Is movement of mannose 6-phosphate-specific receptor triggered by binding of lysosomal enzymes?

Elucidating the cellular determinants of targeted membrane protein degradation by lysosome-targeting chimeras

Targeted protein degradation can provide advantages over inhibition approaches in the development of therapeutic strategies. Lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs) harness receptors, such as the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-M6PR), to direct extracellular proteins to lysosomes. In this work, we used a genome-wide CRISPR knockout approach to identify modulators of LYTAC-mediated membrane protein degradation in human cells. We found that disrupting retromer genes improved target degradation by reducing LYTAC recycling to the plasma membrane. Neddylated cullin-3 facilitated LYTAC-complex lysosomal maturation and was a predictive marker for LYTAC efficacy. A substantial fraction of cell surface CI-M6PR remains occupied by endogenous M6P-modified glycoproteins. Thus, inhibition of M6P biosynthesis increased the internalization of LYTAC-target complexes. Our findings inform design strategies for next-generation LYTACs and elucidate aspects of cell surface receptor occupancy and trafficking.

The Biology of Lysosomes: From Order to Disorder

Since its discovery in 1955, the understanding of the lysosome has continuously increased. Once considered a mere waste removal system, the lysosome is now recognised as a highly crucial cellular component for signalling and energy metabolism. This notable evolution raises the need for a summarized review of the lysosome's biology. As such, throughout this article, we will be compiling the current knowledge regarding the lysosome's biogenesis and functions. The comprehension of this organelle's inner mechanisms is crucial to perceive how its impairment can give rise to lysosomal disease (LD). In this review, we highlight some examples of LD fine-tuned mechanisms that are already established, as well as others, which are still under investigation. Even though the understanding of the lysosome and its pathologies has expanded through the years, some of its intrinsic molecular aspects remain unknown. In order to illustrate the complexity of the lysosomal diseases we provide a few examples that have challenged the established single gene-single genetic disorder model. As such, we believe there is a strong need for further investigation of the exact abnormalities in the pathological pathways in lysosomal disease.

Marked structural rearrangement of mannose 6-phosphate/IGF2 receptor at different pH environments

Many cell surface receptors internalize their ligands and deliver them to endosomes, where the acidic pH causes the ligand to dissociate. The liberated receptor returns to the cell surface in a process called receptor cycling. The structural basis for pH-dependent ligand dissociation is not well understood. In some receptors, the ligand binding domain is composed of multiple repeated sequences. The insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) contains 15 β strand-rich repeat domains. The overall structure and the mechanism by which IGF2R binds IGF2 and releases it are unknown. We used cryo-EM to determine the structures of the IGF2R at pH 7.4 with IGF2 bound and at pH 4.5 in the ligand-dissociated state. The results reveal different arrangements of the receptor in different pH environments mediated by changes in the interactions between the repeated sequences. These results have implications for our understanding of ligand release from receptors in endocytic compartments.

Lysosomal proteome analysis reveals that CLN3-defective cells have multiple enzyme deficiencies associated with changes in intracellular trafficking

Numerous lysosomal enzymes and membrane proteins are essential for the degradation of proteins, lipids, oligosaccharides, and nucleic acids. The CLN3 gene encodes a lysosomal membrane protein of unknown function, and CLN3 mutations cause the fatal neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder CLN3 (Batten disease) by mechanisms that are poorly understood. To define components critical for lysosomal homeostasis that are affected by this disease, here we quantified the lysosomal proteome in cerebellar cell lines derived from a CLN3 knock-in mouse model of human Batten disease and control cells. We purified lysosomes from SILAC-labeled, and magnetite-loaded cerebellar cells by magnetic separation and analyzed them by MS. This analysis identified 70 proteins assigned to the lysosomal compartment and 3 lysosomal cargo receptors, of which most exhibited a significant differential abundance between control and CLN3-defective cells. Among these, 28 soluble lysosomal proteins catalyzing the degradation of various macromolecules had reduced levels in CLN3-defective cells. We confirmed these results by immunoblotting and selected protease and glycosidase activities. The reduction of 11 lipid-degrading lysosomal enzymes correlated with reduced capacity for lipid droplet degradation and several alterations in the distribution and composition of membrane lipids. In particular, levels of lactosylceramides and glycosphingolipids were decreased in CLN3-defective cells, which were also impaired in the recycling pathway of the exocytic transferrin receptor. Our findings suggest that CLN3 has a crucial role in regulating lysosome composition and their function, particularly in degrading of sphingolipids, and, as a consequence, in membrane transport along the recycling endosome pathway.

Lysosomal Proteome and Secretome Analysis Identifies Missorted Enzymes and Their Nondegraded Substrates in Mucolipidosis III Mouse Cells

Targeting of soluble lysosomal enzymes requires mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) signals whose formation is initiated by the hexameric N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-1-phosphotransferase complex (α₂β₂γ₂). Upon proteolytic cleavage by site-1 protease, the α/β-subunit precursor is catalytically activated but the functions of γ-subunits (Gnptg) in M6P modification of lysosomal enzymes are unknown. To investigate this, we analyzed the Gnptg expression in mouse tissues, primary cultured cells, and in Gnptg reporter mice in vivo, and found high amounts in the brain, eye, kidney, femur, vertebra and fibroblasts. Consecutively we performed comprehensive quantitative lysosomal proteome and M6P secretome analysis in fibroblasts of wild-type and Gnptg^ko mice mimicking the lysosomal storage disorder mucolipidosis III. Although the cleavage of the α/β-precursor was not affected by Gnptg deficiency, the GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase activity was significantly reduced. We purified lysosomes and identified 29 soluble lysosomal proteins by SILAC-based mass spectrometry exhibiting differential abundance in Gnptg^ko fibroblasts which was confirmed by Western blotting and enzymatic activity analysis for selected proteins. A subset of these lysosomal enzymes show also reduced M6P modifications, fail to reach lysosomes and are secreted, among them α-l-fucosidase and arylsulfatase B. Low levels of these enzymes correlate with the accumulation of non-degraded fucose-containing glycostructures and sulfated glycosaminoglycans in Gnptg^ko lysosomes. Incubation of Gnptg^ko fibroblasts with arylsulfatase B partially rescued glycosaminoglycan storage. Combinatorial treatments with other here identified missorted enzymes of this degradation pathway might further correct glycosaminoglycan accumulation and will provide a useful basis to reveal mechanisms of selective, Gnptg-dependent formation of M6P residues on lysosomal proteins.

Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II)-dependent cell growth by multidentate pentamannosyl 6-phosphate-based ligands targeting the mannose 6-phosphate/IGF-II receptor

The mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor (M6P/IGF2R) binds M6P-capped ligands and IGF-II at different binding sites within the ectodomain and mediates ligand internalization and trafficking to the lysosome. Multivalent M6P-based ligands can cross-bridge the M6P/IGF2R, which increases the rate of receptor internalization, permitting IGF-II binding as a passenger ligand and subsequent trafficking to the lysosome, where the IGF-II is degraded. This unique feature of the receptor may be exploited to design novel therapeutic agents against IGF-II-dependent cancers that will lead to decreased bioavailable IGF-II within the tumor microenvironment. We have designed a panel of M6P-based ligands that bind to the M6P/IGF2R with high affinity in a bivalent manner and cause decreased cell viability. We present evidence that our ligands bind through the M6P-binding sites of the receptor and facilitate internalization and degradation of IGF-II from conditioned medium to mediate this cellular response. To our knowledge, this is the first panel of synthetic bivalent ligands for the M6P/IGF2R that can take advantage of the ligand-receptor interactions of the M6P/IGF2R to provide proof-of-principle evidence for the feasibility of novel chemotherapeutic agents that decrease IGF-II-dependent growth of cancer cells.

Bidirectional apical-basal traffic of the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor in brain endothelial cells

Brain capillary endothelium mediates the exchange of nutrients between blood and brain parenchyma. This barrier function of the brain capillaries also limits passage of pharmaceuticals from blood to brain, which hinders treatment of several neurological disorders. Receptor-mediated transport has been suggested as a potential pharmaceutical delivery route across the brain endothelium, e.g. reports have shown that the transferrin receptor (TfR) facilitates transcytosis of TfR antibodies, but it is not known whether this recycling receptor itself traffics from apical to basal membrane in the process. Here, we elucidate the endosomal trafficking of the retrograde transported cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (MPR300) in primary cultures of brain endothelial cells (BECs) of porcine and bovine origin. Receptor expression and localisation of MPR300 in the endo-lysosomal system and trafficking of internalised receptor are analysed. We also demonstrate that MPR300 can undergo bidirectional apical-basal trafficking in primary BECs in co-culture with astrocytes. This is, to our knowledge, the first detailed study of retrograde transported receptor trafficking in BECs, and the study demonstrates that MPR300 can be transported from the luminal to abluminal membrane and reverse. Such trafficking of MPR300 suggests that retrograde transported receptors in general may provide a mechanism for transport of pharmaceuticals into the brain.

