Study on the biosynthesis of dolichol in yeast: recognition of the prenyl chain length in polyprenol reduction.

We synthesized three water-soluble biotin-tagged compounds with different prenyl chain lengths, biotinylated farnesal (BF), biotinylated C(55)-polyprenal (BP55), and biotinylated C(80)-polyprenal (BP80), and examined their effects on in vitro dolichol synthesis from farnesyl diphosphate. BF and BP55 did not affect the dolichol synthesis, whereas BP80 inhibited the reduction pathway from polyprenol to dolichol, accompanied by a decrease in the entire polyprenol and dolichol synthesis. Comparison of BP80 with eighteen detergents, including Triton X-100, CHAPS, octylglucoside, deoxycholate, and Tween 80, revealed the specific effect of BP80 on the reduction pathway. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, BP80 was detected in an associated form with a 50 kDa protein. These results suggest that the reduction of polyprenol to dolichol in the dolichol biosynthetic pathway proceeds with the recognition of the polyprenol chain length by a 50 kDa protein.

Subcellular fractionation of polyprenyl diphosphate synthase activities responsible for the syntheses of polyprenols and dolichols in spinach leaves.

Polyisoprenoid alcohols occurring in spinach leaves were analyzed by a two-plate TLC method. Z,E-mixed polyprenols (C(55-60)), glycinoprenols (C(50-55)), and solanesol (C(45)) were mainly found in chloroplasts, whereas dolichols (C(70-80)) were mainly found in microsomes. Analysis of enzymatic products derived from [1-(14)C]isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) with subcellular fractions revealed that chloroplasts and microsomes had the ability to synthesize Z,E-mixed polyprenyl (C(50-65)) and all E-polyprenyl (C(45-50)) diphosphates, and Z,E-mixed polyprenyl (C(70-85)) diphosphates, respectively. FPP and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) were both accepted for these enzymatic reactions, the former being a better substrate than the latter. NMR analysis of naturally occurring spinach Z,E-mixed polyprenol (C(55)) and dolichol (C(75)) revealed that the number of internal trans isoprene residues in the former was three in comparison with two internal trans residues found for the latter. These results indicate that two kinds of polyprenyl diphosphate synthases occur in spinach: One is the chloroplast enzyme involved in the synthesis of the shorter-chain (C(50-65)) Z,E-mixed polyprenols and the other is the microsomal enzyme involved in the synthesis of longer-chain (C(70-85)) Z,E-mixed polyprenols, which is converted to dolichols.

Evidence for covalent attachment of diphytanylglyceryl phosphate to the cell-surface glycoprotein of Halobacterium halobium.

In a previous study, we demonstrated the occurrence of novel proteins modified with a diphytanylglyceryl group in thioether linkage in Halobacterium halobium (Sagami, H., Kikuchi, A., and Ogura, K. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 14851-14854). In this study, we further investigated protein isoprenoid modification in this halobacterium using several radioactive tracers such as [3H]geranylgeranyl diphosphate. One of the radioactive bands observed on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis corresponded to a periodic acid-Schiff stain-positive protein (200 kDa). Radioactive and periodic acid-Schiff stain-positive peptides (28 kDa) were obtained by trypsin digestion of the labeled proteins. The radioactive materials released by acid treatment of the peptides showed a similar mobility to dolichyl (C55) phosphate on a normal-phase thin-layer plate. However, radioactive hydrolysates obtained by acid phosphatase treatment co-migrated not with dolichol (C55-65), but with diphytanylglycerol on both reverse- and normal-phase thin-layer plates. The mass spectrum of the hydrolysate was also coincident with that of diphytanylglycerol. The partial amino acid sequences of the 28-kDa peptides were found in a fragment (amino acids 731-816) obtainable by trypsin cleavage of the known cell-surface glycoprotein of this halobacterium. These results indicate that the cell-surface glycoprotein (200 kDa) is modified with diphytanylglyceryl phosphate.

Human geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase. cDNA cloning and expression.

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) synthase (GGPPSase) catalyzes the synthesis of GGPP, which is an important molecule responsible for the C20-prenylated protein biosynthesis and for the regulation of a nuclear hormone receptor (LXR.RXR). The human GGPPSase cDNA encodes a protein of 300 amino acids which shows 16% sequence identity with the known human farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase (FPPSase). The GGPPSase expressed in Escherichia coli catalyzes the GGPP formation (240 nmol/min/mg) from FPP and isopentenyl diphosphate. The human GGPPSase behaves as an oligomeric molecule with 280 kDa on a gel filtration column and cross-reacts with an antibody directed against bovine brain GGPPSase, which differs immunochemically from bovine brain FPPSase. Northern blot analysis indicates the presence of two forms of the mRNA.

