Glycosylation is essential for biosynthesis of functional gastric H+,K+-ATPase in insect cells

[Negative regulation of gastric proton pump by desialylation suggested by fluorescent imaging with the sialic acid-specific nanoprobe]

Gastric proton pump (H⁺,K⁺-ATPase) which is responsible for H⁺ secretion of gastric acid (HCl) in gastric parietal cells is the major therapeutic target for treatment of acid-related diseases. H⁺,K⁺-ATPase consists of two subunits, a catalytic α-subunit (αHK) and a glycosylated β-subunit (βHK). N-glycosylation of βHK is essential for trafficking and stability of αHK in apical membrane of gastric parietal cells. Terminal sialic acid residues on sugar chains have an important role in various cellular functions. Recently, we succeeded in visualizing the sialylation and desialylation dynamics of βHK using a fluorescence bioimaging nanoprobe consisting of biocompatible polymers conjugated with lectins for detecting sialic acid. In H⁺,K⁺-ATPase-expressing cell lines, rat gastric mucosa, and primary culture of rat gastric parietal cells, fluorescence imaging of sialic acid with the nanoprobe showed that sialylation of βHK is regulated by intragastric pH and that inhibition of gastric acid secretion induces desialylation of βHK. In biochemical and pharmacological studies, we revealed that enzyme activity of αHK is negatively regulated by desialylation of βHK. Our studies uncovered a novel negative-feedback mechanism of H⁺,K⁺-ATPase in which sialic acids of βHK positively regulates H⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity, and acidic pH decreases the pump activity by cleaving sialic acids of βHK. In this topic, we introduce the overview of our research using the bioimaging nanoprobe.

A chemical genetics approach reveals H,K-ATPase-mediated membrane voltage is required for planarian head regeneration

Biophysical signaling is required for both embryonic polarity and regenerative outgrowth. Exploiting endogenous ion transport for regenerative therapies will require direct regulation of membrane voltage. Here, we develop a pharmacological method to target ion transporters, uncovering a role for membrane voltage as a key regulator of anterior polarity in regenerating planaria. Utilizing the highly specific inhibitor, SCH-28080, our data reveal that H(+),K(+)-ATPase-mediated membrane depolarization is essential for anterior gene expression and brain induction. H(+),K(+)-ATPase-independent manipulation of membrane potential with ivermectin confirms that depolarization drives head formation, even at posterior-facing wounds. Using this chemical genetics approach, we demonstrate that membrane voltage controls head-versus-tail identity during planarian regeneration. Our data suggest well-characterized drugs (already approved for human use) might be exploited to control adult stem cell-driven pattern formation during the regeneration of complex structures.

Polarized membrane distribution of potassium-dependent ion pumps in epithelial cells: different roles of the N-glycans of their beta subunits

The Na,K-ATPases and the H,K-ATPases are two potassium-dependent homologous heterodimeric P2-type pumps that catalyze active transport of Na+ in exchange for K+ (Na,K-ATPase) or H+ in exchange for K+ (H,K-ATPase). The ubiquitous Na,K-ATPase maintains intracellular ion balance and membrane potential. The gastric H,K-ATPase is responsible for acid secretion by the parietal cell of the stomach. Both pumps consist of a catalytic alpha-subunit and a glycosylated beta-subunit that is obligatory for normal pump maturation and trafficking. Individual N-glycans linked to the beta-subunits of the Na,K-ATPase and H,K-ATPase are important for stable membrane integration of their respective alpha subunits, folding, stability, subunit assembly, and enzymatic activity of the pumps. They are also essential for the quality control of unassembled beta-subunits that results in either the exit of the subunits from the ER or their ER retention and subsequent degradation. Overall, the importance of N-glycans for the maturation and quality control of the H,K-ATPase is greater than that of the Na,K-ATPase. The roles of individual N-glycans of the beta-subunits in the post-ER trafficking, membrane targeting and plasma membrane retention of the Na,K-ATPase and H,K-ATPase are different. The Na,K-ATPase beta1-subunit is the major beta-subunit isoform in cells with lateral location of the pump. All three N-glycans of the Na,K-ATPase beta1-subunit are important for the lateral membrane retention of the pump due to glycan-mediated interaction between the beta1-subunits of the two neighboring cells in the cell monolayer and cytosolic linkage of the alpha-subunit to the cytoskeleton. This intercellular beta1-beta1 interaction is also important for formation of cell-cell contacts. In contrast, the N-glycans unique to the Na,K-ATPase beta2-subunit,which has up to eight N-glycosylation sites, contain apical sorting information. This is consistent with the apical location of the Na,K-ATPase in normal and malignant epithelial cells with high abundance of the beta2-subunit. Similarly, all seven N-glycans of the gastric H,K-ATPase beta-subunit determine apical sorting of this subunit.