Quantitative Proteome Analysis of Mouse Liver Lysosomes Provides Evidence for Mannose 6-phosphate-independent Targeting Mechanisms of Acid Hydrolases in Mucolipidosis II

The efficient receptor-mediated targeting of soluble lysosomal proteins to lysosomes requires the modification with mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) residues. Although the absence of M6P results in misrouting and hypersecretion of lysosomal enzymes in many cells, normal levels of lysosomal enzymes have been reported in liver of patients lacking the M6P-generating phosphotransferase (PT). The identity of lysosomal proteins depending on M6P has not yet been comprehensively analyzed. In this study we purified lysosomes from liver of PT-defective mice and 67 known soluble lysosomal proteins were identified that illustrated quantitative changes using an ion mobility-assisted data-independent label-free LC-MS approach. After validation of various differentially expressed lysosomal components by Western blotting and enzyme activity assays, the data revealed a small number of lysosomal proteins depending on M6P, including neuraminidase 1, cathepsin F, Npc2, and cathepsin L, whereas the majority reach lysosomes by alternative pathways. These data were compared with findings on cultured hepatocytes and liver sinusoid endothelial cells isolated from the liver of wild-type and PT-defective mice. Our findings show that the relative expression, targeting efficiency and lysosomal localization of lysosomal proteins tested in cultured hepatic cells resemble their proportion in isolated liver lysosomes. Hypersecretion of newly synthesized nonphosphorylated lysosomal proteins suggest that secretion-recapture mechanisms contribute to maintain major lysosomal functions in liver.

Lysosomal dysfunction and impaired autophagy in a novel mouse model deficient for the lysosomal membrane protein Cln7

CLN7 disease is an autosomal recessive, childhood-onset neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder caused by the defective lysosomal membrane protein CLN7. We have disrupted the Cln7/Mfsd8 gene in mice by targeted deletion of exon 2 generating a novel knockout (KO) mouse model for CLN7 disease, which recapitulates key features of human CLN7 disease pathology. Cln7 KO mice showed increased mortality and a neurological phenotype including hind limb clasping and myoclonus. Lysosomal dysfunction in the brain of mutant mice was shown by the storage of autofluorescent lipofuscin-like lipopigments, subunit c of mitochondrial ATP synthase and saposin D and increased expression of lysosomal cathepsins B, D and Z. By immunohistochemical co-stainings, increased cathepsin Z expression restricted to Cln7-deficient microglia and neurons was found. Ultrastructural analyses revealed large storage bodies in Purkinje cells of Cln7 KO mice containing inclusions composed of irregular, curvilinear and rectilinear profiles as well as fingerprint profiles. Generalized astrogliosis and microgliosis in the brain preceded neurodegeneration in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex and cerebellum in Cln7 KO mice. Increased levels of LC3-II and the presence of neuronal p62- and ubiquitin-positive protein aggregates suggested that impaired autophagy represents a major pathomechanism in the brain of Cln7 KO mice. The data suggest that loss of the putative lysosomal transporter Cln7 in the brain leads to lysosomal dysfunction, impaired constitutive autophagy and neurodegeneration late in disease.

Site-1 protease-activated formation of lysosomal targeting motifs is independent of the lipogenic transcription control

Site-1 protease (S1P) cleaves membrane-bound lipogenic sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) and the α/β-subunit precursor protein of the N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase forming mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) targeting markers on lysosomal enzymes. The translocation of SREBPs from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi-resident S1P depends on the intracellular sterol content, but it is unknown whether the ER exit of the α/β-subunit precursor is regulated. Here, we investigated the effect of cholesterol depletion (atorvastatin treatment) and elevation (LDL overload) on ER-Golgi transport, S1P-mediated cleavage of the α/β-subunit precursor, and the subsequent targeting of lysosomal enzymes along the biosynthetic and endocytic pathway to lysosomes. The data showed that the proteolytic cleavage of the α/β-subunit precursor into mature and enzymatically active subunits does not depend on the cholesterol content. In either treatment, lysosomal enzymes are normally decorated with M6P residues, allowing the proper sorting to lysosomes. In addition, we found that, in fibroblasts of mucolipidosis type II mice and Niemann-Pick type C patients characterized by aberrant cholesterol accumulation, the proteolytic cleavage of the α/β-subunit precursor was not impaired. We conclude that S1P substrate-dependent regulatory mechanisms for lipid synthesis and biogenesis of lysosomes are different.

TGN exit of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor does not require acid hydrolase binding

The cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) receptor (CI-MPR) binds newly synthesized, Man-6-P-containing lysosomal acid hydrolases in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) for clathrin-mediated transport to endosomes. It has remained unresolved, however, whether acid hydrolase binding is required for exit of the CI-MPR from the TGN. To address this question we used a B cell line derived from a Mucolipidosis type II (MLII)/I-cell disease patient. In MLII patients, acid hydrolases do not acquire the Man-6-P recognition marker and as a consequence do not bind to the CI-MPR. This causes secretion of the majority of the acid hydrolases and a decreased lysosomal activity resulting in typical inclusion bodies. In agreement herewith, ultrastructural analysis of the MLII patient derived B cells showed numerous inclusion bodies with undigested material, which we defined as autolysosomes. By quantitative immuno-electron microscopy we then studied the distribution of the CI-MPR in these cells. We found that the level of co-localization of TGN-localized CI-MPR and clathrin was similar in MLII and control B cells. Moreover, the CI-MPR was readily found in endosomes of MLII cells and the TGN-to-early endosome ratio of CI-MPR labeling was unaltered. These data show that there is no block in TGN exit of the CI-MPR in the absence of Man-6-P-modified acid hydrolases. Notably, late endosomes and inclusion bodies in MLII B cells contained increased levels of the CI-MPR, which likely reflects the reduced degradative capacity of these compartments.

Decreased bone formation and increased osteoclastogenesis cause bone loss in mucolipidosis II

Mucolipidosis type II (MLII) is a severe multi-systemic genetic disorder caused by missorting of lysosomal proteins and the subsequent lysosomal storage of undegraded macromolecules. Although affected children develop disabling skeletal abnormalities, their pathogenesis is not understood. Here we report that MLII knock-in mice, recapitulating the human storage disease, are runted with accompanying growth plate widening, low trabecular bone mass and cortical porosity. Intralysosomal deficiency of numerous acid hydrolases results in accumulation of storage material in chondrocytes and osteoblasts, and impaired bone formation. In osteoclasts, no morphological or functional abnormalities are detected whereas osteoclastogenesis is dramatically increased in MLII mice. The high number of osteoclasts in MLII is associated with enhanced osteoblastic expression of the pro-osteoclastogenic cytokine interleukin-6, and pharmacological inhibition of bone resorption prevented the osteoporotic phenotype of MLII mice. Our findings show that progressive bone loss in MLII is due to the presence of dysfunctional osteoblasts combined with excessive osteoclastogenesis. They further underscore the importance of a deep skeletal phenotyping approach for other lysosomal diseases in which bone loss is a prominent feature.

A bacterial glycosidase enables mannose-6-phosphate modification and improved cellular uptake of yeast-produced recombinant human lysosomal enzymes

Lysosomal storage diseases are treated with human lysosomal enzymes produced in mammalian cells. Such enzyme therapeutics contain relatively low levels of mannose-6-phosphate, which is required to target them to the lysosomes of patient cells. Here we describe a method for increasing mannose-6-phosphate modification of lysosomal enzymes produced in yeast. We identified a glycosidase from C. cellulans that 'uncaps' N-glycans modified by yeast-type mannose-Pi-6-mannose to generate mammalian-type N-glycans with a mannose-6-phosphate substitution. Determination of the crystal structure of this glycosidase provided insight into its substrate specificity. We used this uncapping enzyme together with α-mannosidase to produce in yeast a form of the Pompe disease enzyme α-glucosidase rich in mannose-6-phosphate. Compared with the currently used therapeutic version, this form of α-glucosidase was more efficiently taken up by fibroblasts from Pompe disease patients, and it more effectively reduced cardiac muscular glycogen storage in a mouse model of the disease.

