Hormone-induced protein phosphorylation. I. Relationship between secretagogue action and endogenous protein phosphorylation in intact cells from the exocrine pancreas and parotid.

We undertook studies to determine whether secretagogue action on the exocrine pancreas and parotid is accompanied by phosphorylation of proteins in intact cells. For this purpose, rat pancreatic, and parotid lobules were preincubated with 32Pi for 45 min at 37 degrees C, washed, and then incubated at 37 degrees C in the presence or absence of secretagogues that effect discharge through different second messengers. Among a variety of polypeptides exhibiting enhanced phosphorylation in pancreatic lobules upon a 30-s incubation in the presence of the secretagogues carbamylcholine, cholecystokinin octapeptide, or secretin, one species with an Mr of 29,000 was especially notable for three reasons: (a) its enhanced level of phosphorylation was dependent on the dose of secretagogue used and was still apparent after incubation for 30 min at 37 degrees C; (b) an analogous phosphorylated polypeptide was observed in isoproterenol-stimulated parotid lobules; and (c) in both tissues its selective dephosphorylation was observed upon termination of stimulation by administration of atropine to carbamylcholine-stimulated pancreatic lobules and propranolol to isoproterenol-stimulated parotid lobules. These results suggest that the phosphorylation of one protein with an Mr of 29,000 is closely correlated both temporally and in a dose-dependent fashion with secretagogue action in both the exocrine pancreas and parotid.

Hormone-induced protein phosphorylation. II. Localization to the ribosomal fraction from rat exocrine pancreas and parotid of a 29,000-dalton protein phosphorylated in situ in response to secretagogues.

In the preceding paper, we demonstrated that the endogenous phosphorylation of a protein with a molecular weight of 29,000 was enhanced by various secretagogues in rat pancreatic and parotid lobules, the phosphorylation of this protein correlating both temporally and in a dose-dependent fashion with secretory protein discharge. In the present study, we established a specific methodology to characterize this phosphoprotein. Once established, this 29,000-dalton phosphoprotein was then followed selectively and quantitatively throughout subcellular fractionation procedures. Analysis of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels demonstrated that proteins with similar mobilities (Mr 29,000; pl greater than 8.4) were affected by cholecystokinin octapeptide and isoproterenol in rat pancreatic and parotid lobules, respectively, suggesting that the same 29,000-dalton phosphoprotein was covalently modified in both tissues. Cellular fractionation studies using differential velocity and sucrose density gradient centrifugation revealed that the 29,000-dalton phosphoprotein copurified with the rough microsomal fraction of pancreas and was highly enriched in ribosomal fractions of both pancreas and parotid. Electrophoresis in two dimensions confirmed that the 29,000-dalton polypeptide that was resolved directly from stimulated cells and from ribosomal fractions exhibited a common mobility, and apparent identity of the species was strongly suggested when the 29,000-dalton polypeptides from both sources were compared by peptide mapping following limited digestion with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. This phosphoprotein was tentatively identified as ribosomal protein S6 after analysis by pH 8.6/4.2 two-dimensional PAGE.

Hormone-induced protein phosphorylation. III. regulation of the phosphorylation of the secretagogue-responsive 29,000-dalton protein by both Ca2+ and cAMP in vitro.

In the preceding papers, we demonstrated that the endogenous phosphorylation of a 29,000-dalton protein is stimulated in response to secretagogue application to intact cells from the rat exocrine pancreas and parotid and dephosphorylated upon termination of secretagogue action. One- and two-dimensional gel analysis of 32Pi-labeled pancreatic and parotid lobules as well as their respective subcellular fractions revealed that the same protein was covalently modified in both tissues and was localized to the ribosomal fraction. To identify the intracellular second messengers which may mediate or modulate the phosphorylation of the 29,000-dalton protein in intact cells, the effects of Ca2+, cAMP, and cGMP on the endogenous phosphorylation of this protein were assessed in subcellular fractions from the rat pancreas and parotid. Our results demonstrate that the phosphorylation of the 29,000-dalton polypeptide may be regulated by both Ca2+ and cAMP in the pancreas and in the parotid. No cGMP-dependent protein phosphorylation was found in either tissue. As in the in situ phosphorylation studies, the Ca2+- and cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of this same protein was localized to the ribosomal fraction. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity was found primarily in the postmicrosomal supernatant in contrast to the Ca2+-dependent protein kinase that appeared to be tightly associated with the substrate in addition to being present in the postmicrosomal supernatant. The data suggest that, in cells from the exocrine pancreas and parotid, secretagogues may regulate the phosphorylation of the 29,000-dalton protein through Ca2+ and/or cAMP.

Calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase activity from rat pancreas.

Previous work from our laboratory has demonstrated that neurohumoral stimulation of the exocrine pancreas is associated with the phosphorylation of the Mr 29,000 ribosomal protein S6. In a cell-free system using pancreatic postmicrosomal supernatant as the kinase donor, we found that the following co-factors stimulate the phosphorylation of the Mr 29,000 ribosomal protein: calcium with calmodulin, calcium with phosphatidyl serine, and cAMP. These findings suggest that the pancreas contains a calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM-PK) that can phosphorylate the Mr 29,000 ribosomal protein. A CaM-PK activity was partially purified sequentially by ion exchange, gel filtration, and calmodulin-affinity chromatography. Phosphorylation of the Mr 29,000 ribosomal protein by the partially purified CaM-PK was dependent on the presence of both calcium and calmodulin and not on the other co-factors. The CaM-PK fraction contained a phosphoprotein of Mr 51,000 whose phosphorylation was also dependent on calcium and calmodulin. When 125I-calmodulin-binding proteins from the CaM-PK fraction were identified using electrophoretic transfers of SDS-polyacrylamide gels, a single Mr 51,000 protein was labeled. The preparation enriched in CaM-PK activity contained an Mr 51,000 protein that underwent phosphorylation in a calcium-calmodulin-dependent manner and an Mr 51,000 calmodulin-binding protein. It is therefore possible that the CaM-PK may comprise a calmodulin-binding phosphoprotein component of Mr 51,000.

GP2, the homologue to the renal cast protein uromodulin, is a major component of intraductal plugs in chronic pancreatitis.

Protein plug obstruction of the pancreatic duct is one of the early events in chronic pancreatitis yet little is known about its pathogenesis. GP2, a protein in the exocrine pancreas, is a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-anchored protein that is cleaved from the zymogen granule membrane and secreted into pancreatic juice. Since its homologue, uromodulin, is involved in renal cast formation, we asked the question whether GP2 might play a similar role in plug formation in chronic pancreatitis. The protein composition of intraductal plugs from patients with noncalcific chronic pancreatitis was examined. Plugs purified from pancreatic juice obtained by endoscopic cannulation were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. A 97-kD protein was found not only to be a reproducible constituent but also enriched within intraductal plugs. This protein was confirmed as GP2 by its localization to zymogen granule membranes, its isoelectric point, and by Western blotting. Although the pancreatic stone protein was identified in plugs, it was not a major reproducible component. These results demonstrate that GP2 is an integral component of plugs in pancreatic juice and suggest that GP2 may play a role in pancreatic plug formation that is analogous to the role played by uromodulin in the pathogenesis of renal casts.

Reversible pH-induced homophilic binding of GP2, a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored protein in pancreatic zymogen granule membranes.

