Segregation of the polypeptide translocation apparatus to regions of the endoplasmic reticulum containing ribophorins and ribosomes. II. Rat liver microsomal subfractions contain equimolar amounts of ribophorins and ribosomes

Cotranslational and posttranslocational N-glycosylation of proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum

Asparagine linked glycosylation of proteins is an essential protein modification reaction in most eukaryotic organisms. N-linked oligosaccharides are important for protein folding and stability, biosynthetic quality control, intracellular traffic and the physiological function of many N-glycosylated proteins. In metazoan organisms, the oligosaccharyltransferase is composed of a catalytic subunit (STT3A or STT3B) and a set of accessory subunits. Duplication of the catalytic subunit gene allowed cells to evolve OST complexes that act sequentially to maximize the glycosylation efficiency of the large number of proteins that are glycosylated in metazoan organisms. We will summarize recent progress in understanding the mechanism of (a) cotranslational glycosylation by the translocation channel associated STT3A complex, (b) the role of the STT3B complex in mediating cotranslational or posttranslocational glycosylation of acceptor sites that have been skipped by the STT3A complex, and (c) the role of the oxidoreductase MagT1 in STT3B-dependent glycosylation of cysteine-proximal acceptor sites.

Oligosaccharyltransferase: the central enzyme of N-linked protein glycosylation

N-linked glycosylation is one of the most abundant modifications of proteins in eukaryotic organisms. In the central reaction of the pathway, oligosaccharyltransferase (OST), a multimeric complex located at the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, transfers a preassembled oligosaccharide to selected asparagine residues within the consensus sequence asparagine-X-serine/threonine. Due to the high substrate specificity of OST, alterations in the biosynthesis of the oligosaccharide substrate result in the hypoglycosylation of many different proteins and a multitude of symptoms observed in the family of congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) type I. This review covers our knowledge of human OST and describes enzyme composition. The Stt3 subunit of OST harbors the catalytic center of the enzyme, but the function of the other, highly conserved, subunits are less well defined. Some components seem to be involved in the recognition and utilization of glycosylation sites in specific glycoproteins. Indeed, mutations in the subunit paralogs N33/Tusc3 and IAP do not yield the pleiotropic phenotypes typical for CDG type I but specifically result in nonsyndromic mental retardation, suggesting that the oxidoreductase activity of these subunits is required for glycosylation of a subset of proteins essential for brain development.

Ribophorin I regulates substrate delivery to the oligosaccharyltransferase core

Protein N-glycosylation is widespread among biological systems, and the fundamental process of transferring a lipid-linked glycan to suitable asparagine residues of newly synthesized proteins occurs in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The core reaction is mediated by Stt3p family members, and in many organisms this component alone is sufficient to constitute the so called oligosaccharyltransferase (OST). However, eukaryotes typically have a more elaborate OST with several additional subunits of poorly defined function. In the mammalian OST complex one such subunit, ribophorin I, is proposed to facilitate the N-glycosylation of certain precursors during their biogenesis at the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we use cell culture models to show that ribophorin I depletion results in substrate-specific defects in N-glycosylation, clearly establishing a defined physiological role for ribophorin I. To address the molecular mechanism of ribophorin I function, a cross-linking approach was used to explore the environment of nascent glycoproteins during the N-glycosylation reaction. We show for the first time that ribophorin I can regulate the delivery of precursor proteins to the OST complex by capturing substrates and presenting them to the catalytic core.

The ribophorin I from Penaeus monodon shrimp: cDNA cloning, expression and phylogenetic analysis

Ribophorin I, a 67 kDa subunit of the oligosaccharyl transferase complex, is involved in facilitating N-linked glycosylation of polypeptides. We have isolated a full length Penaeus monodon cDNA encoding an insect/mammalian ribophorin I homologue by screening a lymphoid cDNA library and by performing rapid amplification of cDNA ends polymerase chain reaction of lymphoid RNA. The cDNA clone of shrimp ribophorin I (PmRibI) consists of 2263 nucleotides encoding 601 amino acid residues. Primary structure analysis of PmRibI indicated that it is a type I transmembrane protein, comprising a cleavable signal sequence of 23 residues at the amino terminus, preceding 434 residues of the luminal domain, 17 residues of the transmembrane domain, and 150 residues of the cytoplasmic domain at the carboxy terminus. The protein has a calculated molecular mass of 67.98 kDa with a pI of 6.05. This putative PmRibI cDNA clone was also expressed as PmRibI-6His in Sf9 cells. The recombinant PmRibI has an apparent molecular weight of 70 kDa, similar to the MW calculated from the deduced cDNA sequence. The inferred protein sequence of PmRibI has 52% identity with that of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, 49% identity with that of Danio rerio, and 47% identity with mammalian ribophorin I. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PmRibI is most closely related to the echinoderm ribophorin I. The expression of the ribophorin I gene is tissue specific, with its mRNA highly abundant in hemocytes, gill, lymphoid organ and hepatopancreas.

Heterogeneous expression of SNAP-25 in rat and human brain

Synaptosomal associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) is a SNARE component of the exocytotic apparatus involved in the release of neurotransmitter. We used multiple-labeling immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, and ultrastructural immunocytochemistry to examine the expression of SNAP-25 in excitatory and inhibitory terminals from different rat and human brain areas. Glutamatergic and GABAergic terminals were identified by staining for the vesicular glutamate transporter (vGLUT1), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), or the vesicular GABA transporter (vGAT). In all examined areas GABAergic terminals did not display detectable levels of SNAP-25, whereas glutamatergic terminals expressed the protein to a variable extent. Codistribution analysis revealed a high colocalization between pixels detecting SNAP-25 labeling and pixels detecting vGLUT1 immunoreactivity. On the contrary, a low degree of pixel colocalization, comparable to that between two unrelated antigens, was detected between SNAP-25 and vGAT, thus suggesting a random overlap of immunofluorescence signals. Our immunofluorescence evidence was supported by ultrastructural data, which clearly confirmed that SNAP-25 was undetectable in GABAergic terminals identified by both their typical morphology and specific staining for GABA. Interestingly, our ultrastructural results confirmed that a subset of glutamatergic synapses do not contain detectable levels of SNAP-25. The present study extends our previous findings obtained in rodent hippocampus and provides evidence that SNAP-25 expression is highly variable between different axon terminals both in rat and human brain. The heterogeneous distribution of SNAP-25 may have important implications not only in relation to the function of the protein as a SNARE but also in the control of network excitability.