The 5-phosphatase OCRL mediates retrograde transport of the mannose 6-phosphate receptor by regulating a Rac1-cofilin signalling module

Mutations in the OCRL gene encoding the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P(2)) 5-phosphatase OCRL cause Lowe syndrome (LS), which is characterized by intellectual disability, cataracts and selective proximal tubulopathy. OCRL localizes membrane-bound compartments and is implicated in intracellular transport. Comprehensive analysis of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in fibroblasts of patients with LS did not reveal any difference in trafficking of epidermal growth factor, low density lipoprotein or transferrin, compared with normal fibroblasts. However, LS fibroblasts displayed reduced mannose 6-phosphate receptor (MPR)-mediated re-uptake of the lysosomal enzyme arylsulfatase B. In addition, endosome-to-trans Golgi network (TGN) transport of MPRs was decreased significantly, leading to higher levels of cell surface MPRs and their enrichment in enlarged, retromer-positive endosomes in OCRL-depleted HeLa cells. In line with the higher steady-state concentration of MPRs in the endosomal compartment in equilibrium with the cell surface, anterograde transport of the lysosomal enzyme, cathepsin D was impaired. Wild-type OCRL counteracted accumulation of MPR in endosomes in an activity-dependent manner, suggesting that PI(4,5)P(2) modulates the activity state of proteins regulated by this phosphoinositide. Indeed, we detected an increased amount of the inactive, phosphorylated form of cofilin and lower levels of the active form of PAK3 upon OCRL depletion. Levels of active Rac1 and RhoA were reduced or enhanced, respectively. Overexpression of Rac1 rescued both enhanced levels of phosphorylated cofilin and MPR accumulation in enlarged endosomes. Our data suggest that PI(4,5)P(2) dephosphorylation through OCRL regulates a Rac1-cofilin signalling cascade implicated in MPR trafficking from endosomes to the TGN.

Biotherapeutic target or sink: analysis of the macrophage mannose receptor tissue distribution in murine models of lysosomal storage diseases

Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are metabolic disorders caused by enzyme deficiencies that lead to lysosomal accumulation of undegraded substrates. Enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) have been developed as treatments for patients with Gaucher, Niemann-Pick, Fabry, and Pompe diseases. Depending on the disease, the corresponding therapeutic enzyme is designed to be internalized by diseased cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis via macrophage mannose receptors (MMR) or mannose-6-phosphate receptors (M6PR). Enzymes developed to treat Gaucher and Niemann-Pick diseases are meant to target MMR-expressing cells, and in the case of Cerezyme [recombinant human β-glucocerebrosidase (rhβGC)] for treating Gaucher disease, glycans on the enzyme are modified to increase specificity toward this receptor. Due to heterogeneity in glycosylation on enzymes intended to target the M6PR, however, there may also be some unintended targeting to MMR-expressing cells, which could act as unwanted sinks. Examples include Fabrazyme [recombinant human α-galactosidase A (rhαGal)] for treating Fabry disease and Myozyme [recombinant human acid α-glucosidase (rhGAA)] for treating Pompe disease. It is therefore of great interest to better understand the cell type and tissue distribution of MMR in murine LSD models used to evaluate ERT efficacy and mechanism of action. In this study, we generated affinity-purified polyclonal antibody against murine MMR and used it to carry out a systematic examination of MMR protein localization in murine models of Gaucher, Niemann-Pick, Fabry, and Pompe diseases. Using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and confocal microscopy, we examined MMR distribution in liver, spleen, lung, kidney, heart, diaphragm, quadriceps, and triceps in these animal models and compared them with MMR distribution in wild-type mice.

Proteolytic processing of the gamma-subunit is associated with the failure to form GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase complexes and mannose 6-phosphate residues on lysosomal enzymes in human macrophages

GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase is a Golgi-resident 540-kDa complex of three subunits, alpha(2)beta(2)gamma(2), that catalyze the first step in the formation of the mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) recognition marker on lysosomal enzymes. Anti-M6P antibody analysis shows that human primary macrophages fail to generate M6P residues. Here we have explored the sorting and intracellular targeting of cathepsin D as a model, and the expression of the GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase complex in macrophages. Newly synthesized cathepsin D is transported to lysosomes in an M6P-independent manner in association with membranes whereas the majority is secreted. Realtime PCR analysis revealed a 3-10-fold higher GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase subunit mRNA levels in macrophages than in fibroblasts or HeLa cells. At the protein level, the gamma-subunit but not the beta-subunit was found to be proteolytically cleaved into three fragments which form irregular 97-kDa disulfide-linked oligomers in macrophages. Size exclusion chromatography showed that the gamma-subunit fragments lost the capability to assemble with other GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase subunits to higher molecular complexes. These findings demonstrate that proteolytic processing of the gamma-subunit represents a novel mechanism to regulate GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase activity and the subsequent sorting of lysosomal enzymes.

A novel single-chain antibody fragment for detection of mannose 6-phosphate-containing proteins: application in mucolipidosis type II patients and mice

Newly synthesized soluble lysosomal hydrolases require mannose 6-phosphate (Man6P) residues on their oligosaccharides for their transport to lysosomes. The formation of Man6P residues is catalyzed by the GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase, which is defective in the lysosomal storage disorders mucolipidosis type II (ML II) and ML III. Both hypersecretion and reduced intracellular level of lysosomal enzymes as well as direct sequencing of GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase genes are important diagnostic markers for ML II and ML III. A high-affinity Man6P-specific single-chain antibody fragment was generated, allowing the rapid indirect demonstration of defective GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase. In media and extracts of cultured fibroblasts of healthy controls but not of ML II and ML III patients, several Man6P-containing proteins could be detected by anti-Man6P Western blotting. Immunoprecipitation of Man6P-containing proteins from conditioned media or mouse brain extracts followed by arylsulfatase A and cathepsin D Western blotting confirmed the specificity of the antibody fragment for lysosomal proteins. Application of the antibody fragment in immunohistochemistry of human brain slices from nonaffected patients showed strong neuronal immunoreactivity, which was not observed in cortical sections of an ML II patient. Finally, in brain extracts of a novel GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase knock-in mouse no Man6P-containing proteins were detectable. Thus, the single-chain antibody fragment against Man6P was demonstrated to allow the specific, rapid, and convenient detection of Man6P-containing proteins and facilitates the diagnosis of ML II and ML III.

Mannose 6-phosphate receptor-dependent endocytosis of lysosomal enzymes is increased in sulfatide-storing kidney cells

Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a lysosomal disorder caused by the deficiency of arylsulfatase A (ASA). This leads to the storage of the sphingolipid 3-O-sulfogalactosylceramide (sulfatide) in various cell types, such as renal tubular cells. Examination of mannose 6-phosphate receptor (MPR300)-dependent endocytosis revealed that uptake of lysosomal enzymes is more than two-fold increased in sulfatide-storing kidney cells. Expression of MPR300 and its internalization rate is increased in these cells, whereas the recycling rate is decreased. Similar alterations can be found for the transferrin receptor, indicating that sulfatide storage leads to a general alteration of the endocytotic pathway. These data allow calculating that the endosomal pool from which receptors can recycle is 1.4- to 2-fold increased in lipid-storing cells. Immunocytochemistry demonstrates that the MPR300 in lipid-storing cells does not co-localize with accumulated sulfatide, suggesting that the kinetics of internalization and recycling appear to be altered indirectly.

Sorting of lysosomal proteins

Lysosomes are composed of soluble and transmembrane proteins that are targeted to lysosomes in a signal-dependent manner. The majority of soluble acid hydrolases are modified with mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) residues, allowing their recognition by M6P receptors in the Golgi complex and ensuing transport to the endosomal/lysosomal system. Other soluble enzymes and non-enzymatic proteins are transported to lysosomes in an M6P-independent manner mediated by alternative receptors such as the lysosomal integral membrane protein LIMP-2 or sortilin. Sorting of cargo receptors and lysosomal transmembrane proteins requires sorting signals present in their cytosolic domains. These signals include dileucine-based motifs, DXXLL or [DE]XXXL[LI], and tyrosine-based motifs, YXXØ, which interact with components of clathrin coats such as GGAs or adaptor protein complexes. In addition, phosphorylation and lipid modifications regulate signal recognition and trafficking of lysosomal membrane proteins. The complex interaction of both luminal and cytosolic signals with recognition proteins guarantees the specific and directed transport of proteins to lysosomes.