GP2, the major zymogen granule membrane (ZGM) protein in the pancreas, is linked to the lumenal leaflet of the lipid bilayer via a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) moiety. We demonstrate that the peptide domain of GP2 (pGP2, approximately 75 kDa), purified from pancreatic ZGMs after phospholipase C cleavage, shows pH- and calcium-dependent self-association into sedimenting complexes. This homophilic binding process is progressive as pH is reduced from 7.0 to 5.5 and calcium is increased from 0 to 10-20 mM. This self-association reaction is temperature-dependent, optimal between 20 and 37 degrees C, progressively reduced below 20 degrees C, and eliminated at 10 degrees C. The reaction is reversible as a function of pH and abolished in the presence of nonionic detergents. Specificity in the homophilic reaction is demonstrated by the exclusion of heterologous proteins (globin, serum albumin, and IgG) from sedimenting complexes. At pH 5.5 in the presence of 20 mM calcium, oligomeric structures (approximately 300 kDa) consistent with tetrameric complexes were observed by gel filtration chromatography and elliptical structures (14-18 nm), frequently arranged in variegated clusters, were observed in the electron microscope by negative staining techniques. The pH- and calcium-dependent self-association observed for GP2 may represent an important mechanism by which GPI-anchored membrane proteins engage in homotypic binding reactions to establish highly functional membrane (micro)- domains targeted to regulated secretory compartments in polarized epithelial cells.

Apical membrane trafficking during regulated pancreatic exocrine secretion--role of alkaline pH in the acinar lumen and enzymatic cleavage of GP2, a GPI-linked protein.

The GP2/THP family of glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins is targeted to apical secretory compartments in polarized epithelial cells. We demonstrate in the rat exocrine pancreas that enzyme-mediated release of GP2 from acinar cell membranes represents a pH-dependent process regulated by bicarbonate secreted from ductular cells. Release of GP2 from secretin-stimulated pancreatic lobules, which retain intralobular ducts, was inhibited by (i) bicarbonate substitution, (ii) chloride substitution, and (iii) DIDS, a potent inhibitor of chloride-bicarbonate exchange. These inhibitory effects were not observed in preparations of pancreatic acini devoid of ductal elements. Enzymatic cleavage of GP2 and amylase release from pancreatic acini varied directly as a function of pH of the acinar human. Alkali-induced GP2 release could be correlated with ultrastructural and biochemical evidence for stimulated retrieval (endocytosis) of exocytic membranes at the acinar lumen. Our study defines functional roles for ductal bicarbonate in acinar cell and lumen physiology and provides a potential explanation for the biological significance of enzyme-mediated cleavage of GP2 from the apical plasma membrane.

Acinar lumen pH regulates endocytosis, but not exocytosis, at the apical plasma membrane of pancreatic acinar cells.

A two-step exocytosis/endocytosis protocol was used in rat pancreatic acini to study membrane trafficking events at the apical plasma membrane (APM) as a function of extracellular pH. Exocytosis, as measured by cholecystokinin (CCK)-8-induced release of amylase into the incubation medium, was relatively insensitive to changes in extracellular pH from 5.5 to 9.0. In contrast, endocytosis, as measured by temperature-dependent uptake of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was robust at pH values between 6.5 and 8.3 but abolished at acidic pH values of 5.5 to 6.0. Energy metabolism and cell viability were maintained during pH 6-induced cessation of HRP uptake, and the vesicular block could be reversed upon raising the luminal pH to 7.4. Histochemical and morphometric studies of HRP uptake examined by electron microscopy indicated that extracellular pH regulates endocytosis at the apical plasma membrane. At pH 6.0 in prestimulated cells, HRP uptake at the APM was abolished, and acinar lumen membranes remained markedly dilated with decreased density of microvilli and "arrested" exocytic images. At pH 7.4, HRP was taken up into endolysosomal structures within the Golgi complex, and acinar lumen membranes were contracted. Cleavage of GP2, a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-anchored protein, was associated with the pH-dependent activation of HRP uptake. These studies demonstrate that acinar lumen pH regulates endocytic but not exocytic activity at the APM and suggest that alkalinization of the acinar lumen by duct cells is required for retrieval of exocytic membranes into the acinar cell via vesicular uptake mechanisms. The role of acid-base interactions within the acinar lumen provides a novel basis for understanding the cellular and luminal defects observed within the exocrine pancreas in cystic fibrosis.

Cleavage of GPI-anchored proteins from the plasma membrane activates apical endocytosis in pancreatic acinar cells.