An evolving view of the eukaryotic oligosaccharyltransferase

Asparagine-linked glycosylation (ALG) is one of the most common protein modification reactions in eukaryotic cells, as many proteins that are translocated across or integrated into the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) carry N-linked oligosaccharides. Although the primary focus of this review will be the structure and function of the eukaryotic oligosaccharyltransferase (OST), key findings provided by the analysis of the archaebacterial and eubacterial OST homologues will be reviewed, particularly those that provide insight into the recognition of donor and acceptor substrates. Selection of the fully assembled donor substrate will be considered in the context of the family of human diseases known as congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). The yeast and vertebrate OST are surprisingly complex hetero-oligomeric proteins consisting of seven or eight subunits (Ost1p, Ost2p, Ost3p/Ost6p, Ost4p, Ost5p, Stt3p, Wbp1p, and Swp1p in yeast; ribophorin I, DAD1, N33/IAP, OST4, STT3A/STT3B, Ost48, and ribophorin II in mammals). Recent findings from several laboratories have provided overwhelming evidence that the STT3 subunit is critical for catalytic activity. Here, we will consider the evolution and assembly of the eukaryotic OST in light of recent genomic evidence concerning the subunit composition of the enzyme in diverse eukaryotes.

Cholesterol and steroid synthesizing smooth endoplasmic reticulum of adrenocortical cells contains high levels of translocation apparatus proteins

Steroid-secreting cells possess abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum whose membranes contain many enzymes involved in sterol and steroid synthesis. In this study we demonstrate that adrenal smooth microsomal subfractions enriched in these membranes also possess high levels of proteins belonging to the translocation apparatus, proteins previously assumed to be confined to morphologically identifiable rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). We further demonstrate that these smooth microsomal subfractions are capable of effecting the functions of these protein complexes: co-translational translocation, signal peptide cleavage and N-glycosylation of newly synthesized polypeptides. We hypothesize that these elements participate in regulating the levels of ER-targeted membrane proteins involved in cholesterol and steroid metabolism in a sterol-dependent and hormonally-regulated manner.

Endoplasmic reticulum of animal cells and its organization into structural and functional domains

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in animal cells is an extensive, morphologically continuous network of membrane tubules and flattened cisternae. The ER is a multifunctional organelle; the synthesis of membrane lipids, membrane and secretory proteins, and the regulation of intracellular calcium are prominent among its array of functions. Many of these functions are not homogeneously distributed throughout the ER but rather are confined to distinct ER subregions or domains. This review describes the structural and functional organization of the ER and highlights the dynamic properties of the ER network and the mechanisms that support the positioning of ER membranes within the cell. Furthermore, we outline processes involved in the establishment and maintenance of an anisotropic distribution of ER-resident proteins and, thus, in the organization of the ER into functionally and morphologically different subregions.

N-glycan structure of a short-lived variant of ribophorin I expressed in the MadIA214 glycosylation-defective cell line reveals the role of a mannosidase that is not ER mannosidase I in the process of glycoprotein degradation

A soluble form of ribophorin I (RI(332)) is rapidly degraded in Hela and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by a cytosolic proteasomal pathway, and the N-linked glycan present on the protein may play an important role in this process. Specifically, it has been suggested that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) mannosidase I could trigger the targeting of improperly folded glycoproteins to degradation. We used a CHO-derived glycosylation-defective cell line, MadIA214, for investigating the role of mannosidase(s) as a signal for glycoprotein degradation. Glycoproteins in MadIA214 cells carry truncated Glc(1)Man(5)GlcNAc(2) N-glycans. This oligomannoside structure interferes with protein maturation and folding, leading to an alteration of the ER morphology and the detection of high levels of soluble oligomannoside species caused by glycoprotein degradation. An HA-epitope-tagged soluble variant of ribophorin I (RI(332)-3HA) expressed in MadIA214 cells was rapidly degraded, comparable to control cells with the complete Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2) N-glycan. ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of RI(332)-3HA was also proteasome-mediated in MadIA214 cells, as demonstrated by inhibition of RI(332)-3HA degradation with agents specifically blocking proteasomal activities. Two inhibitors of alpha1,2-mannosidase activity also stabilized RI(332)-3HA in the glycosylation-defective cell line. This is striking, because the major mannosidase activity in the ER is the one of mannosidase I, specific for a mannose alpha1,2-linkage that is absent from the truncated Man(5) structure. Interestingly, though the Man(5) derivative was present in large amounts in the total protein pool, the two major species linked to RI(332)-3HA shortly after synthesis consisted of Glc(1)Man(5 )and Man(4), being replaced by Man(4 )and Man(3) when proteasomal degradation was inhibited. In contrast, the untrimmed intermediate of RI(332)-3HA was detected in mutant cells treated with mannosidase inhibitors. Our results unambiguously demonstrate that an alpha1,2-mannosidase that is not ER mannosidase I is involved in ERAD of RI(332-)3HA in the glycosylation-defective cell line, MadIA214.

Mutants affecting the structure of the cortical endoplasmic reticulum in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We find that the peripheral ER in Saccharomyces cerevisiae forms a dynamic network of interconnecting membrane tubules throughout the cell cycle, similar to the ER in higher eukaryotes. Maintenance of this network does not require microtubule or actin filaments, but its dynamic behavior is largely dependent on the actin cytoskeleton. We isolated three conditional mutants that disrupt peripheral ER structure. One has a mutation in a component of the COPI coat complex, which is required for vesicle budding. This mutant has a partial defect in ER segregation into daughter cells and disorganized ER in mother cells. A similar phenotype was found in other mutants with defects in vesicular trafficking between ER and Golgi complex, but not in mutants blocked at later steps in the secretory pathway. The other two mutants found in the screen have defects in the signal recognition particle (SRP) receptor. This receptor, along with SRP, targets ribosome-nascent chain complexes to the ER membrane for protein translocation. A conditional mutation in SRP also disrupts ER structure, but other mutants with translocation defects do not. We also demonstrate that, both in wild-type and mutant cells, the ER and mitochondria partially coalign, and that mutations that disrupt ER structure also affect mitochondrial structure. Our data suggest that both trafficking between the ER and Golgi complex and ribosome targeting are important for maintaining ER structure, and that proper ER structure may be required to maintain mitochondrial structure.

