Brefeldin A causes a microtubule-mediated fusion of the trans-Golgi network and early endosomes

Ultrastructural alterations and retention of the C-propeptide of type II collagen in human chondrocytes exposed in vitro to brefeldin A

Normal human chondrocytes grown in vitro were exposed to 10 micrograms/ml Brefeldin A (BFA) for 24 h, 1 microgram/ml for 4 h, or 0.1 microgram/ml for 4 h and evaluated for ultrastructural alterations. BFA in the amount of 0.1 microgram/ml resulted in vacuolization, disappearance of the Golgi, and moderate increases in rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) vesicles. After 1 microgram/ml BFA exposure large interconnected cisternae were identified. BFA treatment of 10 micrograms/ml was associated with large dilated ER cisternae which contained material of variable electron densities. Immunocytochemical localization showed markedly increased type II procollagen intracellular retention in BFA-treated cells. High dose BFA-treated cells showed ultrastructural similarities to those seen in the skeletal dysplasia hypochondrogenesis. Results presented here show that in vitro culture of normal human chondrocytes results in retention of the C-propeptide of type II collagen and marked alterations in cytoplasmic ultrastructure.

A cytosolic complex of p62 and rab6 associates with TGN38/41 and is involved in budding of exocytic vesicles from the trans-Golgi network

TGN38/41, an integral membrane protein predominantly localized to the trans-Golgi network, has been shown to cycle to the plasma membrane and return to the TGN within 30 min. (Ladinsky, M. S., and K. E. Howell. 1992. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 59:92-105). In characterizing the proteins which associate with TGN38/41, a peripheral 62-kD protein, two forms of rab6 and two other small GTP-binding proteins were identified by coimmunoprecipitation. However, approximately 90% of the 62-kD protein is cytosolic and is associated with the same subset of small GTP-binding proteins. Both the membrane and cytoplasmic complexes were characterized by sizing column fractionation and velocity sedimentation. The membrane complex was approximately 250 kD (11.6 S) consisting of the cytosolic complex and a heterodimer of TGN38/41 (160 kD). The cytosolic complex was approximately 86 kD (6.1 S) consisting of p62 and one small GTP-binding protein. Preliminary evidence indicates that phosphorylation of the p62 molecule regulates the dissociation of the cytosolic complex from TGN38/41. Functionally the cytosolic p62 complex must bind to TGN38/41 for the budding of exocytic transport vesicles from the TGN as assayed in a cell-free system (Salamero, J., E. S. Sztul, and K. E. Howell. 1990. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 87:7717-7721). Interference with p62, rab6 or TGN38, and TGN41 cytoplasmic domains by immunodepletion or competing peptides completely inhibited the budding of exocytic transport vesicles. These results support an essential role for interaction of the cytosolic p62/rab6 complex with TGN38/41 in budding of exocytic vesicles from the TGN.

Isolation of a temperature-sensitive variant Chinese hamster ovary cell line with a morphologically altered endocytic recycling compartment

We have enriched a mutagenized population of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells for those defective in endocytosis by selection for survival to treatment with transferrin (Tf)-ricin and Tf-diphtheria toxin conjugates. Surviving cells were screened with a fluorescently labeled Tf uptake assay to identify cells with morphologically aberrant endocytic phenotypes. One of the cell lines identified, B104-5, has a striking temperature-induced alteration in the morphology of its endocytic receptor recycling compartment. In parental cells the tightly clustered endocytic recycling compartment is located near the Golgi complex. In the mutant cells, following incubation at 40 degrees C, this compartment appears fragmented and widely dispersed. Surprisingly, this alteration in the morphology of the recycling compartment has no effect on the kinetics of Tf internationalization and recycling. The wild-type endocytic compartment is closely aligned with the microtubule-organizing center and the Golgi apparatus, and like the Golgi, its clustered appearance is dependent upon intact microtubules. Although the disruption of the B104-5 receptor recycling compartment morphology can be phenocopied in wild-type cells by microtubule depolymerizing drugs, the microtubule cytoskeleton in B104-5 cells appears normal in immunofluorescent staining. B104-5 cells, unlike the parental cells, do not proliferate at 40 degrees C. The mutation in B104-5 cells is recessive, as fusion with wild-type cells results in a reversion of the B104-5 phenotype. The finding that the morphology of the recycling compartment in CHO cells can be altered without affecting recycling of endocytosed Tf is consistent with the variety of recycling compartment morphologies observed among different cell lines. An interpretation of this result is that the lesion in B104-5 cells is in a gene that is involved in determining the endocytic compartment morphologies observed in different cell lines.

TGN38 is maintained in the trans-Golgi network by a tyrosine-containing motif in the cytoplasmic domain

Sorting of proteins destined for different plasma membrane domains, lysosomes and secretory pathways takes place in the trans-Golgi network (TGN). TGN38 is an integral membrane protein found in this intracellular compartment. We show that TGN38 contains an autonomous targeting signal within its cytoplasmic domain which determines its intracellular location. Deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis of this domain demonstrate that a tyrosine motif homologous to the internalization signal of surface receptors is necessary and sufficient for correct localization. These findings suggest that TGN38 is maintained in the TGN by retrieval from the plasma membrane and employs a different mechanism for retention from that of the transferase enzymes of the trans-Golgi.

Budding from Golgi membranes requires the coatomer complex of non-clathrin coat proteins

Do the coats on vesicles budded from the Golgi apparatus actually cause the budding, or do they simply coat buds (Fig. 1)? One view (the membrane-mediated budding hypothesis) is that budding is an intrinsic property of Golgi membranes not requiring extrinsic coat proteins. Assembly of coats from dispersed subunits is super-imposed upon the intrinsic budding process and is proposed to convert the tips of tubules into vesicles. The alternative view (the coat-mediated budding hypothesis) is that coat formation provides the essential driving force for budding. The membrane-mediated budding hypothesis was inspired by the microtubule-dependent extension of apparently uncoated, 90-nm-diameter membrane tubules from the Golgi apparatus and other organelles in vivo after treatment with brefeldin A, a drug that inhibits the assembly of coat proteins onto Golgi membranes. This hypothesis predicts that tubules will be extended when coat proteins are unavailable to convert tubule-derived membrane into vesicles. Here we use a cell-free system in which coated vesicles are formed from Golgi cisternae to show that, on the contrary, when budding diminishes as a result of immunodepletion of coat protein pools, tubules are not formed at the expense of vesicles. We conclude that coat proteins are required for budding from Golgi membranes.