The luminal domain participates in the endosomal trafficking of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor

Although the role of the cytoplasmic tail of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CIMPR) has been well established in the receptor trafficking, that of the luminal domain is still controversial. We noticed that the peripheral distribution of GFP, fused to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of CIMPR (G-CIMPR-tail), was distinct from that of endogenous CIMPR or of GFP fused to the full-length CIMPR (G-CIMPR-full). By live-cell imaging, trans-Golgi-network (TGN)-derived transport carriers containing G-CIMPR-full more frequently stopped and overlapped with transferrin-containing endosomes in the peripheral region than those containing G-CIMPR-tail. G-CIMPR-full was recycled back to the perinuclear TGN more slowly than that for G-CIMPR-tail, evidenced by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis. Moreover, endogenous CIMPR and G-CIMPR-full, but not GFP-CIMPR-tail, drastically altered the characteristic distribution after treatment with chloroquine. A mutant receptor, G-CIMPR-full R/A, that cannot recognize the mannose 6-phosphate (M6P)-signal, behaved similarly to G-CIMPR-full, indicating that these differences are not attributable to the M6P-ligands binding situation. Interestingly, we also found that U18666A treatment was able to discriminate the M6P-ligand binding-dependent trafficking of CIMPR. Based on these findings, we propose that the CIMPR luminal domain is required for tight interaction with endocytic compartments, and retention by them, and that there are additional transport steps, in which the binding to M6P-ligands is involved.

Ligand-dependent and -independent transforming growth factor-beta receptor recycling regulated by clathrin-mediated endocytosis and Rab11

Proteins in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family recognize transmembrane serine/threonine kinases known as type I and type II receptors. Binding of TGF-beta to receptors results in receptor down-regulation and signaling. Whereas previous work has focused on activities controlling TGF-beta signaling, more recent studies have begun to address the trafficking properties of TGF-beta receptors. In this report, it is shown that receptors undergo recycling both in the presence and absence of ligand activation, with the rates of internalization and recycling being unaffected by ligand binding. Recycling occurs as receptors are most likely internalized through clathrin-coated pits, and then returned to the plasma membrane via a rab11-dependent, rab4-independent mechanism. Together, the results suggest a mechanism wherein activated TGF-beta receptors are directed to a distinct endocytic pathway for down-regulation and clathrin-dependent degradation after one or more rounds of recycling.

Mannose 6-Phosphate Receptor-mediated Uptake Is Defective in Acid Sphingomyelinase-deficient Macrophages

Progressive accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages is a hallmark of the acid sphingomyelinase (ASM)-deficient forms of Niemann-Pick disease (i.e. Types A and B NPD). To investigate the mechanisms underlying enzyme replacement therapy for this disorder, we studied the uptake of recombinant, human ASM (rhASM) by alveolar macrophages from ASM knock-out (ASMKO) mice. The recombinant enzyme used for these studies was produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells and contained complex type, N-linked oligosaccharides. Binding of radiolabeled, rhASM to the ASMKO macrophages was enhanced as compared with normal macrophages, consistent with their larger size and increased surface area. However, internalization of the enzyme by the ASMKO cells was markedly reduced when compared with normal cells. Studies using receptor-specific ligands to inhibit enzyme uptake revealed that in normal cells rhASM was taken up by a combination of mannose and mannose 6-phosphate receptors (MR and M6PR, respectively), whereas in the ASMKO cells the M6PR had a minimal role in rhASM uptake. Expression of M6PR mRNA was normal in the ASMKO cells, although Western blotting revealed more receptors in these cells when compared with normal. We therefore hypothesized that lipid accumulation in ASMKO macrophages led to abnormalities in M6PR trafficking and/or degradation, resulting in reduced enzyme uptake. Consistent with this hypothesis, we also found that, when rhASM was modified to expose terminal mannose residues and target mannose receptors, the uptake of this modified enzyme form by ASMKO cells was approximately 10-fold greater when compared with the "complex" type rhASM. These findings have important implications for NPD enzyme replacement therapy, particularly in the lung.

Focal overexpression of insulin-like growth factor 2 by hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in viral liver cirrhosis

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-2 is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and accompanying dysplastic lesions. IGF-2 signalling is mediated through IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), while mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor-2 receptor (M6P/IGF-2R) controls pericellular levels of free IGF-2. We studied, by in situ hybridisation and immunohistology, 18 liver specimens with cirrhosis of different aetiology without neoplastic or dysplastic lesions. Immunohistology was also performed for insulin receptor IGF-1R and IGF-binding proteins 3 and 4. High focal levels of IGF-2 RNA were found in some hepatocytes of all livers with HBV- or HCV-induced cirrhosis (n=10), but in only one of the cirrhoses with nonviral aetiology (n=8). IGF-2 was overexpressed in biliary duct epithelial cells in one case. Compared with noncirrhotic liver, all cirrhotic specimens showed reduced hepatocellular expression of M6P/IGF-2R protein, which contrasted with enhanced expression in perisinusoidal cells. Immunostaining for the other antigens did not reveal significant differences. Upregulation of IGF-2 in some hepatocytes may lead to high focal IGF-2 levels sufficient to saturate local IGF-2 binding capacities, and may result in an increased susceptibility to cellular dedifferentiation and, ultimately, liver cancer. Downregulation of hepatocellular M6P/IGF-2R and upregulation of IGF-2 seem to be early events in hepatocarcinogenesis prior to the appearance of morphologically distinct dysplastic lesions. Elevated focal IGF-2 transcript levels may therefore indicate an increased risk for hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinomas.

Secretion of phosphomannosyl-deficient arylsulphatase A and cathepsin D from isolated human macrophages

The transfer of macrophage-secreted arylsulphatase A (ASA) to enzyme-deficient brain cells is part of the therapeutic concept of bone marrow transplantation in lysosomal storage diseases. Here we have investigated this transfer in vitro. The uptake of (125)I-labelled recombinant human ASA purified from ASA-overexpressing mouse embryonic fibroblasts deficient for mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) receptors in a mouse ASA-deficient astroglial cell line was completely inhibited by M6P. In contrast, when ASA-deficient astroglial cells were incubated with secretions of [(35)S]methionine-labelled human macrophages or mouse microglia, containing various lysosomal enzymes, neither ASA nor cathepsin D (CTSD) were detected in acceptor cells. Co-culturing of metabolically labelled macrophages with ASA-deficient glial cells did not result in an M6P-dependent transfer of ASA or CTSD between these two cell types. In secretions of [(33)P]phosphate-labelled macrophages no or weakly phosphorylated ASA and CTSD precursor polypeptides were found, whereas both intracellular and secreted ASA from ASA-overexpressing baby hamster kidney cells displayed (33)P-labelled M6P residues. Finally, the uptake of CTSD from secretions of [(35)S]methionine-labelled macrophages in rat hepatocytes was M6P-independent. These data indicated that lysosomal enzymes secreted by human macrophages or a mouse microglial cell line cannot be endocytosed by brain cells due to the failure to equip newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes with the M6P recognition marker efficiently. The data suggest that other mechanisms than the proposed M6P-dependent secretion/recapture of lysosomal enzymes might be responsible for therapeutic effects of bone marrow transplantation in the brain.

The intracellular granzyme B inhibitor, proteinase inhibitor 9, is up-regulated during accessory cell maturation and effector cell degranulation, and its overexpression enhances CTL potency

Granzyme B (grB) is a serine proteinase released by cytotoxic lymphocytes (CLs) to kill abnormal cells. GrB-mediated apoptotic pathways are conserved in nucleated cells; hence, CLs require mechanisms to protect against ectopic or misdirected grB. The nucleocytoplasmic serpin, proteinase inhibitor 9 (PI-9), is a potent inhibitor of grB that protects cells from grB-mediated apoptosis in model systems. Here we show that PI-9 is present in CD4(+) cells, CD8(+) T cells, NK cells, and at lower levels in B cells and myeloid cells. PI-9 is up-regulated in response to grB production and degranulation, and associates with grB-containing granules in activated CTLs and NK cells. Intracellular complexes of PI-9 and grB are evident in NK cells, and overexpression of PI-9 enhances CTL potency, suggesting that cytoplasmic grB, which may threaten CL viability, is rapidly inactivated by PI-9. Because dendritic cells (DCs) acquire characteristics similar to those of target cells to activate naive CD8(+) T cells and therefore may also require protection against grB, we investigated the expression of PI-9 in DCs. PI-9 is evident in thymic DCs (CD3(-), CD4(+), CD8(-), CD45(+)), tonsillar DCs, and DC subsets purified from peripheral blood (CD16(+) monocytes and CD123(+) plasmacytoid DCs). Furthermore, PI-9 is expressed in monocyte-derived DCs and is up-regulated upon TNF-alpha-induced maturation of monocyte-derived DCs. In conclusion, the presence and subcellular localization of PI-9 in leukocytes and DCs are consistent with a protective role against ectopic or misdirected grB during an immune response.

