Activation and partial purification of the ATPase of clathrin-coated vesicles and reconstitution of the proton pump

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis before fluorescent proteins

The recent technological advance of using fluorescent proteins to image endocytic protein traffic has resulted in a greater understanding of this dynamic process. However, most of the main concepts for how clathrin-mediated endocytosis functions were formulated long before intrinsically fluorescent proteins were available. These important conceptual breakthroughs came from the clever interpretation of simple observations.

Diflubenzuron stimulates phosphorylation of a 39 kDa integumental protein from newly molted American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

We identified a 39 kilodalton (kDa) protein from newly molted American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana), isolated from a 100,000 g precipitate of a 1000 g supernatant from an integument homogenate, which exhibited increased phosphorylation following diflubenzuron (DFB) treatment. This 39 kDa phosphoprotein was partially purified from an intracellular membrane vesicle containing fractions obtained by discontinuous sucrose density centrifugation. Both the interfaces of the 30/40% and 40/50% sucrose density layers were found to be enriched in the 39 kDa phosphoprotein. Treatments with various chemicals such as the ionophores valinomycin and A23187, the protonophore carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethoxy-phenylhydrazone (FCCP), and the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), like DFB, were also found to stimulate phosphorylation of 39 kDa protein. These results suggest that by disrupting the normal pH gradient occurring in certain acidic vacuolar-type membrane vesicles, phosphorylation of the 39 kDa protein will be increased. In addition, we found that by decreasing the external pH to 5.0 from about neutral, it was possible to stimulate the phosphorylation activity of this particular protein, and thus stimulate the action of DFB. We concluded the DFB's action is very probably related to its ability to disrupt the normal ionic balance of these vacuolar-type vesicles, leading to eventual disruption of the proton gradient within the vesicles.

Characterization of ATP-dependent proton transport in medullary bone-derived microsomes

Proton transport in microsomal vesicles derived from medullary bone of laying hens was observed to be inhibited in a dose-dependent manner with fusidic acid, 7-chloro-4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diatzole (NBD-Cl), duramycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). The IC50 values were 570 microM, 4.5 microM, 10 micrograms/ml and 32 microM for fusidic acid, NBD-Cl, duramycin and DCCD, respectively. 14C-DCCD labeled a single protein band of 15-17 kDa from bone-derived microsomes in SDS-electrophoresis. A protein of this size is a proton-conducting subunit of the vacuolar ATPases. Further, the proton transport was found to be electrogenic, thus it generates the membrane potential across the vesicle membrane. The generation of membrane potential was inhibited using 100 nM bafilomycin A1, which in low concentrations is a specific inhibitor of vacuolar ATPases. The presence of Cl- was essential for maximal proton transport activity. These results confirm the electrogenicity and extend the characterization of the osteoclastic H(+)-ATPase.

Preparation of a protein-free total brain white matter lipid fraction: characterization of liposomes

A method of preparing a total lipid extract (TLE), free of protein, by extracting brain white matter with tetrahydrofuran is presented. The optimal conditions of extraction were found to be 50 ml of THF per gram of lyophilized tissue, though fresh tissue can also be used if larger volumes of solvent are employed. The method allowed, in a short time and in a single step, a yield of TLE of 50% on a dry weight basis. Its analytical characterization revealed a qualitative and quantitative composition very similar to the lipid composition of CNS myelin, including all the phospholipid and galactolipid species, cholesterol and gangliosides, but it contained only traces (0.1%) of protein. TLE has been used to prepare liposomes, either multilamellar (MLVs) or unilamellar (LUVs, SUVs), characterized by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. A multilayered, heterogeneous population of liposomes is observed in the MLVs preparation. When these samples were submitted to a freezing and thawing procedure the resulting liposomes were single-walled, and their intravesicular volume was increased. They were quite impermeable to the monovalent cation 86Rb+ and, by contrast, rather permeable to 45Ca+ +. Their complex lipid composition, together with their permeability properties and their response to ionophores, make them very useful to study protein-lipid interactions occurring within the myelin membrane as well as the functional properties of myelin proteins in reconstitution experiments.

Vacuolar proton pumps

Recently a new class of proton-translocating ATPases has been localized to endomembrane compartments in plant, fungal, and mammalian cells. These proton pumps are large hetero-oligomers which have an ATP hydrolytic sector that is functionally and structurally distinct from a transmembranous proton pore. Enzymatic characteristics of these proton pumps are discussed as well as the current state of knowledge regarding subunit composition and function. In addition, recent primary sequence data are discussed which indicate that these proton pumps share a common ancestor with F1F0-type proton pumps of mitochondria.