The rubella virus E2 and E1 spike glycoproteins are targeted to the Golgi complex

Rubella virus (RV) has been reported to bud from intracellular membranes in certain cell types. In this study the intracellular site of targeting of RV envelope E2 and E1 glycoproteins has been investigated in three different cell types (CHO, BHK-21 and Vero cells) transfected with a cDNA encoding the two glycoproteins. By indirect immunofluorescence, E2 and E1 were localized to the Golgi region of all three cell types, and their distribution was disrupted by treatment with BFA or nocodazole. Immunogold labeling demonstrated that E2 and E1 were localized to Golgi cisternae and indicated that the glycoproteins were distributed across the Golgi stack. Analysis of immunoprecipitates obtained from stably transfected CHO cells revealed that E2 and E1 become endo H resistant and undergo sialylation without being transported to the cell surface. Transport of RV glycoproteins to the Golgi complex was relatively slow (t1/2 = 60-90 min). Coprecipitation experiments indicated that E2 and E1 form a heterodimer in the RER. E1 was found to fold much more slowly than E2, suggesting that the delay in transport of the heterodimer to the Golgi may be due to the slow maturation of E1 in the ER. These results indicate that RV glycoproteins behave as integral membrane proteins of the Golgi complex and thus provide a useful model to study targeting and turnover of type I membrane proteins in this organelle.

Connexin trafficking and the control of gap junction assembly in mouse preimplantation embryos

Gap junction assembly in the preimplantation mouse embryo is a temporally regulated event, beginning a few hours after the third cleavage during the morphogenetic event known as compaction. Recently, we demonstrated that both mRNA and protein corresponding to connexin43, a gap junction protein, accumulate through preimplantation development beginning at least as early as the 4-cell stage. Using an antibody raised against a synthetic C-terminal peptide of connexin43, this protein was shown to assemble into gap junction-like plaques beginning at compaction (G. Valdimarsson, P. A. De Sousa, E. C. Beyer, D. L. Paul and G. M. Kidder (1991). Molec. Reprod. Dev. 30, 18–26). The purpose of the present study was to follow the fate of nascent connexin43 during preimplantation development, from synthesis to plaque insertion, and to learn more about the control of gap junction assembly during compaction. Cell fractionation and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were employed to show that connexin43 mRNA is in polyribosomes at the 4-cell stage, suggesting that synthesis of connexin43 begins at least one cell cycle in advance of when gap junctions first form. The fate of nascent connexin43 was then followed throughout preimplantation development by means of laser confocal microscopy, using two other peptide (C-terminal)-specific antibodies. As was reported previously, connexin43 could first be detected in gap junction-like plaques beginning in the 8-cell stage, at which time considerable intracellular immunoreactivity could be seen as well. Later, connexin43 becomes differentially distributed in the apposed plasma membranes of morulae and blastocysts: a zonular distribution predominates between outside blastomeres and trophectoderm cells whereas plaque-like localizations predominate between inside blastomeres and cells of the inner cell mass. The cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in morulae was deemed to be nascent connexin en route to the plasma membrane since it could be abolished by treatment with cycloheximide, and redistributed by treatment with monensin or brefeldin-A, known inhibitors of protein trafficking. Treatment of uncompacted 8-cell embryos with either monensin or brefeldin-A inhibited the appearance of gap junction-like structures and the onset of gap junctional coupling in a reversible manner. These data demonstrate that the regulated step in the onset of gap junction assembly during compaction is downstream of transcription and translation and involves mobilization of connexin43 through trafficking organelles to plasma membranes.

Effect of caffeine and reduced temperature (20 degrees C) on the organization of the pre-Golgi and the Golgi stack membranes

In the present study we have dissected the transport pathways between the ER and the Golgi complex using a recently introduced (Kuismanen, E., J. Jäntti, V. Mäkiranta, and M. Sariola. 1992. J. Cell Sci. 102:505-513) inhibition of transport by caffeine at 20 degrees C. Recovery of the Golgi complex from brefeldin A (BFA) treatment was inhibited by caffeine at reduced temperature (20 degrees C) suggesting that caffeine inhibits the membrane traffic between the ER and the Golgi complex. Caffeine at 20 degrees C did not inhibit the BFA-induced retrograde movement of the Golgi membranes. Further, incubation of the cells in 10 mM caffeine at 20 degrees C had profound effects on the distribution and the organization of the pre-Golgi and the Golgi stack membranes. Caffeine treatment at 20 degrees C resulted in a selective and reversible translocation of the pre- and cis-Golgi marker protein (p58) to the periphery of the cell. This caffeine-induced effect on the Golgi complex was different from that induced by BFA, since mannosidase II, a Golgi stack marker, remained perinuclearly located and the Golgi stack coat protein, beta-COP, was not detached from Golgi membranes in the presence of 10 mM caffeine at 20 degrees C. Electron microscopic analysis showed that, in the presence of caffeine at 20 degrees C, the morphology of the Golgi stack was altered and accumulation of numerous small vesicles in the Golgi region was observed. The results in the present study suggest that caffeine at reduced temperature (20 degrees C) reveals a functional interface between the pre-Golgi and the Golgi stack.

Effects of brefeldin A on cleavage of invariant chain to p21 and p10 and the appearance of Ii-freed class II MHC dimers

Intracellular cleavage of class II MHC-associated Ii to p21 and p10 and the appearance of Ii-freed alpha, beta dimers were concurrent events lasting from 1 to 6 hr after synthesis of alpha, beta, Ii trimers, possibly related to charging of foreign peptides to the class II MHC antigen-binding site. Sequential immunoprecipitations of pulse-chase radiolabeled cells were made four times with anti-Ii monoclonal antibody to remove Ii and alpha, beta, Ii trimers and then with anti-class II antibody to detect the time-dependent appearance of Ii-freed alpha, beta dimers. The cleavage of Ii to p21 and p10 was revealed in leupeptin-treated cells. Cell treatment with Brefeldin A (BFA) was associated with a decrease in Ii-freed alpha, beta dimers, with inhibition of leupeptin-revealed cleavage of Ii to p21 and p10, and with persistence of endoglycosidase H susceptibility of Ii and class II alpha, beta chains. We conclude that in untreated cells, cleavage and release of Ii from class II MHC alpha and beta chains occur after those complexes traverse a BFA-sensitive step in the Golgi apparatus.