The human non-gastric H,K-ATPase has a different cation specificity than the rat enzyme

The primary sequence of non-gastric H,K-ATPase differs much more between species than that of Na,K-ATPase or gastric H,K-ATPase. To investigate whether this causes species-dependent differences in enzymatic properties, we co-expressed the catalytic subunit of human non-gastric H,K-ATPase in Sf9 cells with the beta(1) subunit of rat Na,K-ATPase and compared its properties with those of the rat enzyme (Swarts et al., J. Biol. Chem. 280, 33115-33122, 2005). Maximal ATPase activity was obtained with NH(4)(+) as activating cation. The enzyme was also stimulated by Na(+), but in contrast to the rat enzyme, hardly by K(+). SCH 28080 inhibited the NH(4)(+)-stimulated activity of the human enzyme much more potently than that of the rat enzyme. The steady-state phosphorylation level of the human enzyme decreased with increasing pH, [K(+)], and [Na(+)] and nearly doubled in the presence of oligomycin. Oligomycin increased the sensitivity of the phosphorylated intermediate to ADP, demonstrating that it inhibited the conversion of E(1)P to E(2)P. All three cations stimulated the dephosphorylation rate dose-dependently. Our studies support a role of the human enzyme in H(+)/Na(+) and/or H(+)/NH(4)(+) transport but not in Na(+)/K(+) transport.

The H,K-ATPase beta subunit as a model to study the role of N-glycosylation in membrane trafficking and apical sorting

The role of N-glycosylation in trafficking of an apical membrane protein, the gastric H,K-ATPase beta subunit linked to yellow fluorescent protein, was analyzed in polarized LLC-PK1 cells by confocal microscopy and surface-specific biotinylation. Deletion of the N-glycosylation sites at N1, N3, N5, and N7 but not at N2, N4, and N6 significantly slowed endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi trafficking, impaired apical sorting, and enhanced endocytosis from the apical membrane, resulting in decreased apical expression. Golgi mannosidase inhibition to prevent carbohydrate chain branching and elongation resulted in faster internalization and degradation of the beta subunit, indicating that terminal glycosylation is important for stabilization of the protein in the apical membrane and protection of internalized protein from targeting to the degradation pathway. The decrease in the apical content of the beta subunit was less with mannosidase inhibition compared with that found in the N1, N3, N5, and N7 site mutants, suggesting that the core region sugars are more important than the terminal sugars for apical sorting.

Molecular and Cellular Regulation of the Gastric Proton Pump

The gastric H+, K+-ATPase is a proton pump that is responsible for gastric acid secretion and that actively transports protons and K+ ions in opposite directions to generate in excess of a million-fold gradient across the membrane under physiological conditions. This pump is also a target molecule of proton pump inhibitors which are used for the clinical treatment of hyperacidity. In this review, we wish to summarize the molecular regulation of this pump based on mutational studies, particularly those used for the identification of binding sites for cations and specific inhibitors. Recent reports by Toyoshima et al (2000, 2002) presented precise three-dimensional (3-D) structures of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase, which belongs to the same family as the gastric H+, K+-ATPase. We have studied the structure-function relationships for the gastric H+, K+-ATPase using 3-D structures constructed by homology modeling of the related SR Ca2+-ATPase, which was used as a template molecule. We also discuss in this review, the regulation of cell surface expression and synthesis control of the gastric proton pump.