Localization of ribophorin II to the endoplasmic reticulum involves both its transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains

Proteins that are concentrated in specific compartments of the endomembrane system in order to exert their organelle-specific function must possess specific localization signals that prevent their transport to distal regions of the exocytic pathway. Some resident proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that are known to escape with low efficiency from this organelle to a post ER compartment are recognized by a recycling receptor and brought back to their site of residence. Other ER proteins, however, appear to be retained in the ER by mechanisms that operate in the organelle itself. The mammalian oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) is a protein complex that effects the cotranslational N-glycosylation of newly synthesized polypeptides, and is composed of at least four rough ER-specific membrane proteins: ribophorins I and II (RI and RII), OST48, and Dadl. The mechanism(s) by which the subunits of this complex are retained in the ER are not well understood. In an effort to identify the domains within RII responsible for its ER localization we have studied the fate of chimeric proteins in which one or more RII domains were replaced by the corresponding ones of the Tac antigen, the latter being a well characterized plasma membrane protein that lacks intrinsic ER retention signals and serves to provide a neutral framework for the identification of retention signals in other proteins. We found that the luminal domain of RII by itself does not contain retention information, while the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains contain independent ER localization signals. We also show that the retention function of the transmembrane domain is strengthened by the presence of a flanking luminal region consisting of 15 amino acids.

Retention of subunits of the oligosaccharyltransferase complex in the endoplasmic reticulum

Membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may be localized to this organelle by mechanisms that involve retention, retrieval, or a combination of both. For luminal ER proteins, which contain a KDEL domain, and for type I transmembrane proteins carrying a dilysine motif, specific retrieval mechanisms have been identified. However, most ER membrane proteins do not contain easily identifiable retrieval motifs. ER localization information has been found in cytoplasmic, transmembrane, or luminal domains. In this study, we have identified ER localization domains within the three type I transmembrane proteins, ribophorin I (RI), ribophorin II (RII), and OST48. Together with DAD1, these membrane proteins form an oligomeric complex that has oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) activity. We have previously shown that ER retention information is independently contained within the transmembrane and the cytoplasmic domain of RII, and in the case of RI, a truncated form consisting of the luminal domain was retained in the ER. To determine whether other domains of RI carry additional retention information, we have generated chimeras by exchanging individual domains of the Tac antigen with the corresponding ones of RI. We demonstrate here that only the luminal domain of RI contains ER retention information. We also show that the dilysine motif in OST48 functions as an ER localization motif because OST48 in which the two lysine residues are replaced by serine (OST48ss) is no longer retained in the ER and is found instead also at the plasma membrane. OST48ss is, however, retained in the ER when coexpressed with RI, RII, or chimeras, which by themselves do not exit from the ER, indicating that they may form partial oligomeric complexes by interacting with the luminal domain of OST48. In the case of the Tac chimera containing only the luminal domain of RII, which by itself exits from the ER and is rapidly degraded, it is retained in the ER and becomes stabilized when coexpressed with OST48.

The translocon: a dynamic gateway at the ER membrane

Cotranslational protein translocation across and integration into the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) occur at sites termed translocons. Translocons are composed of several ER membrane proteins that associate to form an aqueous pore through which secretory proteins and lumenal domains of membrane proteins pass from the cytoplasm to the ER lumen. These sites are not passive holes in the bilayer, but instead are quite dynamic both structurally and functionally. Translocons cycle between ribosome-bound and ribosome-free states, and convert between translocation and integration modes of operation. These changes in functional state are accompanied by structural rearrangements that alter translocon conformation, composition, and interactions with ligands such as the ribosome and BiP. Recent studies have revealed that the translocon is a complex and sophisticated molecular machine that regulates the movement of polypeptides through the bilayer, apparently in both directions as well as laterally into the bilayer, all while maintaining the membrane permeability barrier.

Degradation of a short-lived glycoprotein from the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum: the role of N-linked glycans and the unfolded protein response

We are studying endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) with the use of a truncated variant of the type I ER transmembrane glycoprotein ribophorin I (RI). The mutant protein, RI(332), containing only the N-terminal 332 amino acids of the luminal domain of RI, has been shown to interact with calnexin and to be a substrate for the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. When RI(332) was expressed in HeLa cells, it was degraded with biphasic kinetics; an initial, slow phase of approximately 45 min was followed by a second phase of threefold accelerated degradation. On the other hand, the kinetics of degradation of a form of RI(332) in which the single used N-glycosylation consensus site had been removed (RI(332)-Thr) was monophasic and rapid, implying a role of the N-linked glycan in the first proteolytic phase. RI(332) degradation was enhanced when the binding of glycoproteins to calnexin was prevented. Moreover, the truncated glycoprotein interacted with calnexin preferentially during the first proteolytic phase, which strongly suggests that binding of RI(332) to the lectin-like protein may result in the slow, initial phase of degradation. Additionally, mannose trimming appears to be required for efficient proteolysis of RI(332). After treatment of cells with the inhibitor of N-glycosylation, tunicamycin, destruction of the truncated RI variants was severely inhibited; likewise, in cells preincubated with the calcium ionophore A23187, both RI(332) and RI(332)-Thr were stabilized, despite the presence or absence of the N-linked glycan. On the other hand, both drugs are known to trigger the unfolded protein response (UPR), resulting in the induction of BiP and other ER-resident proteins. Indeed, only in drug-treated cells could an interaction between BiP and RI(332) and RI(332)-Thr be detected. Induction of BiP was also evident after overexpression of murine Ire1, an ER transmembrane kinase known to play a central role in the UPR pathway; at the same time, stabilization of RI(332) was observed. Together, these results suggest that binding of the substrate proteins to UPR-induced chaperones affects their half lives.

Roles for alpha(2)p24 and COPI in endoplasmic reticulum cargo exit site formation

A two-step reconstitution system for the generation of ER cargo exit sites from starting ER-derived low density microsomes (LDMs; 1.17 g/cc) is described. The first step is mediated by the hydrolysis of Mg(2+)ATP and Mg(2+)GTP, leading to the formation of a transitional ER (tER) with the soluble cargo albumin, transferrin, and the ER-to-Golgi recycling membrane proteins alpha(2)p24 and p58 (ERGIC-53, ER-Golgi intermediate compartment protein) enriched therein. Upon further incubation (step two) with cytosol and mixed nucleotides, interconnecting smooth ER tubules within tER transforms into vesicular tubular clusters (VTCs). The cytosolic domain of alpha(2)p24 and cytosolic COPI coatomer affect VTC formation. This is deduced from the effect of antibodies to the COOH-terminal tail of alpha(2)p24, but not of antibodies to the COOH-terminal tail of calnexin on this reconstitution, as well as the demonstrated recruitment of COPI coatomer to VTCs, its augmentation by GTPgammaS, inhibition by Brefeldin A (BFA), or depletion of beta-COP from cytosol. Therefore, the p24 family member, alpha(2)p24, and its cytosolic coat ligand, COPI coatomer, play a role in the de novo formation of VTCs and the generation of ER cargo exit sites.