Involvement of the Golgi region in the intracellular trafficking of cholera toxin

The intracellular pathway following receptor-mediated endocytosis of cholera toxin was studied using brefeldin A (BFA), which inhibited protein secretion and induced dramatic morphological changes in the Golgi region. In both mouse Y1 adrenal cells and CHO cells, BFA at 1 micrograms/ml caused a 80-90% inhibition of the cholera toxin (CT)-induced elevation of intracellular cAMP. The inhibition of the cytotoxicity of CT by BFA was also observed in a rounding assay of Y1 adrenal cells. The inhibition of CT cytotoxicity by BFA was dose dependent, with the ID50 value similar to the LD50 of BFA in Y1 adrenal cells. Binding and internalization of [125I]-labeled cholera toxin in Y1 adrenal cells was not affected by BFA. Unlike the BFA-sensitive cell lines such as Y1 adrenal and CHO cells, BFA at 1 micrograms/ml did not inhibit the cytotoxicity of CT in PtK1 cells, of which the Golgi structure was BFA-resistant. These results strongly suggest that a BFA-sensitive Golgi is required for the protection of CT cytotoxicity by BFA. In contrast, elevation of the intracellular cAMP by forskolin, which acts directly on the plasma membrane adenylate cyclase, was not affected by BFA. These observations indicate that the intoxication of target cells by CT requires an intact Golgi region for its intracellular trafficking and/or processing. In this respect, CT shares a common intracellular pathway with ricin, Pseudomonas toxin, and modeccin, even though their structures and modes of action are very different.

Sendai virus assembly: M protein binds to viral glycoproteins in transit through the secretory pathway

We have examined the relative ability of Sendai virus M (matrix) protein to associate with membranes containing viral glycoproteins at three distinct stages of the exocytic pathway prior to cell surface appearance. By the use of selective low-temperature incubations or the ionophore monensin, the transport of newly synthesized viral glycoproteins was restricted to either the pre-Golgi intermediate compartment (by incubation at 15 degrees C), the medial Golgi (in the presence of monensin), or the trans-Golgi network (by incubation at 20 degrees C). All three of these treatments resulted in a marked accumulation of the M protein on perinuclear Golgi-like membranes which in each case directly reflected the distribution of the viral F protein. Subsequent redistribution of the F protein to the plasma membrane by removal of the low-temperature (20 degrees C) block resulted in a concomitant redistribution of the M protein, thus implying association of the two components during intracellular transit. The extent of M protein-glycoprotein association was further examined by cell fractionation studies performed under each of the three restrictive conditions. Following equilibrium sedimentation of membranes derived from monensin-treated cells, approximately 40% of the recovered M protein was found to cofractionate with membranes containing the viral glycoproteins. Also, by flotation analyses, a comparable subpopulation of M protein was found to be membrane associated whether viral glycoproteins were restricted to the trans-Golgi network, the medial Golgi, or the pre-Golgi intermediate compartment. Additionally, transient expression of M protein alone from cloned cDNA showed that neither membrane association nor Golgi localization occurs in the absence of Sendai virus glycoproteins.

Molecular cloning, characterization, subcellular localization and dynamics of p23, the mammalian KDEL receptor

We have isolated a cDNA clone (mERD2) for the mammalian (bovine) homologue of the yeast ERD2 gene, which codes for the yeast HDEL receptor. The deduced amino acid sequence bears extensive homology to its yeast counterpart and is almost identical to a previously described human sequence. The sequence predicts a very hydrophobic protein with multiple membrane spanning domains, as confirmed by analysis of the in vitro translation product. The protein encoded by mERD2 (p23) has widespread occurrence, being present in all the cell types examined. p23 was localized to the cis-side of the Golgi apparatus and to a spotty intermediate compartment which mediates ER to Golgi transport. A majority of the intracellular staining could be accumulated in the intermediate compartment by a low temperature (15 degrees C) or brefeldin A. During recovery from these treatments, the spotty intermediate compartment staining of p23 was shifted to the perinuclear staining of the Golgi apparatus and tubular structures marked by p23 were observed. These tubular structures may serve to mediate transport between the intermediate compartment and the Golgi apparatus.

Multiple GTP-binding proteins participate in clathrin-coated vesicle-mediated endocytosis

We have examined the effects of various agonists and antagonists of GTP-binding proteins on receptor-mediated endocytosis in vitro. Stage-specific assays which distinguish coated pit assembly, invagination, and coat vesicle budding have been used to demonstrate requirements for GTP-binding protein(s) in each of these events. Coated pit invagination and coated vesicle budding are both stimulated by addition of GTP and inhibited by GDP beta S. Although coated pit invagination is resistant to GTP gamma S, A1F4-, and mastoparan, late events involved in coated vesicle budding are inhibited by these antagonists of G protein function. Earlier events involved in coated pit assembly are also inhibited by GTP gamma S, A1F4-, and mastoparan. These results demonstrate that multiple GTP-binding proteins, including heterotrimeric G proteins, participate at discrete stages in receptor-mediated endocytosis via clathrin-coated pits.

TGN38/41 recycles between the cell surface and the TGN: brefeldin A affects its rate of return to the TGN

TGN38 and TGN41 are isoforms of an integral membrane protein (TGN38/41) that is predominantly localized to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) of normal rat kidney cells. Polyclonal antisera to TGN38/41 have been used to monitor its appearance at, and removal from, the surface of control and Brefeldin A (BFA)-treated cells. Antibodies that recognize the lumenal domain of TGN38/41 are capable of specific binding to the surface of both control and BFA-treated cells. In both control and BFA-treated cells internalized TGN38/41 is targeted to the TGN; however, there are differences in 1) the morphology of the intracellular structures through which TGN38/41 passes and 2) the kinetics of internalization. These data demonstrate that TGN38/41 cycles between the plasma membrane and the TGN in control and BFA-treated cells and suggest that recycling pathways between the plasma membrane and the TGN exist for predominantly TGN proteins as well as those that normally cycle to other intracellular compartments. They also demonstrate that addition of BFA not only alters the morphology and localization of the TGN but also the kinetics of endocytosis.

