Intracellular transport of phosphatidylcholine to the plasma membrane.

We have used pulse-chase labeling of Chinese hamster ovary cells with choline followed by plasma membrane isolation on cationic beads to study the transport of phosphatidylcholine from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane. We have found that the process is rapid (t1/2 [25 degrees C] = 2 min) and not affected by energy poisons or by cytochalasin B, colchicine, monensin, or carbonyl cyanide p-chlorophenylhydrazone. Cooling cells to 0 degree C effectively stops the transport process. The intracellular transport of phosphatidylcholine is distinct in several ways from the intracellular transport of cholesterol (Kaplan, M. R., and R. D. Simoni, 1985, J. Cell. Biol., 101:446-453).

Transport of cholesterol from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane.

We have studied the transport of newly synthesized cholesterol from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane in Chinese hamster ovary cells using a cell fractionation assay. We found that transport is dependent on metabolic energy, but that the maintenance of the high differential concentration of cholesterol in the plasma membrane is not an energy-requiring process. We have tested a variety of inhibitors for their effect on cholesterol transport and found that cytochalasin B, colchicine, monensin, cycloheximide, and NH4Cl did not have any effect. The cholesterol transport process shows a sharp temperature dependence; it ceases at 15 degrees C, whereas cholesterol synthesis continues. When synthesis occurs at 15 degrees C, the newly synthesized cholesterol accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum and in a low density, lipid-rich vesicle fraction. These results suggest that cholesterol is transported via a vesicular system.

Immunological evidence for eight spans in the membrane domain of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase: implications for enzyme degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum.

We have raised two monospecific antibodies against synthetic peptides derived from the membrane domain of the ER glycoprotein 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. This domain, which was proposed to span the ER membrane seven times (Liscum, L., J. Finer-Moore, R. M. Stroud, K. L. Luskey, M. S. Brown, and J. L. Goldstein. 1985. J. Biol. Chem. 260:522-538), plays a critical role in the regulated degradation of the enzyme in the ER in response to sterols. The antibodies stain the ER of cells and immunoprecipitate HMG-CoA reductase and HMGal, a chimeric protein composed of the membrane domain of the reductase fused to Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase, the degradation of which is also accelerated by sterols. We show that the sequence Arg224 through Leu242 of HMG-CoA reductase (peptide G) faces the cytoplasm both in cultured cells and in rat liver, whereas the sequence Thr284 through Glu302 (peptide H) faces the lumen of the ER. This indicates that a sequence between peptide G and peptide H spans the membrane of the ER. Moreover, by epitope tagging with peptide H, we show that the loop segment connecting membrane spans 3 and 4 is sequestered in the lumen of the ER. These results demonstrate that the membrane domain of HMG-CoA reductase spans the ER eight times and are inconsistent with the seven membrane spans topological model. The approximate boundaries of the proposed additional transmembrane segment are between Lys248 and Asp276. Replacement of this 7th span in HMGal with the first transmembrane helix of bacteriorhodopsin abolishes the sterol-enhanced degradation of the protein, indicating its role in the regulated turnover of HMG-CoA reductase within the endoplasmic reticulum.

7-Dehydrocholesterol-dependent proteolysis of HMG-CoA reductase suppresses sterol biosynthesis in a mouse model of Smith-Lemli-Opitz/RSH syndrome.

Smith-Lemli-Opitz/RSH syndrome (SLOS), a relatively common birth-defect mental-retardation syndrome, is caused by mutations in DHCR7, whose product catalyzes an obligate step in cholesterol biosynthesis, the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol. A null mutation in the murine Dhcr7 causes an identical biochemical defect to that seen in SLOS, including markedly reduced tissue cholesterol and total sterol levels, and 30- to 40-fold elevated concentrations of 7-dehydrocholesterol. Prenatal lethality was not noted, but newborn homozygotes breathed with difficulty, did not suckle, and died soon after birth with immature lungs, enlarged bladders, and, frequently, cleft palates. Despite reduced sterol concentrations in Dhcr7(-/-) mice, mRNA levels for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-controlling enzyme for sterol biosynthesis, the LDL receptor, and SREBP-2 appeared neither elevated nor repressed. In contrast to mRNA, protein levels and activities of HMG-CoA reductase were markedly reduced. Consistent with this finding, 7-dehydrocholesterol accelerates proteolysis of HMG-CoA reductase while sparing other key proteins. These results demonstrate that in mice without Dhcr7 activity, accumulated 7-dehydrocholesterol suppresses sterol biosynthesis posttranslationally. This effect might exacerbate abnormal development in SLOS by increasing the fetal cholesterol deficiency.

Isolation and preliminary characterization of rat liver cells resistant to 7-ketocholesterol.

