes the form of two bands of variable mobility which usually stain with equal intensity. This polymorphism resembles that detected in milk mucins of other species and is best explained by an expression of codominant genes containing variable numbers of a tandemly repeated 60-base segment. 3. Analysis of milk fractions provided evidence that the goat mucin is exclusively a membrane protein, and that it can be purified from other fat globule proteins by gel filtration and peanut lectin affinity chromatography. 4. Among proteins in the goat milk fat globule, the mucin appears to be a strong immunogen but the resulting antibodies applied to Western blots only stained the cow's milk mucin mildly and the guinea pig and human milk mucins not at all.

Membrane glycoprotein IV (CD36) is physically associated with the Fyn, Lyn, and Yes protein-tyrosine kinases in human platelets

Activation of platelets with thrombin and other agonists causes a rapid increase in the phosphorylation of multiple proteins on tyrosine. To identify candidate protein-tyrosine kinases (PTKs; EC 2.7.1.112) that may be responsible for these phosphorylation events, we analyzed the expression of seven Src-family PTKs and examined the association of these kinases with known platelet membrane glycoproteins. Five Src-related PTKs were detected in platelets: pp60SRC, pp60FYN, pp62YES, pp61HCK, and two LYN products of Mr 54,000 and 58,000. The Fgr and Lck PTKs were not detected. Although strict comparative quantification of protein levels was not possible, pp60SRC was detected at higher levels than any of the other kinases. In addition, glycoprotein IV (GPIV, CD36), one of the major platelet membrane glycoproteins, was associated in a complex with the Fyn, Yes, and Lyn proteins in platelet lysates. Similar complexes were also found in two GPIV-expressing cell lines, C32 melanoma cells and HEL cells. Since PTKs appear to be involved in stimulus-response coupling at the plasma membrane, these results suggest that ligand interaction with GPIV may activate signaling pathways that are triggered by tyrosine phosphorylation.

Differences between individuals in high-molecular weight glycoproteins from mammary epithelia of several species

Milk fat globules are secreted by envelopment in plasma membrane of the lactating cell. SDS-gel electrophoresis of proteins from this membrane has revealed differences between milk donors in two mucin-like glycoproteins. One of these glycoproteins resolves in 3% acrylamide stacking gel and the other in 4% running gel. The proteins vary in number of bands (one or two) and band mobilities. This polymorphism arises, at least in part, from expression of hypervariable genes. In this study, gel electrophoretic evidence of similar polymorphism in glycoproteins from cow, chimpanzee, horse and human milks is presented. In distinction to the other species, the cow expressed only one of these proteins which was detected in the running gel at Mr 180,000 to 200,000. The electrophoresis pattern for this protein from six cows was highly varied with respect to number (one or two) and position of bands. Peanut agglutinin, wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A all were bound specifically by bands of the bovine glycoprotein. Binding of concanavalin A distinguishes the bovine protein from the two human glycoproteins. Further studies of species differences should help shed light on the evolution of these unique glycoproteins and their possible functions in mother and young.