Tubulation of Golgi membranes in vivo and in vitro in the absence of brefeldin A

Recent in vivo studies with the fungal metabolite, brefeldin A (BFA), have shown that in the absence of vesicle formation, membranes of the Golgi complex and the trans-Golgi network (TGN) are nevertheless able to extend long tubules which fuse with selected target organelles. We report here that the ability to form tubules (> 7 microns long) could be reproduced in vitro by treatment of isolated, intact Golgi membranes with BFA under certain conditions. Surprisingly, an even more impressive degree of tubulation could be achieved by incubating Golgi stacks with an ATP-reduced cytosolic fraction, without any BFA at all. Similarly, tubulation of Golgi membranes in vivo occurred after treatment of cells with intermediate levels of NaN3 and 2-deoxyglucose. The formation of tubules in vitro, either by BFA treatment or low-ATP cytosol, correlated precisely with a loss of the vesicle-associated coat protein beta-COP from Golgi membranes. After removal of BFA or addition of ATP, membrane tubules served as substrates for the rebinding of beta-COP and for the formation of vesicles in vitro. These results provide support for the idea that a reciprocal relationship exists between tubulation and vesiculation (Klausner, R. D., J. G. Donaldson, and J. Lippincott-Schwartz. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 116:1071-1080). Moreover, they show that tubulation is an inherent property of Golgi membranes, since it occurs without the aid of microtubules or BFA treatment. Finally the results indicate the presence of cytosolic factors, independent of vesicle-associated coat proteins, that mediate the budding/tubulation of Golgi membranes.

Ultrastructural analysis of Drosophila ovarian follicles differing in yolk polypeptide (yps) composition

Drosophila ovarian follicles were examined ultrastructurally to study the vesicular traffic in the cortical ooplasm. The endocytic pathway leading to the production of yolk spheres was visualized following in vivo or in vitro exposure to peroxidase. The Golgi apparatus and the yolk spheres of wild-type ovarian follicles were preferentially labelled by fixation with osmium zinc iodide (OZI). Labelling of wild-type ovarian follicles was compared to that of several mutant follicles--L186/Basc, fs(2)A17 and ap4--which are defective in vitellogenesis. In these mutants, the Golgi apparatus and the vesicles nearby were either scantly labelled or not labelled at all. In oocytes from flies homozygous for the gene fs(1)1163, the Golgi apparatus was labelled as in the controls, but no yolk spheres appeared to be labelled with OZI at any of the developmental stages. In several Drosophila strains, the pattern of OZI label in the cortical ooplasm was seen to vary in relation to the number of yp structural genes. In starved Drosophila females, OZI labelling of the cortical ooplasm appeared restricted to the Golgi apparatus and to an extended tubular network. A similar labelling pattern was also detected in in vitro cultured vitellogenic follicles. Refeeding, topical application of juvenile hormone analogue to starved females or hormone addition to the culture medium, all caused the yolk spheres to become labelled with OZI and to incorporate peroxidase. These observations prove that impairing endocytic uptake by either mutation or lack of juvenile hormone prevents fusion of coated vesicles and tubules with the yolk spheres and leads them instead to form an intermediate cell compartment with Golgi-derived vesicles.

Redistribution of a Golgi glycoprotein in plant cells treated with Brefeldin A

The fungal fatty acid derivative Brefeldin A (BFA), has been used to study the reversible distribution of a Golgi glycoprotein, the JIM 84 epitope, into the cytosol of higher plant cells. Treatment of both maize and onion root tip cells resulted in a rearrangement of the Golgi stacks into either circular formations or a perinuclear distribution. The Golgi cisternae became curved and vesiculated and in cells where the Golgi apparatus was totally dispersed the JIM 84 epitope was associated with large areas in the cytosol which were also vesiculated. On removal of the BFA the Golgi apparatus reformed and the JIM 84 epitope was again located in the cisternal stacks. This mode of BFA action is compared with that so far described for animal cells.

Isolation and characterization of a brefeldin A-resistant mutant of monkey kidney Vero cells

Brefeldin A (BFA) is a fungal antibiotic which disrupts protein transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi. A BFA-resistant mutant of monkey kidney Vero cells, BER-40, which exhibited about a 90-fold increase in the LD50 of BFA (5.2 ng/ml for Vero cells versus 460 ng/ml for BER-40 cells), has been isolated. The increased resistance of BER-40 cells toward BFA was also manifested in a greatly reduced inhibition of protein secretion by BFA in the mutant and a lack of protection by BFA of the mutant cells from ricin cytotoxicity. Somatic cell hybridization between the Vero and BER-40 cells showed that the BFA-resistance in BER-40 behaved as a codominant trait. The structure of the Golgi region, as examined by immunofluorescence microscopy with antibodies against Golgi markers (the 110-kDa protein and mannosidase II) or with fluorescent lipid NBD-ceramide, was unchanged in the mutant cells as compared to that in the wild-type cells. Treatment of Vero cells with BFA (1 micrograms/ml) or with 2-deoxyglucose plus sodium azide resulted in a rapid release of the 110-kDa protein, mannosidase II, and NBD-ceramide from the Golgi membrane to a more diffuse distribution in the cytosol. In contrast, these three Golgi markers remained to be Golgi-associated following treatment of BER-40 cells with BFA or with 2-deoxyglucose plus sodium azide. Immunoblotting of cell extracts from Vero and BER-40 cells with monoclonal antibody against the 110-kDa protein did not reveal any significant difference in the level of this Golgi marker in the mutant cells. These data suggest that the BFA-resistance mutation in BER-40 has rendered the cyclic pathway of the 110-kDa protein assembly to the Golgi membrane resistant to both BFA and 2-deoxyglucose plus sodium azide.

Recycling pathways of glucosylceramide in BHK cells: distinct involvement of early and late endosomes

Recycling pathways of the sphingolipid glucosylceramide were studied by employing a fluorescent analog of glucosylceramide, 6(-)[N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]hexanoylglucosyl sphingosine (C6-NBD-glucosylceramide). Direct recycling of the glycolipid from early endosomes to the plasma membrane occurs, as could be shown after treating the cells with the microtubule-disrupting agent nocodazole, which causes inhibition of the glycolipid's trafficking from peripheral early endosomes to centrally located late endosomes. When the microtubuli are intact, at least part of the glucosylceramide is transported from early to late endosomes together with ricin. Interestingly, also N-(lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl)phosphatidylethanolamine (N-Rh-PE), a membrane marker of the fluid-phase endocytic pathway, is transported to this endosomal compartment. However, in contrast to both ricin and N-Rh-PE, the glucosylceramide can escape from this organelle and recycle to the plasma membrane. Monensin and brefeldin A have little effect on this recycling pathway, which would exclude extensive involvement of early Golgi compartments in recycling. Hence, the small fraction of the glycolipid that colocalizes with transferrin (Tf) in the Golgi area might directly recycle via the trans-Golgi network. When the intracellular pH was lowered to 5.5, recycling was drastically reduced, in accordance with the impeding effect of low intracellular pH on vesicular transport during endocytosis and in the biosynthetic pathway. Our results thus demonstrate the existence of at least two recycling pathways for glucosylceramide and indicate the relevance of early endosomes in recycling of both proteins and lipids.