Using rat pancreatic acini, we have recently shown that apical endocytosis is inhibited at pH 6.0 and progressively activated as the pH is increased to 8.3. Endocytotic activity correlated with the release of GP2, a GPI-linked protein, from the apical plasma membrane. To determine whether the cleavage of GPI-anchored proteins from the membrane of rat acinar cells was responsible for activation of endocytosis, cells at pH 6.0 were incubated with PI-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). PI-PLC treatment reversed the inhibition of endocytosis observed at pH 6.0. Reactivation of endocytosis correlated with PI-PLC-induced release of GP2 but not cleavage of phospholipids in cellular membranes. Furthermore, administration of diacylglycerol or phorbol esters had no effect on reactivation of endocytosis. PI-PLC did not alter intracellular pH or calcium levels. Two proteins were identified as GPI-linked proteins on the cell surface. One was GP2, whose release from the apical plasma membrane correlated with apical endocytosis of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The other protein, identified by Western blotting using an antibody directed against a cryptic determinant exposed on GPI-linked proteins after cleavage with PI-PLC, has a molecular weight of 98000 in nonreducing SDS gels and 54000 in reducing SDS gels. By nondenaturing gel electrophoresis and staining with naphthylphosphate, this protein was found to be alkaline phosphatase. In contrast to GP2, alkaline phosphatase was not endogenously released at pH values of 7.4 or 8.3, conditions that activate endocytosis of HRP under physiological conditions. By electron microscopic evaluation, incubation of cells at pH 6.0 with PI-PLC led to induction of HRP uptake into vesicles at the apical pole of the cell, a reduction in apical plasma membranes, and a concomitant contraction of the acinar lumen space. Internalized HRP accumulated in the Golgi region of the cell. These results suggest that the cleavage of GPI-anchored proteins from the apical plasma membrane activates apical endocytosis.

Binding of horseradish peroxidase-alpha-bungarotoxin to axonal membranes at the node of Ranvier.

The binding of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BuTx) was investigated in rat sciatic nerve. Activity was found to be localized to the axolemma of myelinated nerve fibers at the nodes of Ranvier. Activity was also seen in other regions of the axolemma where the myelin sheath was separated from the axon by enzymatic treatment. Pretreatment of nerves with native alpha-BuTx or curare blocked the binding of HRP-alpha-BuTx to the axonal membranes. This study demonstrates binding of alpha-BuTx to axonal membranes although the nature and significance of the toxin receptor is uncertain.

Acid-base interactions during exocrine pancreatic secretion. Primary role for ductal bicarbonate in acinar lumen function.

The role of acid-base interactions during coordinated acinar and duct cell secretion in the exocrine pancreas is described. The sequence of acid-base events may be summarized as follows: (1) Sorting of secretory proteins and membrane components into the regulated secretory pathway of pancreatic acinar cells is triggered by acid- and calcium-induced aggregation and association mechanisms located in the trans-Golgi network. (2) Cholecystokinin-stimulated exocytosis in acinar cells releases the acidic contents of secretory granules into the acinar lumen. (3) Secretin-stimulated bicarbonate secretion from duct and duct-like cells neutralizes the acidic pH of exocytic contents, which leads to dissociation of protein aggregates and solubilization of (pro)enzymes within the acinar lumen. (4) Stimulated fluid secretion transports solubilized enzymes through the ductal system. (5) Further alkalinization of acinar lumen pH accelerates the enzymatic cleavage of the glycosyl phosphatidyl-inositol anchor associated with GP2 and thus releases the GP2/proteoglycan matrix from lumenal membranes, a process that appears to be required for vesicular retrieval of granule membranes from the apical plasma membrane and their reuse in the secretory process. We conclude that the central function of bicarbonate secretion by centroacinar and duct cells in the pancreas is to neutralize and then alkalinize the pH of the acinar lumen, sequential process that are required for (a) solubilization of secreted proteins and (b) cellular retrieval of granule membranes, respectively.

Chronic ethanol administration selectively impairs endocytosis in the rat exocrine pancreas.