Characterization of a vacuolar proton ATPase in Dictyostelium discoideum

Of the total ATPase activity in homogenates of the ameba, Dictyostelium discoideum, approximately one-third was inhibited at pH 7 by 25 microM 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl). Upon isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation, the bulk of the NBD-CI-sensitive ATPase activity was recovered in a major membrane fraction with a broad peak at 1.16 g/ml, well-resolved from markers for plasma membranes, mitochondria, lysosomes and contractile vacuoles. The gradient peak had a specific activity of 0.5 mumol/min per mg protein. The activity was half-inhibited by 1 microM silicotungstate, 2 microM diisothiocyanatostilbene disulfonate (DIDS), 2.5 microM dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), 4 microM NBD-CI and 20 microM N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) but was resistant to conventional inhibitors of mitochondrial and plasma membrane ATPase. That this ATPase activity constituted a proton pump was shown by the MgATP-dependent uptake and quenching of Acridine orange fluorescence by partially purified vacuoles. The Acridine orange uptake was specifically blocked by the aforementioned inhibitors. The generation of proton electrochemical gradients was suggested by the stimulation of enzyme activity by protonophores (fatty acids) and cation exchangers (nigericin). Uncoupling stimulated the ATPase activity as much as 20-fold, revealing an unusually high impermeability of the membranes to protons. ATPase activity was also stimulated by halide ions, apparently through a parallel conductance pathway. Under a variety of sensitive test conditions, the reverse enzyme reaction (i.e., incorporation of 32Pi into ATP) was not detected. We conclude that this major H+-ATPase serves to acidify the abundant prelysosomal vacuoles found in D. discoideum (Padh et al. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 108, 865-874). The finding of a vacuolar H+-ATPase in a protist suggests the ubiquity of this enzyme among the eukaryotic kingdoms.

Control of transmembrane lipid asymmetry in chromaffin granules by an ATP-dependent protein

The Ca2+-dependent binding of annexin proteins to secretory granule membranes seems to be involved in the early stage of exocytosis. Binding studies have shown that these proteins have a specificity for phosphatidylserine (PtdS) interfaces. Furthermore, aminolipids are necessary for contact and fusion between lipid vesicles or between liposomes and chromaffin granules. Thus, PtdS must be present on the granule outer (cytoplasmic) monolayer. We report here that chromaffin granules possess a mechanism to maintain PtdS orientation, comparable to the ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocase from human erythrocytes. The translocase, in granules, selectively transports PtdS from the luminal to the cytoplasmic monolayer, provided the incubation medium contains ATP. As this protein shares several properties with the granule vanadate-sensitive ATPase II, we infer that this ATPase, of relative molecular mass 115,000, is the protein responsible for aminophospholipid translocation. This is the first evidence for an ATP-dependent specific phospholipid 'flippase' in intracellular organelles.

Hydrodynamic molecular weight of solubilized cholinergic synaptic vesicle glycoprotein ATPase

The Torpedo californica electric organ synaptic vesicle glycoprotein ATPase was solubilized with octaethyleneglycoldodecyl ether and stabilized with phosphatidylserine. The complex was analyzed by size exclusion chromatography and band sedimentation velocity ultracentrifugation in water/glycerol and deuterium oxide/glycerol density gradients. The complex was found to have a Stokes' radius of 79 +/- 0.7 A, a sedimentation velocity coefficient at 20 degrees C in water of 6.8 +/- 0.2S, a partial specific volume of 0.81 +/- 0.01 cm3/g, and a frictional coefficient of 1.6. The molecular weight of the solubilized complex was calculated to be 320,000 +/- 7,000 and that of the protein 210,000 +/- 9,000. The relationship of this latter value to the major transport ATPase types is discussed.

The proton pump ATPase of lysosomes and related organelles of the vacuolar apparatus

In this review, I hope to achieve the following: (a) to document the presence of a lysosome-like proton pump ATPase in many different membrane systems of animal, plant and microbial origin; (b) to glean from the diverse data common characteristics of these ATPases, especially as regards their similarities and differences with mitochondrial-type F1F0 proton pump ATPases; and (c) to consider questions of synthesis and regulation of a cellular proton pump system with such a widespread distribution.

Proton pump activity and Mg-ATPase activity in rat kidney cortex brushborder membranes: effect of 'proton ATPase' inhibitors

In order to further characterize the ATP driven proton pump present in the luminal membrane of the renal proximal tubule, brushborder membranes were isolated from rat kidney cortex and the effect of various proton ATPase inhibitors on intravesicular ATP hydrolysis in sealed brushborder membrane vesicles and on Mg-ATPase activity in permeabilized brushborder membranes was investigated. The protonophor induced intravesicular ATP hydrolysis (ATP driven proton pump) was inhibited by DCCD and filipin but not by diethylstilbestrol and duramycin. All four compounds decreased Mg-ATPase activity, the two former inhibited the ATPase activity with a lower potency than the proton pump. NEM--up to 10 mM--and orthovanadate did not affect intravesicular ATP hydrolysis nor Mg-ATPase activity. From the relative sensitivity of the proton pump and the Mg-ATPase activity to the inhibitors it is concluded that about 35% of the Mg-ATPase activity found in the brushborder membrane can be attributed to the ATP-driven proton pump. Furthermore, the results obtained with NEM and duramycin suggest that the brushborder membrane proton pump has different properties than the proton pump in clathrin-coated vesicles or endosomes. The results presented above raise the possibility that the brushborder membrane proton pump is predominantly involved in acid secretion by the proximal convoluted tubule whereas the proton pump in clathrin-coated vesicles may be predominantly involved in the endocytosis of larger peptides and proteins.