Brucella abortus transits through the autophagic pathway and replicates in the endoplasmic reticulum of nonprofessional phagocytes

Brucella abortus is an intracellular pathogen that replicates within a membrane-bounded compartment. In this study, we have examined the intracellular pathway of the virulent B. abortus strain 2308 (S2308) and the attenuated strain 19 (S19) in HeLa cells. At 10 min after inoculation, both bacterial strains are transiently detected in phagosomes characterized by the presence of early endosomal markers such as the early endosomal antigen 1. At approximately 1 h postinoculation, bacteria are located within a compartment positive for the lysosome-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker sec61beta but negative for the mannose 6-phosphate receptors and cathepsin D. Interestingly, this compartment is also positive for the autophagosomal marker monodansylcadaverin, suggesting that S2308 and S19 are located in autophagic vacuoles. At 24 h after inoculation, attenuated S19 is degraded in lysosomes, while virulent S2308 multiplies within a LAMP- and cathepsin D-negative but sec61beta- and protein disulfide isomerase-positive compartment. Furthermore, treatment of infected cells with the pore-forming toxin aerolysin from Aeromonas hydrophila causes vacuolation of the bacterial replication compartment. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that pathogenic B. abortus exploits the autophagic machinery of HeLa cells to establish an intracellular niche favorable for its replication within the ER.

The endoplasmic reticulum of plant cells and its role in protein maturation and biogenesis of oil bodies

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the port of entry of proteins into the endomembrane system, and it is also involved in lipid biosynthesis and storage. This organelle contains a number of soluble and membrane-associated enzymes and molecular chaperones, which assist the folding and maturation of proteins and the deposition of lipid storage compounds. The regulation of translocation of proteins into the ER and their subsequent maturation within the organelle have been studied in detail in mammalian and yeast cells, and more recently also in plants. These studies showed that in general the functions of the ER in protein synthesis and maturation have been highly conserved between the different organisms. Yet, the ER of plants possesses some additional functions not found in mammalian and yeast cells. This compartment is involved in cell to cell communication via the plasmodesmata, and, in specialized cells, it serves as a storage site for proteins. The plant ER is also equipped with enzymes and structural proteins which are involved in the process of oil body biogenesis and lipid storage. In this review we discuss the components of the plant ER and their function in protein maturation and biogenesis of oil bodies. Due to the large number of cited papers, we were not able to cite all individual references and in many cases we refer the readers to reviews and references therein. We apologize to the authors whose references are not cited.

Ubiquitination is required for the retro-translocation of a short-lived luminal endoplasmic reticulum glycoprotein to the cytosol for degradation by the proteasome

In the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an efficient "quality control system" operates to ensure that mutated and incorrectly folded proteins are selectively degraded. We are studying ER-associated degradation using a truncated variant of the rough ER-specific type I transmembrane glycoprotein, ribophorin I. The truncated polypeptide (RI332) consists of only the 332 amino-terminal amino acids of the protein corresponding to most of its luminal domain and, in contrast to the long-lived endogenous ribophorin I, is rapidly degraded. Here we show that the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is involved in the destruction of the truncated ribophorin I. Thus, when RI332 that itself appears to be a substrate for ubiquitination was expressed in a mutant hamster cell line harboring a temperature-sensitive mutation in the ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 affecting ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis, the protein is dramatically stabilized at the restrictive temperature. Moreover, inhibitors of proteasome function effectively block the degradation of RI332. Cell fractionation experiments indicate that RI332 accumulates in the cytosol when degradation is prevented by proteasome inhibitors but remains associated with the lumen of the ER under ubiquitination-deficient conditions, suggesting that the release of the protein into the cytosol is ubiquitination-dependent. Accordingly, when ubiquitination is impaired, a considerable amount of RI332 binds to the ER chaperone calnexin and to the Sec61 complex that could effect retro-translocation of the polypeptide to the cytosol. Before proteolysis of RI332, its N-linked oligosaccharide is cleaved in two distinct steps, the first of which might occur when the protein is still associated with the ER, as the trimmed glycoprotein intermediate efficiently interacts with calnexin and Sec61. From our data we conclude that the steps that lead a newly synthesized luminal ER glycoprotein to degradation by the proteasome are tightly coupled and that especially ubiquitination plays a crucial role in the retro-translocation of the substrate protein for proteolysis to the cytosol.

Functional protein prenylation is required for the brefeldin A-dependent retrograde transport from the Golgi apparatus to the endoplasmic reticulum

In cells exposed to brefeldin A (BFA), enzymes of the Golgi apparatus are redistributed to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by retrograde membrane flow, where they may cause modifications on resident ER proteins. We have used a truncated form of the rough ER-specific type I transmembrane glycoprotein ribophorin I as a probe to detect Golgi glycosyltransferases relocated to the ER in a BFA-dependent fashion. This polypeptide (RI332) comprises the 332 amino-terminal amino acids of ribophorin I and behaves like a luminal ER protein when expressed in HeLa cells. Upon treatment of the cells with BFA, RI332 becomes quantitatively O-glycosylated by Golgi glycosyltransferases that are transported back to the ER. Here we demonstrate that pretreatment of the cells with lovastatin, an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, abrogates this modification and that mevalonate, the product formed in the step inhibited by the drug, is able to counteract the effect of lovastatin. We also show by immunofluorescence using mannosidase II as a Golgi marker that the BFA-induced retrograde transport of Golgi enzymes is blocked by lovastatin, although electron microscopy indicates that BFA causes disassembly of the Golgi apparatus into swollen vesicles and tubules. Our observations support the role of a prenylated protein, such as the geranylgeranylated small G protein Rab6, in the retrograde transport from the Golgi apparatus to the ER, since lovastatin acts by inhibiting its prenylation.

