Serum galactosyltransferase isoenzyme patterns of cancer patients with liver involvement

Clinical aspects of glycoprotein biosynthesis

Glycoproteins are widely distributed among species in soluble and membrane-bound forms, associated with many different functions. The heterogenous sugar moieties of glycoproteins are assembled in the endoplasmic reticulum and in the Golgi and are implicated in many roles that require further elucidation. Glycoprotein-bound oligosaccharides show significant changes in their structures and relative occurrences during growth, development, and differentiation. Diverse alterations of these carbohydrate chains occur in diseases such as cancer, metastasis, leukemia, inflammatory, and other diseases. Structural alterations may correlate with activities of glycosyltransferases that assemble glycans, but often the biochemical origin of these changes remains unclear. This suggests a multitude of biosynthetic control mechanisms that are functional in vivo but have not yet been unraveled by in vitro studies. The multitude of carbohydrate alterations observed in disease states may not be the primary cause but may reflect the growth and biochemical activity of the affected cell. However, knowledge of the control mechanisms in the biosynthesis of glycoprotein glycans may be helpful in understanding, diagnosing, and treating disease.

A novel mechanism for isoprenaline-stimulated proliferation of rat parotid acinar cells involving the epidermal growth factor receptor and cell surface galactosyltransferase

Chronic injections of epidermal growth factor (EGF) or the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist isoprenaline resulted in rat parotid gland hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Introduction of a polyclonal antibody to EGF or the EGF-receptor (EGF-R) caused a specific retardation of acinar cell proliferation when injected along with the growth factor. Meanwhile, only the antibody to EGF-R caused a dose-dependent retardation of proliferation on co-administration with isoprenaline both in vivo and in vitro. The antibody injected alone had no effect on cell growth. When cells were incubated in the presence of EGF, plasma membranes from isoprenaline-treated and control animals showed phosphorylation of the EGF-R tyrosine moieties and transient increases in membrane-associated phospholipase C gamma. Isoprenaline did not stimulate phosphorylation of the EGF-R in isolated plasma membranes. However, activation of the phosphotyrosine-signalling pathway could be duplicated by incubating isoprenaline-treated acinar cells, but not control cells, with bovine galactosyltransferase. Immunopurified EGF-R demonstrated variations in reactivity with two different lectins after treatment of the cells with the beta-agonist as well as increased galactosyltransferase substrate capacity in vitro. In addition, incubation of intact acinar cells and isolated plasma-membrane fractions from isoprenaline-treated rats with UDP-[14C]galactose resulted in an increased incorporation of label into the EGF-R. The results suggest that the carbohydrate moiety of the EGF-R has been altered in isoprenaline-treated animals allowing galactosyltransferase now to recognize this receptor. This interaction may in part mediate proliferation of parotid acinar cells. Indeed, we have previously shown that an antibody to galactosyltransferase is capable of blocking isoprenaline-mediated acinar cell proliferation in vivo [Humphreys-Beher, Schneyer, Kidd & Marchase (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 11706-11713].

Cell surface expression of 4 beta-galactosyltransferase accompanies rat parotid gland acinar cell transition to growth

Rat parotid gland acinar cells stimulated to divide by a chronic regimen of isoproterenol demonstrate a dramatic increase in the synthesis of the glycosyltransferase 4 beta-galactosyltransferase. A plasma membrane localization for much of the increase in 4 beta-galactosyltransferase was determined by density gradient membrane fractionation. Golgi-enriched fractions showed no increase in specific activity, while plasma membrane activity increased 40-fold. This selective increase at the cell surface was confirmed by immunofluorescence of intact, nonpermeabilized cells from treated glands, using a monospecific antibody prepared against the purified bovine milk transferase. In detergent-permeabilized cells staining of nontreated cells was seen only as groups of perinuclear vesicles, presumed to be Golgi apparatus. In isoproterenol-treated and permeabilized cells both presumptive Golgi and cell surface staining was apparent. Enzyme assays performed on intact cells established that the enzyme's active site was oriented to the exterior of the cells. The transferase could be detected as early as 3 hr after the primary challenge with isoproterenol. Pretreatment of rats with cycloheximide prevented its appearance.