Regulation of insulin-like growth factor-I and of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, -3 and -4 in cocultures of rat hepatocytes and Kupffer cells by interleukin-6

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Catabolism is associated with decreased serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-3 associated with elevated IGFBP-3 protease activity and increased concentrations of IGFBP-1 and -4. The effects of the acute phase mediators interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) on the biosynthesis of IGF-I and IGFBPs were studied in primary rat liver cells.

METHODS

mRNA levels of IGF-I and of IGFBPs were analyzed by Northern blotting, secretion of IGFBPs by [(125)I]IGF-I ligand blotting. Proteolytic activity was measured using iodinated recombinant IGFBP-3 as the substrate.

RESULTS

In hepatocytes, Kupffer cells (KC) and cocultures of hepatocytes with KC, IL-6 reduced IGF-I biosynthesis dose-dependently. IL-6 stimulated mRNA expression and protein secretion of IGFBP-1 and -4 in hepatocytes and that of IGFBP-3 in KC, respectively. In cocultures, biosynthesis of IGFBP-1, -3 and -4 was increased dose-dependently by IL-6, while the effects of IL-1beta or TNFalpha were less prominent. At neutral pH, proteolytic activity against IGFBP-3 was not detected in media of cocultures treated with IL-6.

CONCLUSIONS

The alterations of IGF-I, IGFBP-1 and -4 observed in catabolism correlate with the effects of IL-6 on the biosynthesis of these components in primary rat liver cells, while a neutral IGFBP-3 protease was not detectable.

Cell surface expression of the 300 kDa mannose-6-phosphate receptor by activated T lymphocytes

Phosphosugars, such as mannose-6-phosphate (M6P), have been shown previously to display anti-inflammatory properties, notably inhibition of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. It has been proposed that M6P exerts its anti-inflammatory effect by displacing lysosomal enzymes, which are involved in T-cell extravasation into inflammatory sites, from the 300 kDa mannose-6- phosphate receptor (MPR-300) on the surface of T cells. If this model is correct MPR-300 should be selectively expressed on the surface of activated T cells, as T cell entry into the central nervous system in EAE depends on the T cells being in an activated state. Thus, the present study examines whether cell surface expression of MPR-300 by T lymphocytes correlates with their state of activation and whether T cells in inflammatory sites express the receptor. Flow cytometric studies showed MPR-300 to be absent from the surface of unstimulated rat T cells isolated from peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues, and T cells resident within the peritoneal cavity. In contrast, MPR-300 was expressed on activated T cells derived from an inflammatory peritoneal exudate. In vitro studies demonstrated transient expression of MPR-300 on the surface of splenic T cells following stimulation with Con A. MPR-300 was also induced on T-cell lines by antigen stimulation. These data demonstrate that T cells in inflammatory sites express MPR-300 on their surface and activation of T lymphocytes induces cell surface expression of MPR-300. Such findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cell surface MPR-300 is required for the entry of T cells into inflammatory sites.

Regulation of the components of the 150 kDa IGF binding protein complex in cocultures of rat hepatocytes and Kupffer cells by 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate

In the circulation, most of IGFs are bound to a high molecular mass complex of 150 kDa that consists of IGF-I (or IGF-II), IGFBP-3 and the acid-labile subunit (ALS). Within rat liver, biosynthesis of these components has been localized to different cell populations with hepatocytes as source of ALS and nonparenchymal cells (endothelial and Kupffer cells (KC)) as source of IGFBP-3. In the present study, the regulatory effects of the cAMP analogs dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP) and 8-bromo-cAMP (8-br-cAMP) on IGF-I, ALS, and IGFBP expression were evaluated in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes, KC as well as in cocultures of hepatocytes and KC. In cocultures, biosynthesis of IGFBP-3 and ALS was inhibited dose-dependently by db-cAMP and 8-br-cAMP while that of IGF-I, IGFBP-1, and -4 was stimulated as demonstrated by ligand and Northern blotting. IGFBP-3 expression in primary cultures of pure KC did not respond to cAMP treatment indicating the importance of a cellular interaction between KC and hepatocytes for the decreased IGFBP-3 synthesis. The inhibition of IGFBP-3 in db-cAMP-treated cocultures was due to a decrease of IGFBP-3 mRNA level accompanied by a reduced cellular degradation of IGFBP-3. We conclude that cAMP stimulate the biosynthesis of IGF-I, IGFBP-1, and -4 in cocultures of hepatocytes and KC thereby enabling the formation of binary IGF/IGFBP complexes while the formation of the 150 kDa complex is impaired through downregulation of IGFBP-3 and ALS. This complex regulation may be a prerequisite for the effects of cAMP-dependent hormones on the transfer of IGFs from circulation to peripheral tissues.

mu1A-adaptin-deficient mice: lethality, loss of AP-1 binding and rerouting of mannose 6-phosphate receptors

The heterotetrameric AP-1 complex is involved in the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and interacts with sorting signals in the cytoplasmic tails of cargo molecules. Targeted disruption of the mouse mu1A-adaptin gene causes embryonic lethality at day 13.5. In cells deficient in micro1A-adaptin the remaining AP-1 adaptins do not bind to the TGN. Polarized epithelial cells are the only cells of micro1A-adaptin-deficient embryos that show gamma-adaptin binding to membranes, indicating the formation of an epithelial specific AP-1B complex and demonstrating the absence of additional mu1A homologs. Mannose 6-phosphate receptors are cargo molecules that exit the TGN via AP-1-clathrin-coated vesicles. The steady-state distribution of the mannose 6-phosphate receptors MPR46 and MPR300 in mu1A-deficient cells is shifted to endosomes at the expense of the TGN. MPR46 fails to recycle back from the endosome to the TGN, indicating that AP-1 is required for retrograde endosome to TGN transport of the receptor.

The rate of internalization of the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor is enhanced by multivalent ligand binding

The cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor (M6P/IGF-II receptor) undergoes constitutive endocytosis, mediating the internalization of two unrelated classes of ligands, mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P)-containing acid hydrolases and insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II). To determine the role of ligand valency in M6P/IGF-II receptor-mediated endocytosis, we measured the internalization rates of two ligands, beta-glucuronidase (a homotetramer bearing multiple Man-6-P moieties) and IGF-II. We found that beta-glucuronidase entered the cell approximately 3-4-fold faster than IGF-II. Unlabeled beta-glucuronidase stimulated the rate of internalization of 125I-IGF-II to equal that of 125I-beta-glucuronidase, but a bivalent synthetic tripeptide capable of occupying both Man-6-P-binding sites on the M6P/IGF-II receptor simultaneously did not. A mutant receptor with one of the two Man-6-P-binding sites inactivated retained the ability to internalize beta-glucuronidase faster than IGF-II. Thus, the increased rate of internalization required a multivalent ligand and a single Man-6-P-binding site on the receptor. M6P/IGF-II receptor solubilized and purified in Triton X-100 was present as a monomer, but association with beta-glucuronidase generated a complex composed of two receptors and one beta-glucuronidase. Neither IGF-II nor the synthetic peptide induced receptor dimerization. These results indicate that intermolecular cross-linking of the M6P/IGF-II receptor occurs upon binding of a multivalent ligand, resulting in an increased rate of internalization.