DAD1, the defender against apoptotic cell death, is a subunit of the mammalian oligosaccharyltransferase

DAD1, the defender against apoptotic cell death, was initially identified as a negative regulator of programmed cell death in the BHK21-derived tsBN7 cell line. Of interest, the 12.5-kDa DAD1 protein is 40% identical in sequence to Ost2p, the 16-kDa subunit of the yeast oligosaccharyltransferase (OST). Although the latter observation suggests that DAD1 may be a mammalian OST subunit, biochemical evidence to support this hypothesis has not been reported. Previously, we showed that canine OST activity is associated with an oligomeric complex of ribophorin I, ribophorin II, and OST48. Here, we demonstrate that DAD1 is a tightly associated subunit of the OST both in the intact membrane and in the purified enzyme. Sedimentation velocity analyses of detergent-solubilized WI38 cells and canine rough microsomes show that DAD1 cosediments precisely with OST activity and with the ribophorins and OST48. Radioiodination of the purified OST reveals that DAD1 is present in roughly equimolar amounts relative to the other subunits. DAD1 can be crosslinked to OST48 in intact microsomes with dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate). Crosslinked ribophorin II-OST48 heterodimers, DAD1-ribophorin II-OST48 heterotrimers and DAD1-ribophorin I-ribophorin II-OST48 heterotetramers also were detected. The demonstration that DAD1 is a subunit of the OST suggests that induction of a cell death pathway upon loss of DAD1 in the tsBN7 cell line reflects the essential nature of N-linked glycosylation in eukaryotes.

Release of malaria circumsporozoite protein into the host cell cytoplasm and interaction with ribosomes

To date, the circumsporozoite (CS) protein has been implicated in guiding malaria sporozoites to the liver [Cerami et al., Cell 70, 1992, 1021-1033]. Here we show that shortly after invasion, P. berghei and P. yoelii sporozoites lie free in the invaded cell and release considerable amounts of CS protein into the cytoplasm. The intracytoplasmic deposition of CS protein begins during the attachment of the sporozoite to the host cell surface and reaches its peak during the first 4-6 h after invasion. Initially, the CS protein spreads over the entire cytoplasm of the infected cell where it interacts with cytosolic as well as endoplasmic reticulum-associated ribosomes. During the subsequent development of the parasites to exoerythrocytic forms, the CS protein binding becomes gradually restricted to ribosomes lining the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope of the host cell. The distribution pattern of the parasite-released CS protein in the host cell cytoplasm is independent of the permissiveness of the host cell for the development of the parasites to exoerythrocytic forms. It requires neither the host cell metabolism nor does it involve the endocytotic machinery. Recombinant P. falciparum CS protein interacts with RNAse-sensitive sites on endoplasmic reticulum-associated ribosomes as shown by microinjection and immunoelectron microscopy. The generalized interaction of the CS protein with host cell ribosomes suggests that the CS protein has an intracellular function during the hepatic phase in the life cycle of Plasmodium and may also explain the generation of a CD8+ T cell response in the course of rodent malaria infections.

The Brefeldin A-induced retrograde transport from the Golgi apparatus to the endoplasmic reticulum depends on calcium sequestered to intracellular stores

Ribophorin I is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein specific to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. We have previously shown that, when expressed in transfected HeLa cells, a carboxyl-terminally truncated form of ribophorin I that contains most of the luminal domain (RI332) is, like the native protein, retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Brefeldin A (BFA) treatment of these HeLa cells leads to O-glycosylation of RI332 by glycosyltransferases that are redistributed from the Golgi apparatus to the ER (Ivessa, N. E., De Lemos-Chiarandini, C., Tsao, Y.-S., Takatsuki, A., Adesnik, M., Sabatini, D. D., and Kreibich, G. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 117, 949-958). Using the state of glycosylation of RI332 as a measure for the BFA-induced backflow of enzymes of the Golgi apparatus to the ER, we now demonstrate that the retrograde transport is inhibited when cells are treated with various agents that affect intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, such as the dipeptide benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz)-Gly-Phe-amide, the Ca2+ ionophore A23187, and thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the Ca(2+)-transporting ATPase of the ER. These treatments prevent the BFA-induced O-glycosylation of RI332. Immunofluorescence localization of the Golgi markers, MG-160 and galactosyltransferase, shows that when BFA is applied in the presence of Ca2+ modulating agents, the markers remain confined to the Golgi apparatus and are not redistributed to the ER, as is the case when BFA alone is used. Cbz-Gly-Phe-amide does not, however, interfere with the BFA-induced release of beta-COP from the Golgi apparatus. We conclude that the maintenance of a Ca2+ gradient between the cytoplasm and the lumen of the ER and the Golgi apparatus is required for the BFA-induced retrograde transport from the Golgi apparatus to the ER to occur.

Functional characterization of the cis-regulatory elements of the rat ribophorin I gene

The ribophorin I gene encodes a rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) specific membrane protein which is a subunit of the oligosaccharyltransferase. To establish the functional activity of its promoter region we have performed transient gene transcription experiments employing plasmid constructs that contain 5' flanking regions of the ribophorin I gene cloned upstream of the CAT reporter gene. Among the restriction fragments obtained from the 1.3-kilobase 5' flanking region, a proximal fragment (-42 to +24) containing two GC-rich elements was required for basic promoter activity, while a fragment (-364 to +24) encoding an additional GC-box and an octamer like motif at -233 conferred the maximal promoter activity. In order to investigate the functionality of an octomer-like sequence co-transfection experiments were performed with Oct-2 cDNA and the CAT reporter gene containing the ribophorin I fragment (-364 to +24). A 3-4-fold increase in the transcriptional activity was observed with this construct. In addition, gel shift experiments showed Oct-2 binding to this construct. These results indicate that Oct-2 is most likely involved in the regulation of the ribophorin I gene transcription. We suggest that the GC-rich elements are necessary for constitutive ribophorin I expression while octamer motif binding proteins function synergistically with the GC-rich element binding proteins to increase the expression of the ribophorin I gene during the proliferation of RER.