Two clones of the rat liver cell line, GAI, were selected and propagated in 4 microgram/ml of the cholesterol analogue, 7-ketocholesterol. One of the variants was also found to be resistant to another toxic analogue, 25-hydroxycholesterol. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) activity was elevated in both variant clones, but was not increased substantially upon incubation of the cells in lipid-depleted medium. The reductase activity was increased 3-fold in the wild type cells under the same conditions. Incubation of the cells in lipid-depleted medium resulted in a 3-fold increase in the rate of sterol synthesis from [14C]acetate in all three types. In the presence of 2 microgram/ml 7-ketocholesterol, the reductase activity in all three cell lines decreased at an equal rate, but activity of the enzyme was still measurable after 48 h in the presence of the analogue. Sterol synthesis was reduced almost to zero in the wild type cells under these conditions, while the variant cells retained 12--15% of their capacity for sterol synthesis. These results are interpreted to indicate that 7-ketocholesterol, besides affecting sterol synthesis at the level to 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, must also affect sterol synthesis at another step further along the synthetic pathway.

Alanine transport by Chinese hamster ovary cells with altered phospholipid acyl chain composition.

The Na+-dependent transport of alanine has been examined in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as a function of the fatty acid composition of their membrane lipids. Significant changes in the fatty acid composition of the CHO cell phospholipids were achieved by supplementation of the growth medium with specific saturated (palmitate) or monoenoic (oleate) free fatty acids. Arrhenius plots of the temperature-dependent uptake of alanine were constructed for cells of altered fatty acid composition. Alanine uptake was characterized by a single discontinuity in the Arrhenius plot. The temperature of this break was observed to be dependent upon the fatty acid composition of the cell phospholipids, ranging from 16 degrees C for cells enriched with oleate to 32 degrees C for cells enriched in palmitate. Calculation of the Km value for the uptake process showed no significant change with temperature or fatty acid supplementation. Correlations are made between the physical state of the membrane lipids and the temperature-dependence for alanine transport. The results are discussed in terms of membrane fatty acid composition, ordered in equilibrium fluid phase transitions and amino acid transport.

Activation of purified 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase by phospholipids.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in cholesterol biosynthesis, has been purified by two previously reported procedures. Enzyme purified by the method of Heller, R. and Shrewsbury, M. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 3815-3822) shows up to 3-fold enhancement of activity by various types of lipid dispersions while the enzyme purified by the procedure of Tormanen et al. ((1976) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 68, 754-762) shows no activation. These results suggest that interaction with microsomal membrane lipids may be important in determining the activity of this enzyme. Analysis of bound lipid showed that enzyme prepared by the procedure of Tormanen contained at last 50 times as much phospholipid on a weight basis as enzyme prepared by Heller and Shrewsbury. Analysis of both preparations by gel-electrophoresis indicates that enzyme activities of the two comigrate, but in neither case does activity coincide with the major protein species.

Characterization of the genes coding for the F1F0 subunits of the sodium dependent ATPase of Propionigenium modestum.

The DNA coding for the eight structural genes and uncI of the sodium dependent ATPase of Propionigenium modestum has been cloned and sequenced. Based on sequence homology, the genes were determined to appear in the order uncBEFHAGDC as in several other bacterial species. Minicell experiments revealed that plasmids containing the P. modestum DNA expressed those ATPase polypeptides in Escherichia coli. These were very similar in molecular mass to those obtained from the purified ATPase of P. modestum. No membrane-bound ATPase activity was observed in E. coli unc deletion strains containing the P. modestum ATPase genes. Amino acid alignments which were done with the Fo subunits revealed only a few conservative changes in the highly conserved regions of the polypeptides.

Mevalonate deprivation leads to aneuploidy in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

After exposure to compactin, the competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, 22% of CHO-K1 cells contained abnormally high numbers of chromosomes. In two populations of cells selected for compactin resistance 31 and 33% of the cells contain more than 22 chromosomes. Some cell lines isolated from these populations have the wild type chromosome number of 20-21, while others have a broad distribution of chromosome number, often with a mean around 36-40. Finally, Chinese hamster ovary cells that are mutant for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and therefore auxotrophic for mevalonate were starved for that compound. This treatment also increased the number of cells containing extra chromosomes. These results indicate that interruption of the cellular supply of mevalonate results in abnormal chromosome number.

Proton translocation by the F1F0ATPase of Escherichia coli. Mutagenic analysis of the a subunit.

Cassette site-directed mutagenesis was employed to generate mutations in the a subunit (uncB (a) gene) of F1F0ATP synthase. Using sequence homology with similar subunits of other F1F0ATP synthases as a guide, 20 mutations were targeted to a region of the a subunit thought to constitute part of the proton translocation mechanism. ATP-driven proton pumping activity is lost with the substitution of lys, ile, val, or glu for arginine 210. Substitution of val, leu, gln, or glu for asparagine 214 does not completely block proton conduction, however, replacement of asparagine 214 with histidine does reduce enzyme activity below that necessary for significant function. Two or three mutations were constructed in each of four nonpolar amino acids, leucine 207, leucine 211, alanine 217, and glycine 218. Certain specific mutations in these positions result in partial loss of F1F0ATP synthase activity, but only the substitution of arginine for alanine 217 reduces ATP-driven proton pumping activity to undetectable levels. It is concluded that of the six amino acids studied, only arginine 210 is an essential component of the proton translocation mechanism. Fractionation of cell-free extracts of a subunit mutation strains generally reveals normal amounts of F1 specifically bound to the particulate fraction. One possible exception is the arginine 210 to isoleucine mutation which results in somewhat elevated levels of free F1 detectable in the soluble fraction. For nearly all a subunit mutations, F1F0-mediated ATP hydrolysis activity remains sensitive to inhibition by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in spite of the fact that the mutations block proton translocation.