Epitope mapping of two isoforms of a trans Golgi network specific integral membrane protein TGN38/41

TGN38/41 is an integral membrane protein predominantly located in the trans Golgi network (TGN) of rat (NRK) cells. We have used a cDNA expression system to map the epitopes recognised by a panel of antibodies raised to TGN38/41 as a preliminary step in the accurate identification of the region(s) of the molecule responsible for its correct intracellular location. These studies have confirmed the predicted topology of the molecule, and have identified a region in the cytoplasmic domain which is immunologically (and hence potentially functionally) conserved between species.

Inhibition by brefeldin A of a Golgi membrane enzyme that catalyses exchange of guanine nucleotide bound to ARF

A wide variety of membrane transformations important in intracellular transport are inhibited by the fungal metabolite brefeldin A (refs 1-4), implying that the target for this drug is central to the formation and maintenance of subcellular compartments. Brefeldin A added to cells causes the rapid and reversible dissociation of a Golgi-associated peripheral membrane protein (M(r) 110,000) which was found to be identical to one of the subunits of the coat of Golgi-derived (non-clathrin) coated vesicles, beta-COP, implying that brefeldin A prevents transport by blocking the assembly of coats and thus the budding of enclosed vesicles. In addition to the coatomer (a cytosol-derived complex of seven polypeptide chains, one of which is beta-COP), the non-clathrin (COP) coat of Golgi-derived vesicles contains stoichiometric amounts of a small (M(r) approximately 20,000) GTP-binding protein, the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF). Binding of ARF to Golgi membranes is necessary before coatomer/beta-COP can bind these membranes (ref. 12; and D. J. Palmer et al., manuscript submitted), so the primary effect of brefeldin A seems to be on the reaction responsible for ARF binding. Indeed, like beta-COP, ARF is dissociated from the Golgi complex by treatment with brefeldin A and brefeldin A prevents ARF from associating in vitro, but the mechanism of this action by brefeldin A has been unclear. Here we report the discovery of an enzyme in a Golgi-enriched fraction that catalyses guanine nucleotide (GDP-GTP) exchange on ARF-1 protein, and which is inhibited by brefeldin A. We suggest that activation of ARF proteins for membrane localization by compartmentalized exchange enzymes is in general the first committed step in membrane transformation pathways.

Synthesis and trafficking of prion proteins in cultured cells

Scrapie prions are composed largely, if not entirely, of the scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) that is encoded by a chromosomal gene. Scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma (ScN2a) and hamster brain (ScHaB) cells synthesize PrPSc from the normal PrP isoform (PrPC) or a precursor through a posttranslational process. In pulse-chase radiolabeling experiments, we found that presence of brefeldin A (BFA) during both the pulse and the chase periods prevented the synthesis of PrPSc. Removal of BFA after the chase permitted synthesis of PrPSc to resume. BFA also blocked the export of nascent PrPC to the cell surface but did not alter the distribution of intracellular deposits of PrPSc. Under the same conditions, BFA caused the redistribution of the Golgi marker MG160 into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Using monensin as an inhibitor of mid-Golgi glycosylation, we determined that PrP traverses the mid-Golgi stack before acquiring protease resistance. About 1 h after the formation of PrPSc, its N-terminus was removed by a proteolytic process that was inhibited by ammonium chloride, chloroquine, and monensin, arguing that this is a lysosomal event. These results suggest that the ER is not competent for the synthesis of PrPSc and that the synthesis of PrPSc occurs during the transit of PrP between the mid-Golgi stack and lysosomes. Presumably, the endocytic pathway features in the synthesis of PrPSc.

Adhesion of Golgi cisternae by proteinaceous interactions: intercisternal bridges as putative adhesive structures

We have investigated the nature of the component(s) responsible for holding the cisternal membranes of the Golgi complex into a stacked unit. Isolated Golgi complexes were treated with a variety of agents to induce the separation of intact Golgi stacks into single cisternal elements, i.e. “unstacking”, and the effects were analyzed and quantitated by electron microscopy. In control experiments, isolated, intact Golgi stacks were stable at 4 degrees C and 20 degrees C for > or = 1 h; however, some unstacking occurred at 32 degrees C. Treatment of intact Golgi stacks with a variety of proteolytic enzymes resulted in a time- and dose-dependent unstacking of the cisternae, although stacks were resistant to various other proteases. Following liberation from the stack, single cisternae remained flattened with dilated rims. The integrity of intact Golgi stacks was unaffected by treatment with various concentrations and combinations of monovalent and divalent cations, or chelators of divalent cations. Electron microscopic observations of tannic acid- or negatively stained Golgi complexes, revealed the presence of highly structured, intercisternal “bridges”. When seen within intact Golgi complexes, these bridges were only consistently found between closely apposed cisternae and were not observed on dilated rims or secretory vesicles. These bridges, on both intact stacks and physically disrupted cisternae, were rectangular, being approximately 8.5 nm in width, approximately 11 nm in height. Treatment with proteases under conditions that resulted in the with proteases under conditions that resulted in the unstacking of intact complexes also removed these bridge structures. These data show that proteinaceous components are responsible for holding Golgi cisternae together into a cohesive, stacked unit, and identify a candidate bridge structure that could serve this purpose.

Imaging of luciferase secretion from transformed Chinese hamster ovary cells

The blue luminescence characteristic of the marine ostracod crustacean Vargula hilgendorfii is from a simple, but highly specific, enzyme-substrate reaction. Light is emitted by the oxidation of Vargula luciferin (substrate) by molecular oxygen, a reaction catalyzed by luciferase. Stable transformants of Chinese hamster ovary cells carrying the Vargula luciferase gene secreted luciferase from discrete sites on the cell surface, and this secretion could be monitored in real time by the bioluminescence produced by the secreted luciferase in the presence of Vargula luciferin by using an image-intensifying technique. Addition of anti-Vargula luciferase IgG to the luminescing cells almost completely extinguished the luminescence, confirming that Vargula luciferase caused the luminescence.