Differential detergent fractionation of isolated hepatocytes: biochemical, immunochemical and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis characterization of cytoskeletal and noncytoskeletal compartments

Two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis is often used in toxicologic and metabolic studies to assess treatment- or stage-specific changes in protein synthesis, degradation or posttranslational modification. When combined with cell fractionation studies the detectability of low abundance proteins is enhanced, and changes in subcellular distribution of proteins can also be monitored. Detergent fractionation is a simpler alternative to differential pelleting, which partitions cellular constituents into functionally distinct populations while preserving cytoskeletal integrity. We defined and characterized a differential detergent fractionation (DDF) protocol to enable protein dynamics in cytoskeletal and noncytoskeletal compartments of isolated hepatocytes to be monitored simultaneously. Rat hepatocytes were maintained in suspension culture and fractionated by sequential extraction with detergent-containing buffers (digitonin/EDTA, Triton/EDTA, Tween/deoxycholate). DDF reproducibly yielded four electrophoretically distinct fractions enriched in cytosolic, membrane-organelle, nuclear membrane and cytoskeletal-matrix markers, respectively. Immunoblotting with over 20 different antibodies corroborated the selectivity of fractionation and was used to characterize the distribution profiles of cytoskeletal (actin, tubulins, cytokeratins, vinculin, myosin, desmoplakins, fodrin, nuclear lamins) and noncytoskeletal proteins (heat-shock 70 proteins, glutathione-S-transferase, calpains, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, etc.), as well as to identify spots in 2-D gels. Detergent buffers were compatible with equilibrium or nonequilibrium 2-D gel electrophoretic analysis. Extensive 2-D maps of acidic and basic proteins in each fraction were generated along with a tabular listing of M(r) and pI. Thus, DDF reproducibly partitions hepatocytic proteins into functionally distinct cytoskeletal and noncytoskeletal compartments that are readily analyzed by 2-D gel electrophoresis. DDF is simple, applicable to use with other cell types or culture systems and is especially useful when biomaterial is limited (i.e., clinical studies).

Structural reorganization of the rough endoplasmic reticulum without size expansion accounts for dexamethasone-induced secretory activity in AR42J cells

A striking reorganization of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) from a tubulo-vesicular (TV-RER) to a stacked cisternal (SC-RER) configuration was observed when the secretory activity of AR42J cells, a cell line derived from a rat pancreatic acinar carcinoma, was induced by dexamethasone. Treatment with 10 nM dexamethasone resulted in a 6.6-fold increase in the intracellular and a 4.6-fold increase in the secreted amylase activity, respectively. On the basis of the morphometric analysis of thin-section electron micrographs it has been previously reported that this increase in secretory activity is accompanied by a 2.4-fold or 30-fold increase in the size of the RER. We have developed a new biochemical method to determine the size of the RER by quantifying the membrane-bound ribosomes. Using this procedure we did not detect any change in the size of the RER after induction of an active secretory state in AR42J cells. Electron microscopic observation showed the predominance of SC-RER in dexamethasone-treated cells compared to the abundance of TV-RER in control cells. Laser scanning confocal microscopy showed a patchy distribution of ER staining in dexamethasone-treated cells compared to more basal localization in control cells. On the basis of our observations we conclude that in AR42J cells the increase in secretory activity induced by dexamethasone is accompanied by a reorganization of the RER rather than by an increase in ER surface area, as reported by others. Our results suggest that SC-RER is a biosynthetically more efficient form of the RER, which is found predominantly in actively secreting cells.

O-glycosylation of intact and truncated ribophorins in brefeldin A-treated cells: newly synthesized intact ribophorins are only transiently accessible to the relocated glycosyltransferases

Ribophorins I and II are type I transmembrane glycoproteins of the ER that are segregated to the rough domains of this organelle. Both ribophorins appear to be part of the translocation apparatus for nascent polypeptides that is associated with membrane-bound ribosomes and participate in the formation of a proteinaceous network within the ER membrane that also includes other components of the translocation apparatus. The ribophorins are both highly stable proteins that lack O-linked sugars but each contains one high mannose N-linked oligosaccharide that remains endo H sensitive throughout their lifetimes. We have previously shown (Tsao, Y. S., N. E. Ivessa, M. Adesnik, D. D. Sabatini, and G. Kreibich. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 116:57-67) that a COOH-terminally truncated variant of ribophorin I that contains only the first 332 amino acids of the luminal domain (RI332), when synthesized in permanent transformants of HeLa cells, undergoes a rapid degradation with biphasic kinetics in the ER itself and in a second, as yet unidentified nonlysosomal pre-Golgi compartment. We now show that in cells treated with brefeldin A (BFA) RI332 molecules undergo rapid O-glycosylation in a multistep process that involves the sequential addition of N-acetylgalactosamine, galactose, and terminal sialic acid residues. Addition of O-linked sugars affected all newly synthesized RI332 molecules and was completed soon after synthesis with a half time of about 10 min. In the same cells, intact ribophorins I and II also underwent O-linked glycosylation in the presence of BFA, but these molecules were modified only during a short time period immediately after their synthesis was completed, and the modification affected only a fraction of the newly synthesized polypeptides. More important, these molecules synthesized before the addition of BFA were not modified by O-glycosylation. The same is true for ribophorin I when overexpressed in HeLa cells although it is significantly less stable than the native polypeptide in control cells. We, therefore, conclude that soon after their synthesis, ribophorins lose their susceptibility to the relocated Golgi enzymes that effect the O-glycosylation, most likely as a consequence of a conformational change in the ribophorins that occurs during their maturation, although it cannot be excluded that rapid integration of these molecules into a supramolecular complex in the ER membrane leads to their inaccessibility to these enzymes.

Oligosaccharyltransferase activity is associated with a protein complex composed of ribophorins I and II and a 48 kd protein

Oligosaccharyltransferase catalyzes the N-linked glycosylation of asparagine residues on nascent polypeptides in the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). A protein complex composed of 66, 63, and 48 kd subunits copurified with oligosaccharyltransferase from canine pancreas. The 66 and 63 kd subunits were shown by protein immunoblotting to be identical to ribophorin I and II, two previously identified RER glycoproteins that colocalize with membrane-bound ribosomes. The transmembrane segment of ribophorin I was found to be homologous to a recently proposed dolichol recognition consensus sequence. Based on a revision of the consensus sequence, we propose a model for the interaction of dolichol with the glycosyltransferases that catalyze the assembly and transfer of lipid-linked oligosaccharides.

The signal sequence receptor, unlike the signal recognition particle receptor, is not essential for protein translocation

Detergent extracts of canine pancreas rough microsomal membranes were depleted of either the signal recognition particle receptor (SR), which mediates the signal recognition particle (SRP)-dependent targeting of the ribosome/nascent chain complex to the membrane, or the signal sequence receptor (SSR), which has been proposed to function as a membrane bound receptor for the newly targeted nascent chain and/or as a component of a multi-protein translocation complex responsible for transfer of the nascent chain across the membrane. Depletion of the two components was performed by chromatography of detergent extracts on immunoaffinity supports. Detergent extracts lacking either SR or SSR were reconstituted and assayed for activity with respect to SR dependent elongation arrest release, nascent chain targeting, ribosome binding, secretory precursor translocation, and membrane protein integration. Depletion of SR resulted in the loss of elongation arrest release activity, nascent chain targeting, secretory protein translocation, and membrane protein integration, although ribosome binding was unaffected. Full activity was restored by addition of immunoaffinity purified SR before reconstitution of the detergent extract. Surprisingly, depletion of SSR was without effect on any of the assayed activities, indicating that SSR is either not required for translocation or is one of a family of functionally redundant components.