Characterization of the IGF axis components in isolated rat hepatic stellate cells

The insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I, -II) are circulating peptides known to participate in the regulation of metabolism, growth, and cellular differentiation. In the present study, "early cultured" (days 2-3 of culture) and "culture-activated" (days 6-7 of culture) rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were analyzed for expression of individual components of the IGF axis. Northern blot analysis of IGF-I messenger RNA (mRNA) revealed transcripts of 7.5, 4, 2, and 1.0 to 1.5 kb in culture-activated HSCs, while early cultured HSCs did not express IGF-I mRNA. In culture-activated HSCs, an IGF-I secretion of 8.3+/-2.5 ng/10(6) cells per 24 hours was determined radioimmunologically. In media from early cultured HSCs, IGF-I was not detectable. The IGF-I receptor (IGF-I-R) mRNA expression was three-fold higher in early cultured HSCs than in culture-activated HSCs. By immunohistochemistry, a decrease of IGF-I-R expression of HSCs in vivo following CCl4-induced liver damage was noted as well. IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) were detected in conditioned media from HSCs by 125I-IGF-I ligand blotting at apparent molecular masses of 24 and 41 to 45 kd that were immunologically identified as IGFBP-4 and -3, respectively. Synthesis of these IGFBPs increased with time of culture. At neutral pH, no IGFBP proteolysis was observed in conditioned media of early cultured and culture-activated HSCs, whereas at acidic pH, protease activities against IGFBP-3 and -4 were detectable. IGFBP protease activities were completely abolished by inhibitors of aspartyl and cysteine proteases. Addition of 100 nmol/L IGF-I stimulated cell proliferation of early cultured HSCs 5.6+/-1.1- and 4.6+/-0.2-fold as measured by [3H]thymidine and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, respectively. In culture-activated HSCs, proliferation was increased 1.2+/-0.1-fold in the presence of 100 nmol/L IGF-I in both proliferation assays. It can be concluded that due to a higher expression of the IGF-I-R and lower levels of IGFBPs, early cultured HSCs are more susceptible to the mitogenic actions of IGFs than the culture-activated HSCs. The present data suggest a role for the IGF axis components in the initiation rather than the perpetuation of HSC proliferation during hepatic fibrogenesis.

Wortmannin retards the movement of the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor and its ligand out of endosomes

The effect of wortmannin on the trafficking of the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor (Man-6-P/IGF-II receptor) and its ligand beta-glucuronidase has been determined in murine L cells and normal rat kidney cells. The drug induced a 90% decrease in the steady-state level of the Man-6-P/IGF-II receptor at the plasma membrane without affecting the rate of internalization, indicating that the return of receptor from endosomes to the plasma membrane is retarded. Wortmannin also slowed the movement of receptor from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network by about 60%. Such a kinetic block would dramatically reduce the number of Man-6-P/IGF-II receptors in the trans-Golgi network, which could account for the previously described hypersecretion of procathepsin D induced by wortmannin. In addition, the drug slowed delivery of endocytosed beta-glucuronidase from endosomes to dense lysosomes. These data, taken together with the published reports of others, indicate that wortmannin inhibits membrane trafficking out of multiple compartments of the endosomal system and suggest a role for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in regulating these processes.

Glucose increases both the plasma membrane number and phosphorylation of insulin-like growth factor II/mannose 6-phosphate receptors

We have investigated the effect of glucose on insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) binding to, and intracellular phosphorylation of, the IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) receptor in the insulin-secreting cell line RINm5F. Glucose, at a concentration of 3 mM, significantly increased binding of IGF-II to the cells. A further increase of the binding was observed at a glucose concentration of 10 mM. Scatchard analysis showed that the increased binding was caused by an increased number of the receptors rather than changes in affinity. This effect of glucose was also demonstrated in another insulin-secreting cell line HIT as well as in the human erythroleukemia cell line K562. Affinity cross-linking of the RINm5F cells, using 125I-IGF-II, revealed increased binding to the IGF-II/M6P receptor induced by glucose. The effect of glucose on IGF-II binding was mimicked by fructose (10 mM), but not by 3-O-methylglucose (10 mM), and was abolished by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor calphostin C, or down-regulation of PKC, but not by the protein phosphatase inhibitor, okadaic acid. Glucose dose dependently stimulated phosphorylation of the IGF-II/M6P receptor, an effect that was inhibited by down-regulation of PKC activity. This study suggests that the distribution of the IGF-II/M6P receptor in insulin-secreting cells can be regulated by glucose-induced phosphorylation, a mechanism mediated by PKC.

Homotypic fusion between aggregated lysosomes triggered by elevated [Ca2+]i in fibroblasts

Previous studies demonstrated that microinjection of antibodies to the cytoplasmic domain of the lysosomal glycoprotein lgp120 induces aggregation of lysosomes in NRK cells. Here we show that the antibody-clustered vesicles do not co-localize with MPR and ss-COP-containing organelles, confirming their lysosomal nature. Observations by transmission and high voltage electron microscopy indicated that, although tightly apposed to each other, aggregated lysosomes remained as separate vesicles, with an average diameter of 0.3-0.4 micron. However, when cells microinjected with antibody were exposed to the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin, large vesicles were formed within the lysosome clusters, suggesting the occurrence of lysosome-lysosome fusion. Stereological measurements of lysosome diameters on confocal and transmission electron microscopy indicated that the large lgp120-positive vesicles could have originated from the fusion of 3 up to 15 individual lysosomes. To verify if agents that mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores had the same effect, anti-lgp120-microinjected cells were treated with thapsigargin, and with the receptor-mediated agonists bombesin and thrombin. Thapsigargin also induced the formation of large lgp120-containing vesicles, detected by both confocal and transmission electron microscopy. Analysis of antibody-clustered lysosomes in streptolysin O-permeabilized cells indicated that an intracellular free Ca2+ concentration of 1 microM was sufficient to trigger formation of large lysosomes.

The carboxy-terminal peptides of 46 kDa and 300 kDa mannose 6-phosphate receptors share partial sequence homology and contain information for sorting in the early endosomal pathway

Recycling of mannose 6-phosphate receptors was investigated by microinjection of F(ab) fragments against their carboxy-terminal peptides (residues 54–67 or 150–164 of the cytoplasmic domain of 46 kDa and 300 kDa mannose 6-phosphate receptor, respectively). For each receptor, masking the carboxy-terminal peptide by the corresponding F(ab) fragments resulted in complete depletion of the intracellular pool. Redistributed 300 kDa mannose 6-phosphate receptor was shown to accumulate at the plasma membrane and to internalize anti-ectodomain antibodies. Internalization of anti-ectodomain antibodies was also observed for redistributed 46 kDa mannose 6-phosphate receptor. Semiquantitative analysis suggested that for both redistributed receptors the amount of intracellularly accumulated anti-ectodomain antibodies was reduced. In addition, downstream transport along the endosomal pathway was slowed down. These data suggest that sorting information for early steps in the endocytic pathway is contained within the carboxy-terminal peptides of mannose 6-phosphate receptors.

Targeting of an intestinal apical endosomal protein to endosomes in nonpolarized cells

Polarized cells such as epithelial cells and neurons have distinct endosomal compartments associated with different plasma membrane domains. The endosomes of the neuronal cell body and the basolateral cytoplasm of epithelial cells are thought to perform cellular "housekeeping" functions such as the uptake of nutrients and metabolites, while the endosomes in the apical cytoplasm or axons are thought to be specialized for the sorting and transcytosis of cell type-specific ligands and receptors. However, it is not known if nonpolarized cells such as fibroblasts contain a specialized endosomal compartment analogous to the specialized endosomes found in neurons and epithelia. We have expressed a protein that is normally found in the apical early endosomes of developing intestinal epithelial cells in normal rat kidney fibroblasts. This apical endosomal marker, called endotubin, is targeted to early endosomes in transfected fibroblasts, and is present in peripheral as well as perinuclear endosomes. The peripheral endosomes that contain endotubin appear to exclude transferrin, fluid phase markers, and the mannose-6-phosphate receptor, although in the perinuclear region colocalization of endotubin and these markers is present. In addition, endotubin positive structures do not tubulate in response to brefeldin A and instead redistribute to a diffuse perinuclear location. Since this endosomal compartment has many of the characteristics of an apical or axonal endosomal compartment, our results indicate that nonpolarized cells also contain a specialized early endosomal compartment.

Inhibition of IGF II-induced redistribution of mannose 6-phosphate receptors by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin

The effects of wortmannin, a selective inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol (PI)3-kinase on insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II)-induced redistribution of the 300 kDa mannose 6-phosphate/IGF II receptor (MPR 300) has been studied in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. IGF II increased the expression of MPR 300 at the cell surface threefold that was completely abolished by wortmannin at 100-300 nM. Higher concentrations of wortmannin also reduced the basal MPR 300-dependent uptake of ligands to 68% of controls. Neither the transport of two lysosomal enzymes nor the secretion of the IGF binding protein-1 were affected by wortmannin. These results show that activation of PI3-kinase plays a critical role in the IGF II-stimulated redistribution of MPR 300 initiated rather by IGF II binding to tyrosine kinase receptors than to the MPR 300.

