Two resident ER-proteins, CaBP1 and CaBP2, with thioredoxin domains, are substrates for thioredoxin reductase: comparison with protein disulfide isomerase.

Protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI) is the best known representative of a growing family of enzymes with thioredoxin domains. Two such proteins with thioredoxin (Trx) domains, CaBP1 and CaBP2 (ERp72), have previously been isolated from rat liver microsomes. Here we report that they, like PDI are substrates for thioredoxin reductase and will catalyze NADPH-dependent insulin disulfide reduction. The activity of CaBP1 and CaBP2 in this assay was higher than that of PDI but lower than that of E. coli Trx. Furthermore, as isolated the thioredoxin domains of CaBP1 and CaBP2 were in disulfide form as judged by stoichiometric oxidation of 2 and 3 mol of NADPH in CaBP1 and CaBP2, respectively. The redox potential of the active site disulfide/dithiol was estimated from the equilibrium with a mutant E. coli Trx, P34H Trx, with a known redox potential (-235 mV). This showed that CaBP1 and CaBP2, like PDI, have a much higher redox potential than wild type thioredoxin (-270 mV) in agreement with a role in formation of protein disulfide bonds. In conclusion, in vitro CaBP1 and CaBP2 share catalytic properties in thiol disulfide-interchange reactions with PDI. Thus, the well known activity of PDI is not unique in the endoplasmic reticulum and CaBP1 and CaBP2 may be regarded as functional equivalents.

Effects of CaBP2, the rat analog of ERp72, and of CaBP1 on the refolding of denatured reduced proteins. Comparison with protein disulfide isomerase.

It has been shown previously that CaBP2, the rat analog of the murine protein ERp72, and CaBP1, the rat analogue of the hamster protein P5, represent members of the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family and are able to catalyze the reduction of insulin in the presence of various reductants (Nguyen Van et al., 1993). We have now examined the abilities of CaBP2 and CaBP1 to catalyze the renaturation of denatured reduced model proteins. Both CaBP2 and CaBP1 catalyzed the reappearance of the biological activity of the denatured reduced Fab fragment of a monoclonal anti-human creatine phosphokinase antibody. The reaction rate was positively correlated with the amount of CaBP2 or CaBP1 and dependent on the GSH/GSSG ratio (maximum at GSH/GSSG = 1). Peptide prolyl-cis,trans-isomerase (PPI), which catalyzed some renaturation on its own, showed synergistic effects with PDI, CaBP2, and CaBP1. No synergistic effects could be observed when the combinations CaBP2 + PDI, CaBP1 + PDI, or CaBP2 + CaBP1 were tested. Variation of [Ca2+] between 0 and 1 mM did not have any effect on the rate or amount of renaturation catalyzed by CaBP2, CaBP1, or PDI, nor were these parameters affected by the simultaneous presence of BiP or grp94. Both CaBP2 and CaBP1 catalyzed also the renaturation of denatured reduced ribonuclease AIII in a way that depended on the amounts of CaBP2 or CaBP1 and on the redox potential of the redox system used (GSH/GSSG or CSH/CSSC). PPI alone had no effect on the rate of RNase AIII renaturation and did not significantly affect renaturation catalyzed by PDI, CaBP2, or CaBP1. PDI showed a moderate but significant synergism with CaBP2, and a strong synergism with CaBP1. The results indicate that both CaBP2 and CaBP1 can catalyze the formation of disulfide bonds and protein disulfide isomerization and may thus be involved in the folding of nascent proteins in the secretory pathway. This does not exclude the possibility of additional functions of these proteins in the pre-Golgi compartments.