Carboxy terminally truncated forms of ribophorin I are degraded in pre-Golgi compartments by a calcium-dependent process

Two COOH terminally truncated variants of ribophorin I (RI), a type I transmembrane glycoprotein of 583 amino acids that is segregated to the rough portions of the ER and is associated with the protein-translocating apparatus of this organelle, were expressed in permanent HeLa cell transformants. Both variants, one membrane anchored but lacking part of the cytoplasmic domain (RL467) and the other consisting of the luminal 332 NH2-terminal amino acids (RI332), were retained intracellularly but, in contrast to the endogenous long lived, full length ribophorin I (t 1/2 = 25 h), were rapidly degraded (t 1/2 less than 50 min) by a nonlysosomal mechanism. The absence of a measurable lag phase in the degradation of both truncated ribophorins indicates that their turnover begins in the ER itself. The degradation of RI467 was monophasic (t 1/2 = 50 min) but the rate of degradation of RI332 molecules increased about threefold approximately 50 min after their synthesis. Several pieces of evidence suggest that the increase in degradative rate is the consequence of the transport of RI332 molecules that are not degraded during the first phase to a second degradative compartment. Thus, when added immediately after labeling, ionophores that inhibit vesicular flow out of the ER, such as carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and monensin, suppressed the second phase of degradation of RI332. On the other hand, when CCCP was added after the second phase of degradation of RI332 was initiated, the degradation was unaffected. Moreover, in cells treated with brefeldin A the degradation of RI332 became monophasic, and took place with a half-life intermediate between those of the two normal phases. These results point to the existence of two subcellular compartments where abnormal ER proteins can be degraded. One is the ER itself and the second is a non-lysosomal pre-Golgi compartment to which ER proteins are transported by vesicular flow. A survey of the effects of a variety of other ionophores and protease inhibitors on the turnover of RI332 revealed that metalloproteases are involved in both phases of the turnover and that the maintenance of a high Ca2+ concentration is necessary for the degradation of the luminally truncated ribophorin.

Ribosome binding to the endoplasmic reticulum: a 180-kD protein identified by crosslinking to membrane-bound ribosomes is not required for ribosome binding activity

We have used the membrane-impermeable, thiol-cleavable, crosslinker 3,3'-dithio bis (sulfosuccinimidylpropionate) to identify proteins that are in the vicinity of membrane-bound ribosomes of the RER. A specific subset of RER proteins was reproducibly crosslinked to the ribosome. Immunoblot analysis of the crosslinked products with antibodies raised against signal recognition particle receptor, ribophorin I, and the 35-kD subunit of the signal sequence receptor demonstrated that these translocation components had been crosslinked to the ribosome, but each to a different extent. The most prominent polypeptide among the crosslinked products was a 180-kD protein that has recently been proposed to be a ribosome receptor (Savitz, A.J., and D.I. Meyer, 1990. Nature (Lond.). 346: 540-544). RER membrane proteins were reconstituted into liposomes and assayed with radiolabeled ribosomes to determine whether ribosome binding activity could be ascribed to the 180-kD protein. Differential detergent extraction was used to prepare soluble extracts of microsomal membrane vesicles that either contained or lacked the 180-kD protein. Liposomes reconstituted from both extracts bound ribosomes with essentially identical affinity. Additional fractionation experiments demonstrated that the bulk of the ribosome binding activity present in detergent extracts of microsomal membranes could be readily resolved from the 180-kD protein by size exclusion chromatography. Taken together, we conclude that the 180-kD protein is in the vicinity of membrane bound ribosomes, yet does not correspond to the ribosome receptor.

Rat ribophorin II: molecular cloning and chromosomal localization of a highly conserved transmembrane glycoprotein of the rough endoplasmic reticulum

We report here the complete nucleotide sequence of rat ribophorin II. The predicted amino acid sequence is highly homologous to the corresponding human protein and consists of 631 amino acid residues, including a 22 amino acid N-terminal cleavable signal sequence, and a single 23 amino acid putative transmembrane domain. Northern blot analysis reveals a single -2.4 kb message expressed in a number of rat cell lines and in adult liver. The gene was mapped to mouse chromosome 2, close to the Src proto-oncogene.

Protein retention in yeast rough endoplasmic reticulum: expression and assembly of human ribophorin I

The RER retains a specific subset of ER proteins, many of which have been shown to participate in the translocation of nascent secretory and membrane proteins. The mechanism of retention of RER specific membrane proteins is unknown. To study this phenomenon in yeast, where no RER-specific membrane proteins have yet been identified, we expressed the human RER-specific protein, ribophorin I. In all mammalian cell types examined, ribophorin I has been shown to be restricted to the membrane of the RER. Here we ascertain that yeast cells correctly target, assemble, and retain ribophorin I in their RER. Floatation experiments demonstrated that human ribophorin I, expressed in yeast, was membrane associated. Carbonate (pH = 11) washing and Triton X-114 cloud-point precipitations of yeast microsomes indicated that ribophorin I was integrated into the membrane bilayer. Both chromatography on Con A and digestion with endoglycosidase H were used to prove that ribophorin I was glycosylated once, consistent with its expression in mammalian cells. Proteolysis of microsomal membranes and subsequent immunoblotting showed ribophorin I to have assumed the correct transmembrane topology. Sucrose gradient centrifugation studies found ribophorin I to be included only in fractions containing rough membranes and excluded from smooth ones that, on the basis of the distribution of BiP, included smooth ER. Ribosome removal from rough membranes and subsequent isopycnic centrifugation resulted in a shift in the buoyant density of the ribophorin I-containing membranes. Furthermore, the rough and density-shifted fractions were the exclusive location of protein translocation activity. Based on these studies we conclude that sequestration of membrane proteins to rough domains of ER probably occurs in a like manner in yeast and mammalian cells.