A partial deficiency of dehydrodolichol reduction is a cause of carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type I.

Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein (CDG) syndrome type I is a congenital disorder that involves the underglycosylation of N-glycosylated glycoproteins (Yamashita, K., Ideo, H., Ohkura, T., Fukushima, K., Yuasa, I., Ohno, K., and Takeshita, K. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 5783-5789). In an effort to further elucidate the biochemical basis of CDG syndrome type I in our patients, we investigated the defect in the multi-step pathway for biosynthesis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLO) by the metabolic labeling method using [3H]glucosamine, [3H]mannose, and [3H]mevalonate. The LLO levels in synchronized cultures of fibroblasts from these patients were severalfold lower than those in control fibroblasts in the S phase, and the oligosaccharides released from LLO showed the same structural composition, Glc1 approximately 3.Man9.GlcNAc.GlcNAc, in the case of both the patients and controls. The amount of [3H]mannose incorporated into mannose 6-phosphate, mannose 1-phosphate, and GDP-mannose was greater in fibroblasts from these patients than in the control fibroblasts in the G1 period, although the ratios of these acidic mannose derivatives as indicated by the relative levels of radioactivity were the same for the two types of fibroblasts. Furthermore, upon metabolic labeling with [3H]mevalonate, the level of [3H]dehydrodolichol in fibroblasts from these patients increased in the S phase, and the levels of [3H]dolichol and [3H]dolichol-PP oligosaccharides concomitantly decreased, although the chain length distribution of the respective dolichols and dehydrodolichols was the same in the two types of fibroblasts. These results indicate that the conversion of dehydrodolichol to dolichol is partially defective in our patients and that the resulting loss of dolichol leads directly to underglycosylation.

Polyprenyl diphosphate synthases.

It is noteworthy that in spite of the similarity of the reactions catalyzed by these prenyltransferases, the modes of expression of catalytic function are surprisingly different, varying according to the chain length and stereochemistry of reaction products. These enzymes are summarized and classified into four groups, as shown in Figure 13. Short-chain prenyl diphosphates synthases such as FPP and GGPP synthases require no cofactor except divalent metal ions, Mg2+ or Mn2+, which are commonly required by all prenyl diphosphate synthases. Medium-chain prenyl diphosphate synthases, including the enzymes for the synthesis of all-E-HexPP and all-E-HepPP, are unusual because they each consist of two dissociable dissimilar protein components, neither of which has catalytic activity. The enzymes for the synthesis of long-chain all-E-prenyl diphosphates, including octaprenyl (C40), nonaprenyl-(C45), and decaprenyl (C50) diphosphates, require polyprenyl carrier proteins that remove polyprenyl products from the active sites of the enzymes to maintain efficient turnovers of catalysis. The enzymes responsible for Z-chain elongation include Z,E-nonaprenyl-(C45) and Z,E-undecaprenyl (C55) diphosphate synthases, which require a phospholipid. The classification of mammalian synthases seems to be fundamentally similar to that of bacterial synthases except that no medium-chain prenyl diphosphate synthases are included. The Z-prenyl diphosphate synthase in mammalian cells is dehydrodolichyl PP synthase, which catalyzes much longer chain elongations than do bacterial enzymes. Dehydrodolichyl PP synthase will be a major target of future studies in this field in view of its involvement in glycoprotein biosynthesis.

Proteolytic release of dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase from pig testis microsomes.

Pig testicular dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase was released in a soluble form out of microsomes by controlled proteolysis with trypsin or papain. Approximately 25% of the microsomal enzyme activity was recovered in the 115,000 x g supernatant fraction when the microsomes were treated with trypsin at 4 degrees C for 1 h. Similar proteolytic release of microsomal enzyme was also observed with the treatment with papain. The K(m), optimal pH, Mg2+ dependency, and ion strength dependency of the enzyme released by trypsin were similar to those of the microsomal enzyme. The microsomal enzyme was active even in the absence of detergents, while the released enzyme required detergents for activity. Gel filtration of the released enzyme gave a peak of dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase activity, which appeared between 150-kDa and 50-kDa molecular mass markers.