Effects of brefeldin A on endocytosis, transcytosis and transport to the Golgi complex in polarized MDCK cells

We have studied the effects of brefeldin A (BFA) on endocytosis and intracellular traffic in polarized MDCK cells by using the galactose-binding protein toxin ricin as a membrane marker and HRP as a marker of fluid phase transport. We found that BFA treatment rapidly increased apical endocytosis of both ricin and HRP, whereas basolateral endocytosis was unaffected, as was endocytosis of HRP in the poorly polarized carcinoma cell lines HEp-2 and T47D. Tubular endosomes were induced by BFA both apically and basolaterally in some MDCK cells, comparable with those seen in HEp-2 and T47D cells. In addition, in MDCK cells, BFA induced formation of small (< 300 nm) vesicles, labeled both after apical and basolateral uptake of HRP, as well as some very large (> 700 nm) vacuoles, which were only labeled when HRP was present in the apical medium. In contrast, neither in MDCK nor in HEp-2 or T47D cells, did BFA have any effect on lysosomal morphology. Moreover, transcytosis in the basolateral-apical direction was stimulated both for HRP and ricin. Other vesicular transport routes were less affected or unaffected by BFA treatment. Two closely related structural analogues of BFA (B16 and B21), unable to produce the changes in Golgi and endosomal morphology seen after BFA treatment in a number of different cell lines, were also unable to mimic the effects of BFA on MDCK cells.

The morphology but not the function of endosomes and lysosomes is altered by brefeldin A

Brefeldin A (BFA) induces the formation of an extensively fused network of membranes derived from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and early endosomes (EE). We describe in detail here the unaffected passage of endocytosed material through the fused TGN/EE compartments to lysosomes in BFA-treated cells. We also confirmed that BFA caused the formation of tubular lysosomes, although the kinetics and extent of tubulation varied greatly between different cell types. The BFA-induced tubular lysosomes were often seen to form simple networks. Formation of tubular lysosomes was microtubule-mediated and energy-dependent; interestingly, however, maintenance of the tubulated lysosomes only required microtubules and was insensitive to energy poisons. Upon removal of BFA, the tubular lysosomes rapidly recovered in an energy-dependent process. In most cell types examined, the extensive TGN/EE network is ephemeral, eventually collapsing into a compact cluster of tubulo-vesicular membranes in a process that precedes the formation of tubular lysosomes. However, in primary bovine testicular cells, the BFA-induced TGN/EE network was remarkably stable (for > 12 h). During this time, the TGN/EE network coexisted with tubular lysosomes, however, the two compartments remained completely separate. These results show that BFA has multiple, profound effects on the morphology of various compartments of the endosome-lysosome system. In spite of these changes, endocytic traffic can continue through the altered compartments suggesting that transport occurs through noncoated vesicles or through vesicles that are insensitive to BFA.

Plasticity of early endosomes

We observed that the structural organization of early endosomes was significantly modified after cell surface biotinylation followed by incubation in the presence of low concentrations of avidin. Under these conditions early endosomes increased in size to form structures which extended over several micrometers and which had an intra-luminal content with a characteristic electron-dense appearance. The modified early endosomes were not formed when either avidin or biotinylation was omitted, suggesting that they resulted from the cross-linking of internalized biotinylated proteins by avidin. Accumulation of a fluid-phase tracer was increased after the avidin-biotin treatment (145% after 45 min). Both recycling and transport to the late endosomes still occurred, albeit to a somewhat lower extent than in control cells. Quantitative electron microscopy showed that the volume of the endosomal compartment was increased approximately 1.5-fold but that the surface area of the compartment decreased relative to its volume after avidin-biotin treatment. Finally, overexpression of a rab5 mutant, which is known to inhibit early endosome fusion in vitro, prevented the formation of these structures in vivo and caused early endosome fragmentation. Altogether, our data suggest that early endosomes exhibit a high plasticity in vivo. Cross-linking appears to interfere with this dynamic process but does not arrest membrane traffic to/from early endosomes.

Poliovirus infection results in structural alteration of a microtubule-associated protein

Poliovirus infection results in profound changes in cellular metabolism and architecture. To identify alterations in cellular proteins following poliovirus infection which might account for these changes, monoclonal antibodies were prepared by screening for differences in antigen pattern in infected and uninfected cell lysates. Further characterization of the antigen of one such antibody (25 C C1) is described in this report. The 25 C C1 antigen is a cytoskeleton-associated protein which decreases in size 4 to 5 h postinfection. It copurifies with some of the protein synthesis initiation factors but not with eucaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-4F, the p220 subunit of which is cleaved following infection (D. Etchison, S. C. Milburn, I. Edery, N. Sonenberg, and J. W. B. Hershey, J. Biol. Chem. 257:14806-14810, 1982). Unlike alteration of p220, alteration of the 25 C C1 antigen is not due to a protease which can be detected by cell lysate mixing experiments. Alteration of the antigen occurs during purification, suggesting progressive proteolysis, but the alteration is more extensive in preparations from infected cells than in those from uninfected cells. A recombinant phage expressing the antigenic determinant was isolated from a human fibroblast cDNA library, and the sequence of the cDNA insert was found to be entirely contained within the established sequence of microtubule-associated protein (MAP) 4 (R. R. West, K. M. Tenbarge, and J. B. Olmsted, J. Biol. Chem. 266:21886-21896, 1991). The antigen distribution, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, was similar to, but more diffuse than, the distribution of tubulin. The antibody recognized the largest abundant HeLa cell MAP, which copurified with tubulin after three cycles of polymerization-depolymerization, thus confirming the identity of the antigen as MAP 4. These results indicate that poliovirus infection of HeLa cells affects the structural integrity of a cytoskeletal protein, MAP 4.

Axonal and dendritic endocytic pathways in cultured neurons

The endocytic pathways from the axonal and dendritic surfaces of cultured polarized hippocampal neurons were examined. The dendrites and cell body contained extensive networks of tubular early endosomes which received endocytosed markers from the somatodendritic domain. In axons early endosomes were confined to presynaptic terminals and to varicosities. The somatodendritic but not the presynaptic early endosomes were labeled by internalized transferrin. In contrast to early endosomes, late endosomes and lysosomes were shown to be predominantly located in the cell body. Video microscopy was used to follow the transport of internalized markers from the periphery of axons and dendrites back to the cell body. Labeled structures in both domains moved unidirectionally by retrograde fast transport. Axonally transported organelles were sectioned for EM after video microscopic observation and shown to be large multivesicular body-like structures. Similar structures accumulated at the distal side of an axonal lesion. Multivesicular bodies therefore appear to be the major structures mediating transport of endocytosed markers between the nerve terminals and the cell body. Late endocytic structures were also shown to be highly mobile and were observed moving within the cell body and proximal dendritic segments. The results show that the organization of the endosomes differs in the axons and dendrites of cultured rat hippocampal neurons and that the different compartments or stages of the endocytic pathways can be resolved spatially.