Antiribophorin antibodies inhibit the targeting to the ER membrane of ribosomes containing nascent secretory polypeptides

Polyclonal antibodies directed against ribophorins I and II, two membrane glycoproteins characteristic of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, inhibit the cotranslational translocation of a secretory protein growth hormone into the lumen of dog pancreas or rat liver microsomes. As expected, site-specific antibodies to epitopes located within the cytoplasmic domain of ribophorin I, but not antibodies to epitopes in the luminal domain of this protein, were effective in inhibiting translocation. Since monovalent Fab fragments were as inhibitory as intact IgG molecules, ribophorins must be closely associated with the translocation site and, therefore, are likely to function at some stage in the translocation process. In all cases, the antibodies that inhibited translocation also caused a significant reduction in total protein synthesis and treatments that neutralized their capacity to inhibit translocation also prevented their inhibitory effect on protein synthesis. This would be expected if the antibodies blocked the membrane-mediated relief of the SRP-induced arrest of polypeptide elongation. The antibodies were effective only when added before translocation was allowed to begin. In this case, they prevented the targeting of active ribosomes containing mRNA and nascent chains to the ER membrane. Thus, ribophorins must either directly participate in targeting or be so close to the targeting site that the antibodies sterically blocked this early phase of the translocation process.

Membrane biogenesis during B cell differentiation: most endoplasmic reticulum proteins are expressed coordinately

The induction of high-rate protein secretion entails increased biogenesis of secretory apparatus organelles. We examined the biogenesis of the secretory apparatus in the B cell line CH12 because it can be induced in vitro to secrete immunoglobulin (Ig). Upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), CH12 cells increased secretion of IgM 12-fold. This induced secretion was accompanied by preferential expansion of the ER and the Golgi complex. Three parameters of the rough ER changed: its area and volume increased 3.3- and 3.7-fold, respectively, and the density of membrane-bound ribosomes increased 3.5-fold. Similarly, the area of the Golgi stack increased 3.3-fold, and its volume increased 4.1-fold. These changes provide sufficient biosynthetic capacity to account for the increased secretory activity of CH12. Despite the large increase in IgM synthesis, and because of the expansion of the ER, the concentration of IgM within the ER changed less than twofold during the differentiation process. During the amplification of the rough ER, the expression of resident proteins changed according to one of two patterns. The majority (75%) of rough microsomal (RM) proteins increased in proportion to the increase in rough ER size. Included in this group were both lumenal proteins such as Ig binding protein (BiP), and membrane proteins such as ribophorins I and II. In addition, the expression of a minority (approximately 9%) of RM polypeptides increased preferentially, such that their abundance within the RM of secreting CH12 cells was increased. Thus, the expansion of ER during CH12 differentiation involves preferential increases in the abundance of a few resident proteins, superimposed upon proportional increases in most ER proteins.

Reconstitution of translocation-competent membrane vesicles from detergent-solubilized dog pancreas rough microsomes

Dog pancreas rough microsomes were solubilized in 1% octyl beta-glucoside, and membrane vesicles were reconstituted by slow 30-fold dilution with a buffer of low ionic strength. Asymmetric assembly of the membranes occurred during reconstitution since the vesicles formed contained ribosomes bound only to the vesicular outer surfaces. The reconstituted vesicles were similar in protein composition to native rough microsomes, although these vesicles were largely devoid of luminal-content proteins. These reconstituted vesicles could translocate and process nascent secretory (human placental lactogen) and membrane proteins (influenza hemagglutinin and rat liver ribophorin I) synthesized in cell-free translation systems programmed with the corresponding mRNAs. Signal cleavage and N-glycosylation only occurred when the reconstituted membranes were present during translation, providing evidence that the translocation apparatus was asymmetrically assembled into the reconstituted membranes. When a supernatant lacking ribosomes and particles greater than 50S from centrifuging the detergent-solubilized microsomes at high speed was used for reconstitution, smooth-surfaced membrane vesicles were obtained that, except for the absence of ribosomal proteins, were similar in protein composition to that of the reconstituted vesicles from total solubilized rough microsomes. The reconstituted smooth-surfaced vesicles, however, were totally inactive in cotranslational processing and translocation of nascent polypeptides. These findings suggest that ribosomes and/or large macromolecular complexes, not dissociated under our solubilization conditions, are essential for in vitro assembly of a functional translocation apparatus.

The distribution, abundance and subcellular localization of kinesin

An antiserum which binds kinesin specifically on Western blots was used to determine the distribution and abundance of chicken kinesin by correlated immunoblotting and immunolocalization. Quantitative immunoblotting showed that the abundance of kinesin varied widely in different cell and tissue types, from 0.039% of total protein in epidermal fibroblasts to 0.309% in sympathetic neurons; of the types examined, only red blood cells lacked detectable kinesin. The molar ratio of tubulin/kinesin varied over a narrower range. To analyze the intracellular distribution of kinesin, cultured fibroblasts were fractionated by sequential extraction with saponin-, Triton X-100-, and SDS-containing buffer. Quantitative blotting of the resulting cell fractions indicated that 68% of fibroblast kinesin is in soluble form, 32% is membrane- or organelle-associated, and none is detectable in cytoskeletal fractions. To visualize this distribution, cells treated by the same extraction protocol were immunofluorescently stained with antikinesin and antitubulin. Without extraction, kinesin staining was located throughout cultured neurons and fibroblasts. However, when fibroblasts were extracted with saponin or Brij 58 before fixation, subsequent staining revealed that the remaining kinesin fraction was colocalized with interphase microtubules, but not with mitotic spindles. Prefixation extraction with Triton abolished antikinesin staining. These data suggest that kinesin may play a role in tubovesicular movement but provide no evidence for a role in mitosis.

Binding of an N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein to Golgi membranes requires both a soluble protein(s) and an integral membrane receptor

An N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) has recently been purified on the basis of its ability to restore transport to NEM-inactivated Golgi membranes in a cell-free transport system. NSF is a peripheral membrane protein required for the fusion of transport vesicles. We now report the existence of two novel components that together bind NSF to Golgi membranes in a saturable manner. These components were detected by examining the requirements for reassociation of purified NSF with Golgi membranes in vitro. One component is an integral membrane receptor that is heat sensitive, but resistant to Na2CO3 extraction and to all proteases tested. The second component is a cytosolic factor that is sensitive to both proteases and heat. This soluble NSF attachment protein (SNAP) is largely resistant to NEM and is further distinguished from NSF by chromatography. SNAP appears to act stoichiometrically in promoting a high-affinity interaction between NSF and the membrane receptor. Because NSF promotes vesicle fusion, it seems likely that these two new factors that allow NSF to bind to the membrane are also part of the fusion machinery.