Release of GP2, a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-linked protein on the apical plasma membrane of the pancreatic acinar cell, is associated with activation of endocytosis. Released GP2 is also an integral component of intraductal plugs in patients with alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis. Our purpose was to determine the effect of ethanol on exocytosis and endocytosis and its association with release of membrane-bound GP2. Rats were fed Lieber-DeCarli diets with and without ethanol for 2 weeks. Endocytosis was then assessed in acini by measuring horseradish peroxidase (HRP) uptake, GP2 release by Western blotting, and exocytosis by measuring amylase release. In ethanol-fed rats, HRP uptake was inhibited by 90% compared to that in control rats. In contrast, no significant difference in cholecystokinin-stimulated amylase secretion was found. In vitro, ethanol inhibited HRP uptake in a dose-dependent manner, with 50% inhibition at 50 mM ethanol. Despite the inhibition of endocytosis, GP2 release increased linearly over 60 min and was significantly higher from acini incubated with ethanol compared to controls. These data indicate that ethanol selectively inhibits endocytosis in pancreatic acinar cells. The release of GP2 into the pancreatic duct was no longer coupled to endocytosis in animals fed ethanol.

Role of the GP2/THP family of GPI-anchored proteins in membrane trafficking during regulated exocrine secretion.

Identification and characterization of the GP2/THP family of GPI-anchored membrane proteins associated with apical secretory membranes suggest that this new class of GPI-linked proteins plays a critical role in regulated protein secretion and ion transport in polarized epithelial cells in pancreas, liver, lung, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. Based on recent information obtained from the world literature and from our own investigations we present the following two hypotheses capable of unifying previously diverse observations. Hypothesis 1 is that formation of GP2 tetramers in the acidic milieu of the trans-Golgi network (TGN) organizes a GP2/proteoglycan (PG) matrix tightly associated with the luminal surface of zymogen granule (ZG) membranes, and proposes that this matrix functions in (a) membrane sorting during granule assembly in the TGN, (b) inactivation of ZG membranes during the storage phase of secretion, and (c) regulated trafficking of ZG membranes from the apical plasma membrane (APM) after exocytosis. Hypothesis 2 is that the acinar lumen constitutes a distinct physiologic compartment for coupled biochemical reactions between acinar and duct cells. Because the acidic pH of the TGN plays a critical role in condensation of secretory proteins, alkalinization of the acinar lumen is required for (a) neutralization of the acidic pH of exocytic contents and (b) solubilization of aggregated (pro)enzymes. Further alkalinization appears to be required for pH-dependent release of the GP2/PG matrix from the APM, a process that may regulate internalization of ZG membranes for reuse during secretion. Taken together, the two hypotheses suggest that luminal factors including acid-base interactions and matrix assembly and disassembly processes perform critical functions during regulated storage and release of pancreatic (pro)enzymes. The requirement that coupling reactions be coordinated through the actions of separate hormones [cholecystokinin (CCK) and secretin] on divergent epithelial cells (acinar and duct cells, respectively) provides a new appreciation for the importance of combined CCK and secretin stimulation during pancreatic secretion in response to food intake.

GP2, a GPI-anchored protein in the apical plasma membrane of the pancreatic acinar cell, co-immunoprecipitates with src kinases and caveolin.

We previously showed that endocytosis at the apical plasma membrane (APM) of the pancreatic acinar cell is activated by the cleavage of GP2, a GPI-linked protein, from the apical cell surface. This endocytic process, as measured by horseradish peroxidase uptake into pancreatic acinar cells, is blocked by the tyrosine kinase inhibitors genistein and tyrphostin B42 as well as by disruption of actin filaments with cytochalasin. This suggests that the cleavage of GP2 from the cell membrane may activate endocytosis through a tyrosine kinase-regulated pathway. However, the mechanism by which GP2 and tyrosine kinases act together to activate endocytosis at the APM remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that pp60, p62yes, caveolin, and annexin, which have previously been implicated in endocytosis in other cell lines, were present in high abundance in GPI-enriched membranes by Western blot analysis. pp60, p62yes, and caveolin all co-immunoprecipitated with GP2 except annexin. An 85-kDa protein whose tyrosine-dependent phosphorylation is correlated with the activation of endocytosis in intact acinar cells also was present in these immunoprecipitates. This suggests that in pancreatic acini, GP2 may exist in a complex with src kinases, caveolin, and an 85-kDa phosphorylated substrate to regulate endocytosis at the APM.