Plasma membrane delivery of the gastric H,K-ATPase: the role of beta-subunit glycosylation

The factors determining trafficking of the gastric H,K-ATPase to the apical membrane remain elusive. To identify such determinants in the gastric H,K-ATPase, fusion proteins of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and the gastric H,K-ATPase beta-subunit (YFP-beta) and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) and the gastric H,K-ATPase alpha-subunit (CFP-alpha) were expressed in HEK-293 cells. Then plasma membrane delivery of wild-type CFP-alpha, wild-type YFP-beta, and YFP-beta mutants lacking one or two of the seven beta-subunit glycosylation sites was determined using confocal microscopy and surface biotinylation. Expression of the wild-type YFP-beta resulted in the plasma membrane localization of the protein, whereas the expressed CFP-alpha was retained intracellularly. When coexpressed, both CFP-alpha and YFP-beta were delivered to the plasma membrane. Removing each of the seven glycosylation sites, except the second one, from the extracellular loop of YFP-beta prevented plasma membrane delivery of the protein. Only the mutant lacking the second glycosylation site (Asn103Gln) was localized both intracellularly and on the plasma membrane. A double mutant lacking the first (Asn99Gln) and the second (Asn103Gln) glycosylation sites displayed intracellular accumulation of the protein. Therefore, six of the seven glycosylation sites in the beta-subunit are essential for the plasma membrane delivery of the beta-subunit of the gastric H,K-ATPase, whereas the second glycosylation site (Asn103), which is not conserved among the beta-subunits from different species, is not critical for plasma delivery of the protein.

Transferrin microheterogeneity in pregnancies with preeclampsia

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that concentrations of serum transferrin (Tf) and its highly sialylated subfraction increase in normal pregnancy. This study investigated changes in the concentrations of serum transferrin and its subfractions in preeclampsia.

METHODS

The serum concentration of transferrin was determined by a standard turbidimetric assay and microheterogeneous transferrin subgroups (low sialylated, 4-sialo and highly sialylated transferrins) were assessed by crossed immuno-isoelectric focusing.

RESULTS

Compared to normal pregnancy, the concentrations of total, 4-sialo and highly sialylated transferrins decreased by 27%, 16% and 38%, respectively, in severe preeclampsia, while these values did not significantly decrease in mild preeclampsia. The concentration of low sialylated transferrin involving 2-sialo- and 3-sialo-transferrins significantly decreased both in mild and severe preeclampsia, the value in severe preeclampsia was even significantly lower than that in nonpregnant women. The serum concentrations of total and highly sialylated transferrins in preeclampsia were correlated positively with infant birth weights (r=0.587 and r=0.645, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The serum concentrations of total and highly sialylated transferrins in severe preeclampsia decrease significantly. This might have a negative impact on intrauterine growth. Additionally, the serum low sialylated transferrin decreases more sensitively in preeclampsia, although the concentration is low even in normal pregnancy.

Biochemistry of Na,K-ATPase

The Na,K-ATPase or sodium pump carries out the coupled extrusion and uptake of Na and K ions across the plasma membranes of cells of most higher eukaryotes. It is a member of the P-type ATPase superfamily. This heterodimeric integral membrane protein is composed of a 100-kDa alpha-subunit with ten transmembrane segments and a heavily glycosylated beta subunit of about 55 kDa, which is a type II membrane protein. Current ideas on how the protein achieves active transport are based on a fusion of results of transport physiology, protein chemistry, and heterologous expression of mutant proteins. Recently acquired high resolution structural information provides an important new avenue for a more complete understanding of this protein. In this review, the current status of knowledge of Na,K-ATPase is discussed, and areas where there is still considerable uncertainty are highlighted.

Gastric H-K-ATPase and acid-resistant surface proteins

Despite the fact that mucus and bicarbonate are important macroscopic components of the gastric mucosal barrier, severe acidic and peptic conditions surely exist at the apical membrane of gastric glandular cells, and these membranes must have highly specialized adaptations to oppose external insults. Parietal cells abundantly express the heterodimeric, acid-pumping H-K-ATPase in their apical membranes. Its beta-subunit (HKbeta), a glycoprotein with >70% of its mass and all its oligosaccharides on the extracellular side, may play a protective role. Here, we show that the extracellular domain of HKbeta is highly resistant to trypsin in the native state (much more than that of the structurally related Na-K-ATPase beta-subunit) and requires denaturation to expose tryptic sites. Native HKbeta also resists other proteases, such as chymotrypsin and V8 protease, which hydrolyze at hydrophobic and anionic amino acids, respectively. Removal of terminal alpha-anomeric-linked galactose does not appreciably alter tryptic sensitivity of HKbeta. However, full deglycosylation makes HKbeta much more susceptible to all proteases tested, including pepsin at pH <2.0. We propose that 1) intrinsic folding of HKbeta, 2) bonding forces between subunits, and 3) oligosaccharides on HKbeta provide a luminal protein domain that resists gastric lytic conditions. Protein folding that protects susceptible charged amino acids and is maintained by disulfide bonding and hydrophilic oligosaccharides would provide a stable structure in the face of large pH changes. The H-K-ATPase is an obvious model, but other gastric luminally exposed proteins are likely to possess analogous protective specializations.