Enzymatic formation of dehydrodolichal and dolichal, new products related to yeast dolichol biosynthesis.

Two new polyprenyl products in addition to dehydrodolichol and dolichol were detected by two-plate silica gel thin layer chromatography of nonpolar products formed from [1-14C]isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate in the reaction with a crude 1,000 x g supernatant of yeast homogenates in the presence of NADPH. The new products were indistinguishable from authentic dehydrodolichal and dolichal. Analyses of the time-dependent and pH-dependent formation of the four products including dehydrodolichal and dolichal suggested that the biosynthetic pathway from dehydrodolichol leading to dolichal is different from that to dolichol. In double-labeled experiments with a combination of -l-14C-isopentenyl diphosphate and a [4B-3H]NADPH-generating system, the ratio of 3H- and 14C-derived radioactivities found in dolichal was six times higher than that in dolichol. A small amount of 3H-labeled dehydrodolichol was also detected. Considering the fact that dolichol is synthesized from dehydrodolichol (Sagami, H., Kurisaki, A., and Ogura, K. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 10109-10113), we propose that dehydrodolichol is a common branch point intermediate in the biosynthetic pathways leading to dolichal and dolichol and that dehydrodolichal is an intermediate in the pathway from dehydrodolichol to dolichal.

A novel type of protein modification by isoprenoid-derived materials. Diphytanylglycerylated proteins in Halobacteria.

Previous work from this laboratory has shown that a derivative of [3H]mevalonic acid is incorporated into a number of specific proteins in Halobacterium halobium and Halobacterium cutirubrum and that the major radioactive material released by treatment with methyl iodide was neither farnesyl nor geranylgeranyl compound, which have been generally accepted to be prenyl groups of a number of prenylated proteins found in eukaryotic cells, but an unknown compound (Sagami, H., Kikuchi, A., and Ogura, K. (1994) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 203, 972-978). In the current study, the unknown compound was prepared in a large amount from H. halobium cells and analyzed by reverse and normal phase high performance liquid chromatographies followed by mass spectrometry. The mass spectrum of this compound exhibited a parent ion peak (M+) at m/z 682, suggesting that it is a 1-methylthio-2,3-di-O-(3',7',11',15'-tetramethylhexadecyl)glycerol (diphytanylglyceryl methylthioether). Diphytanylglyceryl methyl thioether was chemically synthesized, and its mass fragmentation pattern was completely coincident with that of the mevalonic acid-derived material from H. halobium. These results indicate that Halobacteria contains specific proteins with a novel type of modification of a cysteine residue of the proteins with a diphytanylglyceryl group in thioether linkage.

Novel isoprenoid modified proteins in Halobacteria.

Incorporation of [3H]mevalonic acid-derived materials into proteins was studied with extremely halophilic archaebacteria, Halobacterium halobium and Halobacterium cutirubrum. Several labeled proteins were detected on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography. The majority of the radioactive materials released from the labeled proteins by sulfonium salt cleavage moved with a mobility similar to that of a C85 polyprenol on reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography, and no radioactive farnesol was found on the chromatography. However, a weak but significant protein farnesyltransferase activity was detected in in vitro experiments with a combination of [3H]farnesyl diphosphate and Ras precursor protein.

Purification and properties of geranylgeranyl-diphosphate synthase from bovine brain.