Does the overexpression of pro-insulin-like growth factor-II in transfected human embryonic kidney fibroblasts increase the secretion of lysosomal enzymes?

Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and lysosomal enzymes bearing the mannose 6-phosphate (Man6P) recognition marker, bind to two distinct binding sites of the IGF-II/M6P receptor. The two classes of ligands reciprocally modulate the binding of the other class of ligand to the receptor [Kiess, W., Thomas, C. L., Greenstein, L., Lee, L., Sklar, M. M., Rechler, M. M., Sahagian, G. G. & Nissley, S. P. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 4710-4714]. We asked whether or not overexpression of pro-IGF-II by cells in culture leads to missorting of lysosomal enzymes. Human embryonal kidney fibroblasts were transfected with the full-length human IGF-II cDNA or a control cDNA. Solution hybridization/RNase protection experiments using a human IGF-II riboprobe showed that two transfectants expressed large quantities of IGF-II mRNA, whereas the non-transfected cells did not. The analysis of conditioned media revealed that these cells secrete approximately 0.15 micrograms and 1.0 micrograms immunoreactive IGF-II/ml and 22 x 10(6) cells and 24 x 10(6) cells within 24 hours. Immunoreactive IGF-II was shown by Western blotting to represent 17-kDa pro-IGF-II. The amount of the lysosomal enzyme, beta-hexosaminidase, was approximately twofold increased in the conditioned media from pro-IGF-II overexpressing cells compared with control media, as shown by Western-blot analysis and immunoprecipitation of media extracts of metabolically labeled cells. The synthesis rate of beta-hexosaminidase was not affected by pro-IGF-II overexpression. In addition, the basal amount of another newly synthesized lysosomal enzyme, the cathepsin D precursor, was also twofold higher in pro-IGF-II overexpressing cells than in control cells. In contrast, the surface binding and cellular uptake rate of a Man6P-containing neoglycoprotein did not differ between the cell lines. The results indicate that the overexpression of pro-IGF-II doubles the secretion and/or reduces the re-uptake of beta-hexosaminidase and cathepsin D to approximately 20% of the total synthesized enzymes in human embryonal kidney fibroblasts compared to control cells. We hypothesize that, in cells synthesizing high amounts of pro-IGF-II, the growth factor may modulate the targeting of a portion of lysosomal enzymes, mainly by partially enhancing the secretion of newly synthesized enzymes and, in addition, possibly by affecting the re-uptake mechanism.

Wortmannin causes mistargeting of procathepsin D. evidence for the involvement of a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in vesicular transport to lysosomes

At present little is known of the biochemical machinery controlling transport of newly synthesized lysosomal hydrolases from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to endosomes. The demonstration that Vps34p (a protein required for targeting soluble hydrolases to the vacuole in Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) suggested the possibility that a homologous enzyme might be involved in the equivalent step in mammalian cells. Using the PI3-K inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002, I provide evidence to support this hypothesis. Treatment of K-562 cells with wortmannin induced secretion of procathepsin D, with half-maximal inhibition of accurate targeting to lysosomes at 10-20 nM. Kinetic analysis indicated that a late Golgi (TGN) step was affected, and that other constitutive vesicular transport events were not. The M6P recognition signal was still generated in the presence of wortmannin suggesting that the drug was directly inhibiting export of the receptor-ligand complex from the TGN, while removal of the drug led to a rapid restoration of accurate sorting. At the concentrations used, wortmannin and LY294002 are presently accepted to be specific inhibitors of PI3-K. I conclude that these data implicate such an enzyme in the trafficking of M6P-receptor-ligand complexes from the TGN towards lysosomes.

Role for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in the sorting and transport of newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes in mammalian cells

Previous work with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has demonstrated a role for a phosphatidylinositol-specific PI 3-kinase, the product of the VPS34 gene, in the targeting of newly synthesized proteins to the vacuole, an organelle functionally equivalent to mammalian lysosomes (Schu, P. V., K. Takegawa, M. J. Fry, J. H. Stack, M. D. Waterfield, and S. D. Emr. 1993. Science [Wash. DC]. 260:88-91). The activity of Vps34p kinase is significantly reduced by the PI 3-kinase inhibitors wortmannin, a fungal metabolite, and LY294002, a quercetin analog (Stack, J. H., and S. D. Emr. 1994. J. Biol. Chem. 269:31552-31562). We show here that at concentrations which inhibit VPS34-encoded PI 3-kinase activity, wortmannin also inhibits the processing and delivery of newly synthesized cathepsin D to lysosomes in mammalian cells with half-maximal inhibition of delivery occurring at 100 nM wortmannin. As a result of wortmannin action, newly synthesized, unprocessed cathepsin D is secreted into the media. Moreover, after accumulation in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) at 20 degrees C, cathepsin D was rapidly missorted to the secretory pathway after addition of wortmannin and shifting to 37 degrees C. At concentrations that inhibited lysosomal enzyme delivery, both wortmannin and LY294002 caused a highly specific dilation of mannose 6-phosphate receptor (M6PR)-enriched vesicles of the prelysosome compartment (PLC), which swelled to approximately 1 micron within 15 min after treatment. With increasing time, the inhibitors caused a significant yet reversible change in M6PR distribution. By 3 h of treatment, the swollen PLC vacuoles were essentially depleted of receptors and, in addition, there was a fourfold loss of receptors from the cell surface. However, M6PRs were still abundant in the TGN. These results are most consistent with the interpretation that PI 3-kinase regulates the trafficking of lysosomal enzymes by interfering with a M6PR-dependent sorting event in the TGN. Moreover, they provide evidence that trafficking of soluble hydrolases to mammalian lysosomes and yeast vacuoles rely on similar regulatory mechanisms.

Transport from late endosomes to lysosomes, but not sorting of integral membrane proteins in endosomes, depends on the vacuolar proton pump

Endocytosed proteins are sorted in early endosomes to be recycled to the plasma membrane or transported further into the degradative pathway. We studied the role of endosomes acidification on the endocytic trafficking of the transferrin receptor (TfR) as a representative for the recycling pathway, the cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (MPR) as a prototype for transport to late endosomes, and fluid-phase endocytosed HRP as a marker for transport to lysosomes. Toward this purpose, bafilomycin A1 (Baf), a specific inhibitor of the vacuolar proton pump, was used to inhibit acidification of the vacuolar system. Microspectrofluorometric measurement of the pH of fluorescein-rhodamine-conjugated transferrin (Tf)-containing endocytic compartments in living cells revealed elevated endosomal pH values (pH > 7.0) within 2 min after addition of Baf. Although recycling of endocytosed Tf to the plasma membrane continued in the presence of Baf, recycled Tf did not dissociate from its receptor, indicating failure of Fe3+ release due to a neutral endosomal pH. In the presence of Baf, the rates of internalization and recycling of Tf were reduced by a factor of 1.40 +/- 0.08 and 1.57 +/- 0.25, respectively. Consequently, little if any in TfR expression at the cell surface was measured during Baf treatment. Sorting between endocytosed TfR and MPR was analyzed by the HRP-catalyzed 3,3'-diaminobenzidine cross-linking technique, using transferrin conjugated to HRP to label the endocytic pathway of the TfR. In the absence of Baf, endocytosed surface 125I-labeled MPR was sorted from the TfR pathway starting at 10 min after uptake, reaching a plateau of 40% after 45 min. In the presence of Baf, sorting was initiated after 20 min of uptake, reaching approximately 40% after 60 min. Transport of fluid-phase endocytosed HRP to late endosomes and lysosomes was measured using cell fractionation and immunogold electron microscopy. Baf did not interfere with transport of HRP to MPR-labeled late endosomes, but nearly completely abrogated transport to cathepsin D-labeled lysosomes. From these results, we conclude that trafficking through early and late endosomes, but not to lysosomes, continued upon inactivation of the vacuolar proton pump.

Mannose 6-phosphate receptors in sorting and transport of lysosomal enzymes

Mannose 6-phosphate receptors have been intensively studied with regard to their genomic organization, protein structure, ligand binding properties, intracellular trafficking and sorting functions. That their main function is sorting of newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes is commonly accepted, but much more remains to be learned about their precise recycling pathways and the mechanisms which regulate their vesicular transport. Additional functions have been reported, e.g., export of newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes from the cell by MPR 46 or a--probably indirect--participation in growth factor-mediated signal transduction by MPR 300. To understand the physiological relevance of these observations will be a challenge for future research.