The functional role of beta subunits in oligomeric P-type ATPases

Na,K-ATPase and gastric and nongastric H,K-ATPases are the only P-type ATPases of higher organisms that are oligomeric and are associated with a beta subunit, which is obligatory for expression and function of enzymes. Topogenesis studies suggest that beta subunits have a fundamental and unique role in K+-transporting P-type ATPases in that they facilitate the correct membrane integration and packing of the catalytic a subunit of these P-type ATPases, which is necessary for their resistance to cellular degradation, their acquisition of functional properties, and their routing to the cell surface. In addition to this chaperone function, beta subunits also participate in the determination of intrinsic transport properties of Na,K- and H,K-ATPases. Increasing experimental evidence suggests that beta assembly is a highly ordered, beta isoform-specific process, which is mediated by multiple interaction sites that contribute in a coordinate, multistep process to the structural and functional maturation of Na,K- and H,K-ATPases.

Changes in the kinetic parameters of hepatic gamma-glutamyltransferase from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Previous research has shown that the enzymatic activity of hepatic gamma-glutamyltransferase was increased in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with no increase in the expression of the protein. The current work has characterized the differences in the kinetic properties of hepatic gamma-glutamyltransferase from diabetic versus control rats. Hepatic gamma-glutamyltransferase was purified from control male and female rats and from rats made diabetic 30 days previously with streptozotocin. The maximal velocity and the Michaelis constant were determined for the purified enzyme with two separate donors (L-gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide or L-gamma-glutamyl-(7-amido-4-methylcoumarin)) in the presence of one of eight acceptors (L-alanine-glycine, L-glycine-glycine, L-methionine, L-glutamate, L-alanine, L-glutamine, L-phenylalanine or L-aspartate). With both donors, hepatic gamma-glutamyltransferase from diabetic rats had a consistently higher kinetic efficiency than gamma-glutamyltransferase from controls. The kinetic efficiency percent increase of diabetic over control gamma-glutamyltransferase when averaged across all acceptors was higher in males than in females. With L-gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide, the kinetic efficiency increase of diabetic over control gamma-glutamyltransferase was higher with poor acceptors than with highly efficient acceptors. These data indicate that there are differences in the physical properties of hepatic gamma-glutamyltransferase from diabetic versus control rats and from female versus male rats.

The roles of carbohydrate chains of the beta-subunit on the functional expression of gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase

Gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase consists of alpha and beta-subunits. The alpha-subunit is the catalytic subunit, and the beta-subunit is a glycoprotein stabilizing the alpha/beta complex in the membrane as a functional enzyme. There are seven putative N-glycosylation sites on the beta-subunit. In this study, we examined the roles of the carbohydrate chains of the beta-subunit by expressing the alpha-subunit together with the beta-subunit in which one, several, or all of the asparagine residues in the N-glycosylation sites were replaced by glutamine. Removing any one of seven carbohydrate chains from the beta-subunit retained the H(+),K(+)-ATPase activity. The effects of a series of progressive removals of carbohydrate chains on the H(+),K(+)-ATPase activity were cumulative, and removal of all carbohydrate chains resulted in the complete loss of H(+), K(+)-ATPase activity. Removal of any single carbohydrate chain did not affect the alpha/beta assembly; however, little alpha/beta assembly was observed after removal of all the carbohydrate chains from the beta-subunit. In contrast, removal of three carbohydrate chains inhibited the surface delivery of the beta-subunit and the alpha-subunit assembled with the beta-subunit, indicating that the surface delivery mechanism is more dependent on the carbohydrate chains than the expression of the H(+),K(+)-ATPase activity and alpha/beta assembly.