Geranylgeranyl-diphosphate synthase was purified to homogeneity from bovine brain in a one-step procedure employing an affinity column. For the construction of the affinity column, a farnesyl diphosphate analog, O-(6-amino-1-hexyl)-P-farnesylmethyl phosphonophosphate, was synthesized and linked to the spacer of the matrix of Affi-Gel 10 via the amino group. The native enzyme appeared to be a homooligomer (150-195 kDa) with a molecular mass of the monomer of 37.5 kDa. The pI for the enzyme was 6.2. The Km values for dimethylallyl diphosphate, geranyl diphosphate, and farnesyl diphosphate were estimated to be 33, 0.80, and 0.74 microM, respectively. The Km value for isopentenyl diphosphate in the reaction with isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate was 2 microM. The reaction velocities for the formation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate from dimethylallyl diphosphate, geranyl diphosphate, and farnesyl diphosphate were in the ratio of 0.004:0.145:1. The intermediate farnesyl diphosphate was formed in the reaction with geranyl diphosphate as an allylic primer. Geranylgeranyl diphosphate acted as a competitive inhibitor against farnesyl diphosphate with an approximate Ki value of 1.2 microM in the condensation reaction of farnesyl diphosphate with isopentenyl diphosphate. Farnesyl-diphosphate synthase catalyzing the formation of farnesyl diphosphate from dimethylallyl diphosphate and isopentenyl diphosphate was also purified to homogeneity from the same organ by similar affinity chromatography using a geranyl diphosphate analog, O-(6-amino-1-hexyl)-P-geranylmethyl phosphonophosphate, as a ligand. This enzyme was a homodimer with a monomeric molecular mass of 40.0 kDa. These results indicate that geranylgeranyl diphosphate, a lipid precursor for the biosynthesis of a majority of prenylated proteins, is synthesized from dimethylallyl diphosphate and isopentenyl diphosphate by the action of farnesyl-diphosphate synthase catalyzing the reaction of C5-->C15, followed by the action of geranylgeranyl-diphosphate synthase catalyzing a single reaction of C15-->C20, and that geranylgeranyl diphosphate can down-regulate its own synthesis through the inhibition of the geranylgeranyldiphosphate synthase action.

Phosphorylation of farnesol by a cell-free system from Botryococcus braunii.

Farnesol was incorporated into squalene as well as botryococcenes when the alcohol was fed to the culture of Botryococcus braunii B race strain. In in vitro experiments with a 10,000 x g supernatant of cell homogenate, squalene was synthesized from farnesyl diphosphate in the presence of NADPH or NADH, but botryococcenes were not synthesized under the same conditions. A 100,000 x g pelet fraction was able to phosphorylate farnesol to give its mono- and diphosphate esters in a CTP dependent manner.

Purification of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase from bovine brain.

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) synthase was purified to homogeneity from bovine brain in a one-step affinity column procedure. For the construction of the affinity column, a farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) analog, O-(6-amino-1-hexyl)-P-farnesylmethyl phosphonophosphate, was synthesized and linked to the spacer of the matrix of Affigel 10 via the amino group. The native enzyme appeared to be homooligomer (150-195 kDa) with a molecular mass of the monomer of 37.5 kDa. The pI for the enzyme was 6.2. The Km values for dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), geranyl diphosphate (GPP) and FPP were estimated to be 33 microM, 0.80 microM and 0.74 microM, respectively. The Km value for isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) in the presence of both IPP and FPP mixture was 2 microM. The ratio of the reaction velocity for formation of GGPP from DMAPP, GPP or FPP was 0.004:0.145:1. The intermediate FPP was formed in the reaction with GPP as an allylic primer. FPP synthase catalyzing the formation of FPP from DMAPP and IPP was also purified to homogeneity from the same organ by a similar affinity chromatography procedure using a GPP analog, O-(6-amino-1-hexyl)-P-geranylmethyl phosphonophosphate as a ligand. The enzyme was a homodimer with a monomeric molecular mass of 40.0 kDa. These results indicate that GGPP, a lipid precursor for the biosynthesis of a majority of prenylated proteins, is synthesized from DMAPP and IPP by the action of FPP synthase catalyzing the reactions C5-->C15 followed by the action of GGPP synthase catalyzing the reaction C15-->C20.

Formation of farnesal and 3-hydroxy-2,3-dihydrofarnesal from farnesol by protoplasts of Botryococcus braunii.

Farnesal and 3-hydroxy-2,3-dihydrofarnesal (3-hydroxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-6,10-dodecadiene-1-al) were formed from farnesol when the alcohol was incubated with the protoplast of Botryococcus braunii B race strain. This fact suggests the existence of farnesal hydratase in the alga. Feeding experiments showed that both farnesal and 3-hydroxy-2,3-dihydrofarnesal were efficiently incorporated into botryococcenes, triterpenoid hydrocarbons of the alga.

Biosynthesis of prenyl diphosphates by cell-free extracts from mammalian tissues.