Biogenesis of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, an integral glycoprotein of the endoplasmic reticulum.

Using a cell line, C100, that overproduces 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase; EC 1.1.1.34) 100-fold, we have studied the synthesis and insertion of this protein into the endoplasmic reticulum. The enzyme is synthesized on membrane-bound polysomes. It is cotranslationally but not post-translationally inserted into dog pancreatic microsomes. This cotranslational insertion is dependent upon signal recognition particle. HMG-CoA reductase is glycosylated with an oligosaccharide(s) of the "high-mannose" type sensitive to endo-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase H. Partial determination of the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of the in vitro translation product and the mature polypeptide indicate they are the same and demonstrate there is no cleavage of an NH2-terminal signal sequence.

Assembly of a functional F1 of the proton-translocating ATPase of Escherichia coli.

Assembly of the F1 portion of the proton-translocating ATPase of Escherichia coli was examined in vivo. Analysis of strains lacking genes which specify the Fo polypeptides a, b, and c showed that the F1 subunits were able to assemble into a complex in the absence of the Fo subunits. In addition we have investigated the effects of mutations in the individual genes which specify the F1 polypeptides on the assembly process. Mutations of the uncA(alpha), uncG(gamma), or uncD(beta) genes result in a defective assembly of the F1 complex. In contrast, mutations in the uncH(delta) or uncC(epsilon) genes did not prevent assembly of the core alpha beta gamma complex. In these cases, however, the partial F1 complexes were incapable of restoring energy-linked functions to F1-depleted membranes.

The beta subunit of the Escherichia coli ATP synthase exhibits a tight membrane binding property.

We have developed a chromatographic procedure to analyze the association of the subunits of the Escherichia coli F1Fo-ATP synthase with the cytoplasmic membrane. Minicells containing [35S]-labeled ATP synthase subunits are treated with lysozyme, solubilized, and chromatographed on a Sepharose CL-2B column in buffer containing urea and taurodeoxycholate. ATP synthase subunits are resolved into membrane intrinsic and membrane extrinsic subunits. Interestingly, a significant amount (36%) of the F1 subunit beta fractionates with the membrane intrinsic Fo subunits. About half of this amount (19%) of beta is non-specifically bound to the membrane. Interaction of beta with the membrane is not mediated by the amino terminal portion of beta.

Cholesterol and vesicular stomatitis virus G protein take separate routes from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane.

Transport of newly synthesized cholesterol and vesicular stomatitis virus G protein from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane is interrupted by incubation at 15 degrees C. Under this condition the newly synthesized molecules accumulate in both the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and a subcellular vesicle fraction of low density called the lipid-rich vesicle fraction. The material in the lipid-rich vesicle fraction appears to be a post-ER intermediate in the transport process to the plasma membrane (PM). Although both newly synthesized cholesterol and G protein accumulate in this intermediate compartment at 15 degrees C, suggesting cotransport, treatment with Brefeldin A does not affect cholesterol transport to the PM, whereas it strongly inhibits G protein transport. We conclude that cholesterol and G protein leave the ER in separate vesicles, the cholesterol containing vesicles bypass the Golgi apparatus and proceed to the PM, whereas G protein containing vesicles follow the well documented Golgi route to the cell surface.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and T cell receptor alpha subunit are differentially degraded in the endoplasmic reticulum.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) is located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and responds to rapid degradation which is regulated by mevalonate or sterols. T cell antigen receptor alpha chain (TCR alpha) is also known to be rapidly degraded within the ER. In both cases, the membrane domains of the proteins have a crucial role in their rapid degradation. In order to investigate protein degradation in the ER, we compared the degradation of HMG-CoA reductase and TCR alpha in the same Chinese hamster ovary cells. Among the protease inhibitors tested, N-acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-methioninal blocks the degradation of HMG-CoA reductase and also inhibits the degradation of TCR alpha. On the other hand, N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone and N-carbobenzoxy-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone inhibit the degradation of TCR alpha but have no effect on the degradation of HMG-CoA reductase. Diamide, a thiol-oxidizing agent, blocks the degradation of both HMG-CoA reductase and TCR alpha. Perturbation of cellular Ca2+ attenuates the rapid degradation of HMG-CoA reductase but does not affect the degradation of TCR alpha. Furthermore, thapsigargin, a selective ER Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, and Co2+, a potent Ca2+ antagonist, increase the half-life of HMG-CoA reductase but not that of TCR alpha. Energy inhibitors diminish the rapid degradation of HMG-CoA reductase but not that of TCR alpha. These results suggest that although HMG-CoA reductase and TCR alpha appear to be degraded in the same subcellular compartment, the mechanisms responsible for degradation differ.