H,K-ATPase alpha subunit C-terminal membrane topology: epitope tags in the insect cell expression system

The H,K-ATPase responsible for gastric acidification is a heterodimeric (alpha and beta subunit) P-type ATPase, an integral protein of parietal cell apical membranes, which promotes the electroneutral exchange of K+ for protons, is stimulated by K+ and is inhibited by 2-methyl-8-(phenylmethoxy)imidazo[1, 2-alpha]pyridine-3-acetonitrile (SCH 28080). Hydropathy analysis of the catalytic alpha subunit has been interpreted in terms of four N-terminal transmembrane domains, a cytoplasmically oriented segment containing ATP binding and phosphorylation sites, and a C-terminal region with four or six putative transmembrane domains. Several lines of evidence implicate the C-terminal region of P-type ATPases in cation-binding and occlusion, conformational changes, and interactions with the beta subunit (HKbeta), making the definition of topology a prerequisite for understanding the structural basis of these functions. Influenza haemagglutinin epitopes (YPYDVPDYA; flu tag) were inserted in predicted hydrophilic segments of the alpha subunit (HKalpha) to establish the membrane orientation of two amino acids with different predicted topologies in the C-terminal four- and six-transmembrane models. Wild-type and mutated HKalpha and HKbeta cDNA species were expressed in insect cells (Sf9) via recombinant baculovirus infection, and expression of H,K-ATPase was verified by immunoblotting with HKalpha- and HKbeta-specific and flu-tag-specific antibodies. Functional assays showed K+-stimulated, SCH 28080-sensitive ATPase activity, confirming neo-native topology in H,K-ATPase heterodimers expressed in Sf9 cells. The topology of flu tags was determined by microsomal protease protection assays in Sf9 cells and immunolabelling of HKalpha and HKbeta in intact and permeabilized Sf9 cells. In addition, MS of native H,K-ATPase tryptic peptides identified cytoplasmically oriented HKalpha residues. The results indicated cytoplasmic exposure of Leu844 and Phe996, and luminal exposure of Pro898, leading to a revised secondary structure model of the C-terminal third of HKalpha.

Site-directed removal of N-glycosylation sites in human gastric lipase

Human gastric lipase (HGL) is a highly glycosylated protein, as glycan chains account for about 15% of the molecular mass of the native HGL. Four potential N-glycosylation consensus sites (Asn15, 80, 252 and 308) can be identified from the HGL amino acid sequence. We studied the functional role of the individual N-linked oligosaccharide chains by removing one by one all the N-glycosylation sites, via Ala residue replacement by site-directed mutagenesis of Ser and Thr residues from the consensus sequences Asn-X-Ser/Thr. Mutagenized cDNA constructs were heterologously expressed in the baculovirus/insect cell system. Removal of oligosaccharides either at Asn15, 80 or 252 was found to have no significant influence on the enzymatic activity measured in vitro. However, the absence of glycosylation at Asn308, as well as a total deglycosylation, reduced the specific enzymatic activity of recombinant HGL (r-HGL), measured on short- and long-chain triglycerides, to about 50% of normal values. Furthermore, biosynthesis and secretion of r-HGL markedly dropped when all four potential glycosylation sites were mutated. The kinetics of the interfacial adsorption of r-HGL and the completely deglycosylated r-HGL (four-site mutant) were found to be identical when recording the changes with time of the surface pressure either at the air-water interface or in the presence of an egg phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) monomolecular film spread at various initial surface pressures. This indicates that both recombinant HGLs are identical, as far as recognition of phospholipid film and adsorption on PtdCho are concerned. The N-glycosylation of HGL may contribute to the enzyme stability in the stomach, as under acidic conditions the degradation by pepsin of the unglycosylated r-HGL is increased.

Glu-857 moderates K+-dependent stimulation and SCH 28080-dependent inhibition of the gastric H,K-ATPase