When assayed by the conventional method for prenyltransferase using a combination of [1-14C]isopentenyl and geranyl diphosphates, 100,000 x g supernatants of homogenates of rat liver and brain catalyzed the formation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate at a much lower rate than that of farnesyl diphosphate. Surprisingly, however, the formation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate in incubations of [1-14C]isopentenyl diphosphate alone with these enzyme systems was comparable to that of farnesyl diphosphate. Addition of dimethylallyl diphosphate to the same enzyme systems in the presence of [1-14C]isopentenyl diphosphate resulted in a marked increase in the rate of formation of farnesyl diphosphate, while the rate of formation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate was saturated. Metabolic labeling of rat liver and kidney slices with [5-3H]mevalonic acid revealed that the major prenyl residue of the detectable prenylated proteins was actually the geranylgeranyl group. Coupled with the previous finding that geranylgeranyl diphosphate accumulates during metabolic labeling of rat liver slices with [2-3H]mevalonic acid [Sagami, H., Matsuoka, S., and Ogura, K. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 3458-3463], these results indicate that the rate of de novo synthesis of geranylgeranyl diphosphate from mevalonic acid is comparable to that of farnesyl diphosphate.

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase catalyzing the single condensation between isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate.

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase was purified 191-fold from bovine brain by Mono Q column chromatography followed by preparative isoelectric focusing electrophoresis and Superose 12 gel filtration. The synthase had a pI value at 6.0, and it was made free of farnesyl diphosphate synthase, the pI of which was 5.1. The partially purified enzyme catalyzed the formation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate from isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate with the Km values for isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate being 14 and 0.8 microM, respectively. Dimethylallyl diphosphate and geranyl diphosphate were poor substrates with velocities of only 0.003 and 0.03, respectively, relative to that of farnesyl diphosphate. These results indicate that geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase catalyzes a single condensation between isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate and that farnesyl diphosphate is the common intermediate at the branch point for the synthesis of geranylgeranylated proteins as well as cholesterol, ubiquinone, dolichol, and farnesylated proteins. The enzyme required Mg2+ or Mn2+ for maximum activity. Octylglucoside showed a stimulatory effect on the enzyme activity.

Formation of dolichol from dehydrodolichol is catalyzed by NADPH-dependent reductase localized in microsomes of rat liver.

The alpha-saturation reaction involved in the biosynthesis of dolichol has been investigated with rat liver preparations. Under improved in vitro conditions with 10,000 x g supernatant of rat liver homogenates in the presence of NADPH at pH 8.0, dolichol was synthesized from isopentenyl diphosphate and Z,E,E-geranylgeranyl diphosphate. Neither dolichyl diphosphate nor dolichyl phosphate was detected. The chain length distribution of the dolicohol was the same as that of dehydrodolichyl products. In an assay system containing dehydrodolichol, dehydrodolichyl phosphate, or dehydrodolichyl diphosphate as a substrate, dehydrodolichol was predominantly converted into dolichol. The enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of dehydrodolichol to dolichol was localized in microsomes. The reductase activity was stimulated 9-fold by the addition of a 100,000 x g soluble fraction. The reductase had an opimal pH at 8.0. These results indicate that dolichol is formed from dehydrodolichol in rat liver microsomes. The formation of dolichol from dehydrodolichol was also catalyzed by 10,000 x g supernatant of rat or pig testis homogenates.

Separation of dolichol from dehydrodolichol by a simple two-plate thin-layer chromatography.

A novel thin-layer chromatographic procedure was devised to separate dolichol and dehydrodolichol from each other with the concomitant separation of each family with respect to the carbon chain length. This method involves development of the polyprenols successively on two different plates, a silica gel plate and a reversed-phase plate.

Studies on geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase from rat liver: specific inhibition by 3-azageranylgeranyl diphosphate.

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase from rat liver was separated from farnesyl diphosphate synthase, the most abundant and widely occurring prenyltransferase, by DEAE-Toyopearl column chromatography. The enzyme catalyzed the formation of E,E,E-geranylgeranyl diphosphate (V) from isopentenyl diphosphate (II) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (I), geranyl diphosphate (III), or farnesyl diphosphate (IV) with relative velocities of 0.09:0.15:1. 3-Azageranylgeranyl diphosphate (VII), designed as a transition-state analog for the geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase reaction, was synthesized and found to act as a specific inhibitor for this synthase, but not for farnesyl diphosphate synthase. Diphosphate V and its Z,E,E-isomer (VI) also inhibited geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, but the effect was not as striking as that of the aza analog VII. Specific inhibition of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase by VII was also observed in experiments with 100,000g supernatants of rat brain and liver homogenates which contained isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase and prenyltransferases including farnesyl diphosphate synthase as well as geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase. For farnesyl:protein transferase from rat brain, however, the aza compound did not show a stronger inhibitory effect than E,E,E-geranylgeranyl diphosphate.