Pancreatic dysfunction in cystic fibrosis occurs as a result of impairments in luminal pH, apical trafficking of zymogen granule membranes, and solubilization of secretory enzymes.

Recent progress in understanding the luminal biochemistry of regulated pancreatic exocrine secretion, including acid-base interactions between acinar and duct cells and pH-dependent processes that regulate membrane trafficking (endocytosis) at the apical plasma membrane, have led to the development of in vitro models of cystic fibrosis in the rat exocrine pancreas. Based on investigations in these model systems, a unifying hypothesis is presented that proposes that pancreatic dysfunction in cystic fibrosis occurs as a result of progressive acidification of the acinar and duct lumen, which leads to secondary defects in (i) apical trafficking of zymogen granule membranes and (ii) solubilization of secretory (pro)enzymes. By directly acidifying the pH of the acinar lumen in cholescystokinin-stimulated acini, the early cytological findings observed in cystic fibrosis, including (i) massive dilatation of the acinar lumen, (ii) decreased appearance of zymogen granules, (iii) loss of the apical pole of the acinar cell, and (iv) persistent aggregation of secretory (pro)enzymes released into the luminal space, have been reproduced in primary cultures of pancreatic tissue.

Mechanisms to explain pancreatic dysfunction in cystic fibrosis.

This article focuses on three potential mechanisms by which pancreatic dysfunction occurs in cystic fibrosis. These include (1) obstruction of pancreatic ducts by inspissated plugs, (2) inhibition of endocytosis in acinar cells, and (3) imbalance in membrane lipids in cystic fibrosis regulated cells. Any of these abnormalities alone or in combination may explain the development of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.

The safety and efficacy of oral docosahexaenoic acid supplementation for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis - a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is characterised by progressive inflammatory and fibrotic destruction of the biliary ducts. There are no effective medical therapies and presently high dose ursodeoxycholic acid is no longer recommended due to significant adverse events in a recent clinical trial. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction is associated with PSC in both children and adults. Since CFTR dysfunction leads to altered fatty acid metabolism, specifically reduced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), we hypothesised that DHA supplementation might be an effective therapy for patients with PSC. AIM: To determine the safety and efficacy of oral DHA supplementation for the treatment of PSC. METHODS: We conducted a 12 month open-label pilot study to evaluate safety of oral DHA and its effects on serum alkaline phosphatase as a primary outcome measure in 23 patients with PSC. DHA was administered orally at 800 mg twice per day. Secondary outcomes included changes in other liver function tests and fibrosis biomarkers. RESULTS: A 1.7-fold increase in serum DHA levels was observed with supplementation. The mean alkaline phosphatase level (±S.E.) at baseline was 357.8 ± 37.1 IU compared to 297.1 ± 23.7 IU (P < 0.05) after 12 months of treatment. There were no changes in other liver function tests and fibrosis biomarkers. No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Oral DHA supplementation is associated with an increase in serum DHA levels and a significant decline in alkaline phosphatase levels in patients with PSC. These data support the need for a rigorous trial of DHA therapy in PSC.

Regulated secretory proteins in the exocrine pancreas aggregate under conditions that mimic the trans-Golgi network.

Fifteen pancreatic secretory proteins, including seven serine-endoproteinases (isoenzyme forms of trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen and proelastase), four metallo-exoproteinases (isoenzymic forms of procarboxypeptidase A and procarboxypeptidase B), amylase, lipase, and two forms of carboxyl ester lipase were observed to aggregate under conditions of acidic pH (5.5) and calcium that mimic the trans-Golgi network. Subsequent neutralization of the pH resulted in disruption of protein aggregates and solubilization of pancreatic (pro)enzymes. In the absence of secretory granule membranes, granule contents display an "intrinsic" property for reversible, pH-dependent aggregation under conditions of mild acidification.