The rabbit H,K-ATPase alpha- and beta-subunits were transiently expressed in HEK293 T cells. The co-expression of the H,K-ATPase alpha- and beta-subunits was essential for the functional H,K-ATPase. The K+-stimulated H,K-ATPase activity of 0.82 +/- 0.2 micromol/mg/h saturated with a K0.5 (KCl) of 0.6 +/- 0.1 mM, whereas the 2-methyl-8-(phenylmethoxy)imidazo[1,2a]pyridine-3-acetonitrile (SCH 28080)-inhibited ATPase of 0.62 +/- 0.07 micromol/mg/h saturated with a Ki (SCH 28080) of 1.0 +/- 0.3 microM. Site mutations were introduced at the N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-reactive residue, Glu-857, to evaluate the role of this residue in ATPase function. Variations in the side chain size and charge of this residue did not inhibit the specific activity of the H,K-ATPase, but reversal of the side chain charge by substitution of Lys or Arg for Glu produced a reciprocal change in the sensitivity of the H,K-ATPase to K+ and SCH 28080. The K0.5 for K+stimulated ATPase was decreased to 0.2 +/-.05 and 0.2 +/-.03 mM, respectively, in Lys-857 and Arg-857 site mutants, whereas the Ki for SCH 28080-dependent inhibition was increased to 6.5 +/- 1.4 and 5.9 +/- 1.5 microM, respectively. The H,K-ATPase kinetics were unaffected by the introduction of Ala at this site, but Leu produced a modest reciprocal effect. These data indicate that Glu-857 is not an essential residue for cation-dependent activity but that the residue influences the kinetics of both K+ and SCH 28080-mediated functions. This finding suggests a possible role of this residue in the conformational equilibrium of the H,K-ATPase.

The beta-subunits of Na+,K+-ATPase and gastric H+,K+-ATPase have a high preference for their own alpha-subunit and affect the K+ affinity of these enzymes

The alpha- and beta-subunits of Na+,K+-ATPase and H+,K+-ATPase were expressed in Sf9 cells in different combinations. Immunoprecipitation of the alpha-subunits resulted in coprecipitation of the accompanying beta-subunit independent of the type of beta-subunit. This indicates cross-assembly of the subunits of the different ATPases. The hybrid ATPase with the catalytic subunit of Na+,K+-ATPase and the beta-subunit of H+,K+-ATPase (NaKalphaHKbeta) showed an ATPase activity, which was only 12 +/- 4% of the activity of the Na+,K+-ATPase with its own beta-subunit. Likewise, the complementary hybrid ATPase with the catalytic subunit of H+,K+-ATPase and the beta-subunit of Na+,K+-ATPase (HKalphaNaKbeta) showed an ATPase activity which was 9 +/- 2% of that of the recombinant H+,K+-ATPase. In addition, the apparent K+ affinity of hybrid NaKalphaHKbeta was decreased, while the apparent K+ affinity of the opposite hybrid HKalphaNaKbeta was increased. The hybrid NaKalphaHKbeta could be phosphorylated by ATP to a level of 21 +/- 7% of that of Na+,K+-ATPase. These values, together with the ATPase activity gave turnover numbers for NaKalphabeta and NaKalphaHKbeta of 8800 +/- 310 min-1 and 4800 +/- 160 min-1, respectively. Measurements of phosphorylation of the HKalphaNaKbeta and HKalphabeta enzymes are consistent with a higher turnover of the former. These findings suggest a role of the beta-subunit in the catalytic turnover. In conclusion, although both Na+,K+-ATPase and H+,K+-ATPase have a high preference for their own beta-subunit, they can function with the beta-subunit of the other enzyme, in which case the K+ affinity and turnover number are modified.

Glycosylation is essential for functional expression of a human brain ecto-apyrase

The importance of N-linked glycosylation for the function and oligomerization of an E-type ATPase was examined by using tunicamycin and peptide N-glycosidase F, two agents used to prevent and remove glycosylations, respectively. The cDNA encoding a human ecto-apyrase (HB6), predicted to have seven N-linked glycosylation sites, was transiently expressed in mammalian COS cells and the resulting membrane preparations were treated with peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase-F). PNGase-F caused a decrease in the apparent molecular weight of the protein (consistent with glycan removal) and a decrease in enzymatic activity over time. The ecto-apyrase was also expressed in the presence of tunicamycin, which completely prevented N-linked glycosylation, resulting in a nonglycosylated core protein devoid of ATP and ADP hydrolyzing activity. However, control and tunicamycin-treated cells expressed the enzyme to similar levels and localization. Interestingly, the quaternary structure of this E-type ATPase appears to be dependent upon the presence of glycan chains. The glycosylated ecto-apyrase exists as a homodimer in situ as assessed by both size-exclusion chromatography of detergent-solubilized ecto-apyrase and cross-linking of membrane-bound ecto-apyrase, in contrast to the enzymatically deglycosylated ecto-apyrase and the tunicamycin-treated ecto-apyrase. These results suggest that glycosylation is necessary for homooligomerization and nucleotide hydrolyzing activity, but not for expression and plasma membrane localization of the E-type ATPase. Similar results were obtained with another human ecto-apyrase, CD39, suggesting that the importance of glycosylation may be generalized to all membrane-bound E-type ATPases.