Pathways of protein sorting and membrane traffic between the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex

Recent results have provided increasing evidence for the existence of an intermediate membrane compartment between the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex which seems to function in protein sorting and the regulation of membrane traffic in the early part of the exocytic pathway. Localization of resident marker proteins has shown that this compartment consists of both peripheral and central elements. The aim of the present review is to combine the data on the pre-Golgi compartment with previous ideas of membrane traffic at the ER-Golgi interface. We propose a model which describes how mobile, endosome-like elements of the pre-Golgi compartment function in the generation of the compositional and functional boundary between the widely distributed ER and the more centrally located Golgi stacks.

CLIP-170 links endocytic vesicles to microtubules

Binding of endocytic carrier vesicles to microtubules depends on the microtubule-binding protein CLIP-170 in vitro. In vivo, CLIP-170 colocalizes with a subset of transferrin receptor-positive endocytic structures and, more extensively, with endosomal tubules induced by brefeldin A. The structure of CLIP-170 has been analyzed by cloning its cDNA. The predicted non-helical C- and N-terminal domains of the homodimeric protein are connected by a long coiled-coil domain. We have identified a novel motif present in a tandem repeat in the N-terminal domain of CLIP-170 that is involved in binding to microtubules. This motif is also found in the Drosophila Glued and yeast BIK1 proteins. These features, together with its very elongated structure, suggest that CLIP-170 belongs to a novel class of proteins, cytoplasmic linker proteins (CLIPs), mediating interactions of organelles with microtubules.

In AtT20 and HeLa cells brefeldin A induces the fusion of tubular endosomes and changes their distribution and some of their endocytic properties

We have studied the effects of brefeldin A (BFA) on the tubular endosomes in AtT20 and HeLa cells (Tooze, J., and M. Hollinshead. 1991. J. Cell Biol. 115:635-653) by electron microscopy of cells labeled with three endocytic tracers, HRP, BSA-gold, and transferrin conjugated to HRP, and by immunofluorescence microscopy. For the latter we used antibodies specific for transferrin receptor, and, in the case of AtT20 cells, also antibodies specific for synaptophysin. In HeLa cells BFA at concentrations ranging from 1 micrograms to 10 micrograms/ml causes the dispersed patches of network of preexisting tubular early endosomes to be incorporated within 5 min into tubules approximately 50 nm in diameter but up to 40-50 microns long. These long, straight tubular endosomes are aligned along microtubules; they branch relatively infrequently to form an open network or reticulum extending from the cell periphery to the microtubule organizing center (MTOC). As the incubation with BFA is prolonged beyond 5 min, a steady state is reached in which many tubules are located in a dense network enclosing the centrioles, with branches extending in a more open network to the periphery. This effect of BFA, which is fully reversed within 15-30 min of washing out, is inhibited by pre-incubating the cells with sodium azide and 2-deoxy-D-glucose. In AtT20 cells BFA at 5 micrograms/ml or above causes the same sorts of changes, preexisting tubular endosomes are recruited into a more continuous endosomal network, and there is a massive accumulation of this network around the MTOC. Maintenance of the BFA-induced endosomal reticulum in both cell types is dependent upon the integrity of microtubules. In AtT20 cells BFA at 1 microgram/ml has no detectable effect on the early endosomal system but the Golgi stacks are converted to clusters of tubules and vesicles that remain in the region of the MTOC during prolonged incubations. Therefore, the Golgi apparatus in these cells is more sensitive to BFA than the early endosomes. The morphological evidence suggests that all the tubular early endosomes in BFA-treated HeLa and AtT20 cells are linked together in a single reticulum. Consistent with this, incubations as short as 1-3 min with 10 or 20 mg/ml HRP in the medium result in the entire endosomal reticulum in most of the BFA-treated cells being filled with HRP reaction product.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Regulation of vesicular and tubular membrane traffic of the Golgi complex by coat proteins

Transport of cargo through and from the Golgi complex is mediated by vesicular carriers and transient tubular connections. Two classes of vesicle have been implicated in the biosynthetic or anterograde membrane traffic of this organelle. Both classes of vesicle are coated on the cytoplasmic surface with proteins, of which at least one component is related. Tubular connections also enable exchange of material between membrane-bounded compartments associated with the Golgi complex, most obviously in cells that have been treated with the drug, brefeldin A. Coat proteins appear to be involved in the regulation of these transport processes. Their putative functions include sorting of cargo, as well as regulation of budding, fusion or targeting of the membrane carriers.

Brefeldin A affects early events but does not affect late events along the exocytic pathway in pancreatic acinar cells

Brefeldin A (BFA) blocks protein export from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to Golgi complex and causes dismantling of the Golgi complex with relocation of resident Golgi proteins to the ER in some cultured cells. It is not known whether later steps in the secretory process are affected. We previously have shown that in BFA-treated rat pancreatic lobules, there is no detectable relocation of Golgi proteins to the ER and, although Golgi cisternae are rapidly dismantled, clusters of small smooth vesicles consisting of both bona fide Golgi remnants and associated vesicular carriers persist even with prolonged BFA exposure. We now report the effects of BFA on transport of proteins through the secretory pathway in exocrine pancreatic cells; we pulse-labeled pancreatic lobules with [35S]methionine and then chased for various times before adding BFA. When BFA was added at pulse, treated lobules released less than 10% of radioactive protein in comparison with controls, regardless of whether or not the lobule cultures were stimulated with carbamoylcholine. However, when lobules were pulsed and then chased for 30, 45, or 60 min before BFA addition, the amount of labeled protein released was comparable in both BFA-treated and untreated cultures. Furthermore, the kinetics and amounts of basal and carbamoylcholine-stimulated release of unlabeled alpha-amylase from storage in zymogen granules were similar in both control and BFA-treated lobules. Therefore, in the rat pancreas, BFA blocks ER to Golgi transport but does not affect later stages along the secretory pathway, including intra-Golgi transport, exit from the Golgi complex, formation and concentration of secretory granules, and exocytosis.

Selective inhibition of protein targeting to the apical domain of MDCK cells by brefeldin A

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) is mainly vectorially targeted to the apical surface in MDCK cells. BFA was found to abolish the apical targeting of DPPIV. This BFA effect could be achieved under conditions where the ER to Golgi transport and the total surface expression of DPPIV were essentially unaffected. BFA executed its effect during the transport from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the surface. The inhibition of apical targeting resulted in enhanced mis-targeting to the basolateral surface. The mistargeted DPPIV was transcytosed back to the apical domain only after BFA withdrawal. In contrast, the basolateral targeting of uvomorulin was unaffected by BFA. These results established that the apical targeting of DPPIV was selectively abolished by BFA.