Role of mannose-6-phosphate receptors in herpes simplex virus entry into cells and cell-to-cell transmission

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein D (gD) is essential for virus entry into cells, is modified with mannose-6-phosphate (M-6-P), and binds to both the 275-kDa M-6-P receptor (MPR) and the 46-kDa MPR (C. R. Brunetti, R. L. Burke, S. Kornfeld, W. Gregory, K. S. Dingwell, F. Masiarz, and D. C. Johnson, J. Biol. Chem. 269:17067-17074, 1994). Since MPRs are found on the surfaces of mammalian cells, we tested the hypothesis that MPRs could serve as receptors for HSV during virus entry into cells. A soluble form of the 275-kDa MPR, derived from fetal bovine serum, inhibited HSV plaques on monkey Vero cells, as did polyclonal rabbit anti-MPR antibodies. In addition, the number and size of HSV plaques were reduced when cells were treated with bovine serum albumin conjugated with pentamannose-phosphate (PM-PO4-BSA), a bulky ligand which can serve as a high-affinity ligand for MPRs. These data imply that HSV can use MPRs to enter cells; however, other molecules must also serve as receptors for HSV because a reasonable fraction of virus could enter cells treated with even the highest concentrations of these inhibitors. Consistent with the possibility that there are other receptors, HSV produced the same number of plaques on MPR-deficient mouse fibroblasts as were produced on normal mouse fibroblasts, but there was no inhibition with PM-PO4-BSA with either of these embryonic mouse cells. Together, these results demonstrate that HSV does not rely solely on MPRs to enter cells, although MPRs apparently play some role in virus entry into some cell types and, perhaps, act as one of a number of cell surface molecules that can facilitate entry. We also found that HSV produced small plaques on human fibroblasts derived from patients with pseudo-Hurler's polydystrophy, cells in which glycoproteins are not modified with M-6-P residues and yet production of infectious HSV particles was not altered in the pseudo-Hurler cells. In addition, HSV plaque size was reduced by PM-PO4-BSA; therefore, it appears that M-6-P residues and MPRs are required for efficient transmission of HSV between cells, a process which differs in some respects from entry of exogenous virus particles.

Targeting of Salmonella typhimurium to vesicles containing lysosomal membrane glycoproteins bypasses compartments with mannose 6-phosphate receptors

Salmonella typhimurium is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that remains enclosed in vacuoles (SCV) upon entry into the host cell. In this study we have examined the intracellular trafficking route of S. typhimurium within epithelial cells. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis showed that bacteria initiated fusion with lysosomal membrane glycoprotein (lgp)-containing compartments approximately 15 min after bacterial internalization. This process was completed approximately 75 min later and did not require microtubules. Cation-independent (CI)- or cation-dependent (CD)-mannose 6-phosphate receptors (M6PRs) were not observed at detectable levels in SCV. Lysosomal enzymes showed a different distribution in SCV: lysosomal-acid phosphatase (LAP) was incorporated into these vacuoles with the same kinetics as lgps, while cathepsin D was present in a low proportion (approximately 30%) of SCV. Uptake experiments with fluid endocytic tracers such as fluorescein-dextran sulphate (F-DX) or horseradish-peroxidase (HRP) showed that after 2 h of uptake, F-DX was present in approximately 75% of lgp-containing vesicles in uninfected cells, while only approximately 15% of SCV contained small amounts of the tracer during the same uptake period. SCV also showed only partial fusion with HRP-preloaded secondary lysosomes, with approximately 30% of SCV having detectable amounts of HRP at 6 h after infection. These results indicate that SCV show limited accessibility to fluid endocytic tracers and mature lysosomes, and are therefore functionally separated from the endocytic route. Moreover, the unusual intracellular trafficking route of S. typhimurium inside epithelial cells has allowed us to establish the existence of two different lgp-containing vesicles in Salmonella-infected cells: one population is separated from the endocytic route, fusogenic with incoming SCV and may arise from a secretory pathway, while the second involves the classical secondary or mature lysosomes.

Mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor fails to interact with G-proteins. Analysis of mutant cytoplasmic receptor domains

The binding of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) to the mannose 6-phosphate (M6P)/IGF II receptor has previously been reported to induce the activation of trimeric G(i)2 proteins by functional coupling to a 14-amino acid region within the cytoplasmic receptor domain (Nishimoto, I., Murayama, Y., Katada, T., Ui, M., and Ogata, E. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14029-14038). In the present study, we examined further the potential functional coupling of G-proteins with the human M6P/IGF II receptor and mutant receptors lacking the proposed G-protein activator sequence. IGF II treatment of mouse L-cells expressing either wild type or mutant M6P/IGF II receptors failed to attenuate the pertussis toxin-catalyzed modification of a 40-kDa protein or enhance GTPase activity. In broken L-cell membranes expressing wild type or mutant M6P/IGF II receptors, 30 nM IGF II also failed to affect the pertussis toxin substrate activity. By using phospholipid vesicles reconstituted with human wild type or mutant M6P/IGF II receptors and pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins, no stimulation of GTP gamma S binding to or GTPase activity of G(i)2, G(o)1, or G(i)/G(o) mixtures were observed in response to 1 microM IGF II. Furthermore, in vesicles containing purified wild type M6P/IGF II receptors and monomeric G alpha o1 or G alpha i2 and beta gamma dimers no effects of IGF II on GTP gamma S binding could be detected. However, when vesicles reconstituted with M6P/IGF II receptors and G(i)2 proteins were incubated with 100 microM mastoparan GTP gamma S binding was stimulated and GTPase activity was increased significantly. These results indicate that the human M6P/IGF II receptor neither interacts with G-proteins in mouse L-cell membranes nor is coupled to G(i)2 proteins in phospholipid vesicles. This study suggests strongly that the M6P/IGF II receptor does not function in transmembrane signaling in response to IGF II.

Distinctive inhibition of the lysosomal targeting of lysozyme and cathepsin D by drugs affecting pH gradients and protein kinase C

Morphological and biochemical evidence indicates that in several cell types, lysozyme is found in both lysosomes and the medium. Here we report that in calcitriol-treated human promonocytes U937, in which approx. two-thirds of the synthesized lysozyme is secreted, most of the intracellular lysozyme co-localizes with cathepsin D in lysosomal organelles. In the presence of NH4Cl the lysosomal targeting of procathepsin D, but not that of lysozyme, is inhibited. In the presence of 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (4 beta-PMA; 'TPA'), the lysosomal packaging of lysozyme is almost completely inhibited, while that of procathepsin D is only partially so. However, the inhibition of the lysosomal targeting of procathepsin D by NH4Cl and 4 beta-PMA is additive. The targeting of lysozyme is partially inhibited in the presence of R-59022, an inhibitor of diacylglycerol kinase, whereas it is not affected by 4 alpha-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, an isomer of 4 beta-PMA that does not activate protein kinase C. It is concluded that in U937 cells both carbohydrate-dependent and -independent recognition contributes to the lysosomal targeting of soluble proteins. We suggest that the carbohydrate-independent traffic of proteins to lysosomal compartments is controlled by a signalling pathway involving protein kinase C.

A chimera of the cytoplasmic tail of the mannose 6-phosphate/IGF-II receptor and lysozyme localizes to the TGN rather than prelysosomes where the bulk of the endogenous receptor is found

We fused the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains of the bovine mannose 6-phosphate/IGF-II receptor (MPR) to lysozyme, a monomeric secretory protein thought to be devoid of sorting information. When the resulting chimera (lys/MPR) was transiently expressed in COS cells or stably expressed in CV1 cells, it had a predominantly intracellular distribution in the trans-Golgi region, with less than 10% present on the surface. In contrast, a similar chimera containing the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of the low density lipoprotein receptor (lys/LDLR) was localized to the plasma membrane, even though it endocytoses efficiently. Exchanging domains between the lys/MPR and lys/LDLR chimeras indicated that the MPR cytoplasmic domain contains the information necessary to specify the intracellular localization of the chimeric molecule. This signal must be located in the membrane-proximal third of the tail, as deletion of the last 120 residues of the 163 residue tail has no obvious effect on the distribution of lys/MPR. However, the recycling of the lys/MPR does not completely mimic that of the intact endogenous MPR, as immunofluorescence labelling shows that they are predominantly in different locations, indicating a role for the lumenal domain of the MPR in determining the steady-state distribution of the MPR itself.