Expression of biological activity of draculin, the anticoagulant factor from vampire bat saliva, is strictly dependent on the appropriate glycosylation of the native molecule

Draculin, a glycoprotein isolated from vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) saliva, is a natural anticoagulant which inhibits activated coagulation factors IX (IXa) and X (Xa). The observation that under captivity conditions, the anticoagulant activity present in vampire bat saliva is dependent upon the salivation protocol, led us to investigate the possible relationship between the expression of biological activity of native draculin and the post-translational glycosylation of the protein backbone. Daily salivation of vampire bats yields a saliva that progressively decreases in anticoagulant activity, without any significant change in overall protein content, or in the amount of protein specifically recognized by a polyclonal anti-draculin antibody. Anticoagulant activity of the saliva is restored after a 4-day period of rest. Besides the marked difference in anticoagulant activity, purified native draculin, obtained from high- and low-activity saliva, shows significant differences in: (a) composition of the carbohydrate moiety, and (b) Glycosylation pattern. Furthermore, controlled chemical deglycosylation of native draculin, under conditions that do not affect the polypeptide backbone, progressively leads to complete loss of the biological activity. Our present results implicate that correct glycosylation of draculin is a seminal event for the expression of the biological activity of this glycoprotein.

Eosinophil cationic protein/RNase 3 is another RNase A-family ribonuclease with direct antiviral activity

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is one of two RNase A-superfamily ribonucleases found in secretory granules of human eosinophilic leukocytes. Although the physiologic function of eosinophils [and thus of the two eosinophil ribonucleases, ECP and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN)] remains controversial, we have recently shown that isolated human eosinophils promote ribonuclease-dependent toxicity toward extracellular virions of the single-stranded RNA virus, respiratory syncytial virus, group B (RSV-B). We have also shown that recombinant human EDN (rhEDN) can act alone as a ribonuclease-dependent antiviral agent. In this work, we provide a biochemical characterization of recombinant human ECP (rhECP) prepared in baculovirus, and demonstrate that rhECP also promotes ribonuclease-dependent antiviral activity. The rhECP described here is N-glycosylated, as is native ECP, and has approximately 100-fold more ribonuclease activity than non-glycosylated rhECP prepared in bacteria. The enzymatic activity of rhECP was sensitive to inhibition by placental ribonuclease inhibitor (RI). Although rhECP was not as effective as rhEDN at reducing viral infectivity (500 nM rhECP reduced infectivity of RSV-B approximately 6 fold; 500 nM rhEDN, >50 fold), the antiviral activity appears to be unique to the eosinophil ribonucleases; no reduction in infectivity was promoted by bovine RNase A, by the amphibian ribonuclease, onconase, nor by the closely-related human ribonuclease, RNase k6. Interestingly, combinations of rhEDN and rhECP did not result in either a synergistic or even an additive antiviral effect. Taken together, these results suggest that that the interaction between the eosinophil ribonucleases and the extracellular virions of RSV-B may be specific and saturable.

Regions of association between the alpha and the beta subunit of the gastric H,K-ATPase

A binding and a yeast two-hybrid analysis were carried out on the gastric H,K-ATPase to determine interactive regions of the extracytoplasmic domains of the alpha and beta subunits of this P type ATPase. Wheat germ agglutinin fractionation of fluorescein 5-maleimide-labeled tryptic fragments of detergent-solubilized H, K-ATPase showed that a fragment Leu855 to Arg922 of the alpha subunit was bound to the beta subunit. The yeast two-hybrid system showed that the region containing only a part of the seventh transmembrane segment, the loop, and part of the eighth transmembrane segment was capable of giving positive interaction signals with the ectodomain of the beta subunit. The sequence in the extracytoplasmic loop close to the eighth transmembrane segment, namely Arg898 to Thr928, was identified as being the site of interaction using this method. We deduced that the sequence Arg898 to Arg922 in the alpha subunit has strong interaction with the extracytoplasmic domain of the beta subunit. Again, using yeast two-hybrid analysis, two different sequences in the beta subunit Gln64 to Asn130 and Ala156 to Arg188 were identified as association domains in the extracytoplasmic sequence of the beta subunit. These data enable identification of major associative regions of the alpha-beta subunits of the H,K-ATPase.