Brefeldin A and the endocytic pathway. Possible implications for membrane traffic and sorting

A number of recent observations have suggested that the endocytic and biosynthetic pathways may share fundamentally similar transport mechanisms at the molecular level. Some of the more striking of these suggestions have come from a comparison of the effects of the macrocyclic lactone brefeldin A (BFA) on endosomes and the Golgi complex. BFA is thought to affect Golgi-specific coat proteins that may be involved in maintaining the structural integrity of the organelle and in regulating membrane transport in the secretory pathway. Many of the effects of BFA on the endocytic system, such as the guanine nucleotide and aluminum fluoride (AlF4-)-regulated induction of microtubule-dependent endosomal tubules, are strikingly reminiscent of the action of the drug on the Golgi complex. Therefore, the similar mechanisms of action of the drug on endosomes suggest that organelles of the endocytic pathway may be associated with similar cytoplasmic coats that could regulate endosome function and integrity.

Post-Golgi membrane traffic: brefeldin A inhibits export from distal Golgi compartments to the cell surface but not recycling

Recent studies using the fungal metabolite brefeldin A (BFA) have provided important insights into the dynamics and the organization of the ER/Golgi membrane system. Here we examined the effect of BFA on the functional integrity of the distal part of the secretory pathway, i.e., transport between trans-Golgi cisternae and the cell surface. To assay export via the constitutive pathway, we followed the movement of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G glycoprotein that had been accumulated in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) by incubation of infected BHK-21 cells at 20 degrees C. Addition of BFA rapidly and reversibly inhibited cell surface transport of G protein. The block to secretion was not due to redistribution of externalized G protein to internal pools. It was also not due to collapse of TGN to the ER, since VSV G protein blocked in treated cells resided in compartments that were distinct from the ER/Golgi system. Similar effects were found with a bulk-flow marker: BFA blocked constitutive secretion of glycosaminoglycan chains that had been synthesized and sulfated in the trans-Golgi cisternae. To examine export via the regulated secretory pathway, we assayed secretion of [35S]SO4 labeled secretogranin II from PC12 cells, a marker that has been used to study secretory granule budding from the TGN (Tooze, S. A., U. Weiss, and W. B. Huttner. 1990. Nature [Lond.]. 347:207-208). BFA potently inhibited secretion of sulfated secretogranin II induced by K+ depolarization. Inhibition was at the level of granule formation, since BFA had no effect on regulated secretion from preformed granules. Taken together, the results suggest that BFA blocks export via both the constitutive and the regulated pathways. In contrast, endocytosis and recycling of VSV G protein were not blocked by BFA, consistent with previous studies that endocytosis is unaffected (Misumi, Y., Y. Misumi, K. Miki, A Takatsuki, G. Tamura, and Y. Ikehara. 1986. J. Biol. Chem. 261:11398-11403). These and earlier results suggest that the exo/endocytic pathway of mammalian cells consist of two similar but distinct endomembrane systems: an ER/Golgi system and a post-Golgi system. BFA prevents forward transport without affecting return traffic in both systems.

Association of p60c-src with endosomal membranes in mammalian fibroblasts

We have examined the subcellular localization of p60c-src in mammalian fibroblasts. Analysis of indirect immunofluorescence by three-dimensional optical sectioning microscopy revealed a granular cytoplasmic staining that co-localized with the microtubule organizing center. Immunofluorescence experiments with antibodies against a number of membrane markers demonstrated a striking co-localization between p60c-src and the cation-dependent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (CI-MPR), a marker that identifies endosomes. Both p60c-src and the CI-MPR were found to cluster at the spindle poles throughout mitosis. In addition, treatment of interphase and mitotic cells with brefeldin A resulted in a clustering of p60c-src and CI-MPR at a peri-centriolar position. Biochemical fractionation of cellular membranes showed that a major proportion of p60c-src co-enriched with endocytic membranes. Treatment of membranes containing HRP to alter their apparent density also altered the density of p60c-src-containing membranes. Similar density shift experiments with total cellular membranes revealed that the majority of membrane-associated p60c-src in the cell is associated with endosomes, while very little is associated with plasma membranes. These results support a role for p60c-src in the regulation of endosomal membranes and protein trafficking.

Brefeldin A affects the cellular distribution of endocytic receptors differentially

The cell surface expression of three endocytic receptors was studied in human hepatoma Hep G2 cells treated with brefeldin A (BFA). Ligand binding and cell surface iodination revealed that BFA increased the number of mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptors twofold and decreased the amount of asialoglycoprotein and transferrin receptors by 40-60%. The altered expression of receptors at the cell surface was paralleled by changes in the respective ligand uptake. The implications of this finding on our understanding of intracellular trafficking are discussed.

100-kD proteins of Golgi- and trans-Golgi network-associated coated vesicles have related but distinct membrane binding properties

The 100-110-kD proteins (alpha-, beta-, beta'-, and gamma-adaptins) of clathrin-coated vesicles and the 110-kD protein (beta-COP) of the nonclathrin-coated vesicles that mediate constitutive transport through the Golgi have homologous protein sequences. To determine whether homologous processes are involved in assembly of the two types of coated vesicles, the membrane binding properties of their coat proteins were compared. After treatment of MDBK cells with the fungal metabolite Brefeldin A (BFA), beta-COP was redistributed to the cytoplasm within 15 s, gamma-adaptin and clathrin in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) dispersed within 30 s, but the alpha-adaptin and clathrin present on coated pits and vesicles derived from the plasma membrane remained membrane associated even after a 15-min exposure to BFA. In PtK1 cells and MDCK cells, BFA did not affect beta-COP binding or Golgi morphology but still induced redistribution of gamma-adaptin and clathrin from TGN membranes to the cytoplasm. Thus BFA affects the binding of coat proteins to membranes in the Golgi region (Golgi apparatus and TGN) but not plasma membranes. However, the Golgi binding interactions of beta-COP and gamma-adaptin are distinct and differentially sensitive to BFA. BFA treatment did not release gamma-adaptin or clathrin from purified clathrin-coated vesicles, suggesting that their distribution to the cytoplasm after BFA treatment of cells was due to interference with their rebinding to TGN membranes after a normal cycle of disassembly. This was confirmed using an in vitro assay in which gamma-adaptin binding to TGN membranes was blocked by BFA and enhanced by GTP gamma S, similar to the binding of beta-COP to Golgi membranes. These results suggest the involvement of GTP-dependent proteins in the association of the 100-kD coat proteins with membranes in the Golgi region of the cell.