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P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) is a mucin-like glycoprotein on leukocytes that is a high affinity ligand for P-selectin. Previous studies have shown that sialylation and fucosylation of PSGL-1 are required for its binding to P-selectin, but other post-translational modifications of PSGL-1 may also be important. We demonstrate that PSGL-1 synthesized in human HL-60 cells can be metabolically labeled with [35S]sulfate that is incorporated primarily into tyrosine sulfate. Treatment of PSGL-1 with a bacterial arylsulfatase releases sulfate from tyrosine, resulting in a concordant decrease in binding to P-selectin. These studies demonstrate that tyrosine sulfate on PSGL-1 functions in conjunction with sialylated and fucosylated glycans to mediate high affinity binding to P-selectin.

During the course of a study of elucidate the role of modification of the common polysaccharide-protein linkage structure, GlcA beta 1-3Gal beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Xyl beta 1-O-Ser, in biosynthetic sorting mechanisms of the different sulfated glycosaminoglycan chains, a novel N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) transferase was discovered in fetal bovine serum. The enzyme catalyzed the transfer of [3H]GalNAc from UDP-[3H]GalNAc to linkage tetrasaccharide and hexasaccharide serines synthesized chemically and to various regular oligosaccharides containing terminal D-glucuronic acid (GlcA), which were prepared from chondroitin and chondroitin sulfate using testicular hyaluronidase digestion. The labeled products obtained with the linkage tetra- and hexasaccharide serines and with the tetrasaccharide (GlcA beta 1-3GalNAc)2 were resistant to digestion with chondroitinase AC-II and beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase but sensitive to alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase digestion, indicating that the enzyme is an alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase. This finding is in contrast to that of Rohrmann et al. (Rohrmann, K., Niemann, R., and Buddecke, E. (1985) Eur. J. Biochem., 148, 463-469), who reported that a corresponding product was susceptible to digestion with beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase. The presence of a sulfate group at C4 of the penultimate GalNAc or Gal units markedly inhibited the transfer of GalNAc to the terminal GlcA, while a sulfate group at C6 of the GalNAc had little effect on the transfer. Moreover, a slight but significant transfer of [3H]GalNAc was observed to an oligosaccharide containing terminal 2-O-sulfated GlcA as acceptor, whereas no incorporation was detected into oligosaccharides containing terminal unsaturated or 3-O-sulfated GlcA units. These results suggest that this novel serum enzyme is a UDP-GalNAc:chondro-oligosaccharide alpha 1-3- or 1-4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase. The possibility of involvement of this enzyme in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis is discussed.

A soluble sulfotransferase that could 6-sulfate both chondroitin sulfate and corneal keratan sulfate was purified 27,500-fold using a sequence of affinity chromatographic steps with heparin-Sepharose, wheat germ agglutinin-agarose, and 3',5'-ADP-agarose. The essentially pure enzyme had a specific activity 40 times greater than the most purified chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase previously reported and exhibited a single sharp Coomassie Blue-stained and a heavy silver-stained protein band of 75 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Chromatography of the purified enzyme on Sephacryl demonstrated a size of 150 kDa, which indicated that the native enzyme exists as a dimer. In addition to 6-sulfation of nonsulfated GalNAc, the purified serum enzyme had the ability to sulfate GalNAc 4-sulfate residues to give GalNAc 4,6-disulfate residues. The purified enzyme exhibited a Km of 40 microM for adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-phosphosulfate when either chondroitin sulfate or corneal keratan sulfate were used as the acceptors. Use of both chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate in the same experiment demonstrated mutual competition, establishing that the sulfation of these substrates is by the same enzyme. Photoaffinity labeling of the purified enzyme with 2-azidoadenosine 3',5'-di[5'-32P]phosphate occurred only with the 75-kDa protein, confirming that this is the chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase/keratan sulfotransferase.

The circulatory half-life of the mammalian glycoprotein hormone lutropin is controlled by its unique Asn-linked oligosaccharides, which terminate with the sequence SO4-4-GalNAc beta 1,4GlcNAc. A cluster of basic amino acids essential for recognition of the alpha subunit by the glycoprotein hormone:N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase is located within two turns of an alpha helix (Mengeling, B.J., Manzella, S.M., and Baenziger, J.U. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 502-506). The amino acids within this region are virtually invariant in the alpha subunits of all vertebrates, indicating that the recognition determinant utilized by the N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase has been conserved in species ranging from teleost fish to mammals. We demonstrate that the glycoprotein hormone:N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase and the N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfotransferase responsible for the synthesis of these unique sulfated oligosaccharides are expressed in the pituitaries of vertebrates ranging from teleost fish to mammals. Furthermore, we show that Asn-linked oligosaccharides terminating with SO4-4-GalNAc beta 1,4GlcNAc are present on the alpha and beta subunits of the salmon glycoprotein hormone GTH II. Asn-linked oligosaccharides terminating with SO4-4-GalNAc beta 1,4GlcNAc are unique structural features of the glycoprotein hormones that have been conserved during vertebrate evolution, suggesting they are critical for the expression of hormone biologic activity.

A gene has been described, Down Regulated in Adenoma (dra), which is expressed in normal colon but is absent in the majority of colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas. However, the function of this protein is unknown. Because of sequence similarity to a recently cloned membrane sulfate transporter in rat liver, the transport function of Dra was examined. We established that dra encodes for a Na-independent transporter for both sulfate and oxalate using microinjected Xenopus oocytes as an assay system. Sulfate transport was sensitive to the anion exchange inhibitor DIDS (4,4′-diisothiocyano-2,2′disulfonic acid stilbene). Using an RNase protection assay, we found that dra mRNA expression is limited to the small intestine and colon in mouse, therefore identifying Dra as an intestine-specific sulfate transporter. dra also had a unique pattern of expression during intestinal development. Northern blot analysis revealed a low level of expression in colon at birth with a marked increase in the first 2 postnatal weeks. In contrast, there was a lower, constant level of expression in small intestine in the postnatal period. Caco-2 cells, a colon carcinoma cell line that differentiates over time in culture, demonstrated a marked induction of dra mRNA as cells progressed from the preconfluent (undifferentiated) to the postconfluent (differentiated) state. These results show that Dra is an intestine-specific Na-independent sulfate transporter that has differential expression during colonic development. This functional characterization provides the foundation for investigation of the role of Dra in intestinal sulfate transport and in the malignant phenotype.

The kinetic properties of sulfate transport mediated by the anion exchangers AE1 and AE2 have been examined. Microsomes isolated from HEK cells transiently overexpressing either protein were reconstituted in unilamellar, 200-600-nm diameter proteoliposomes. Transport mediated by the exchangers was monitored by loading the reconstituted proteoliposomes with the slowly transportable anion SO4(2-) using [35S]SO4(2-) as a tracer and performing [35S]SO4(2-)/SO4(2-) exchange. The following data suggest that AE1 and AE2 have been functionally reconstituted: (i) the rate of SO4(2-) transport in AE1 and AE2 containing proteoliposomes was 10-20 times higher than in proteoliposomes derived from control microsomes; (ii) the transport of SO4(2-) was strongly dependent on the presence of a trans anion; and (iii) the anion exchanger inhibitors, 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′- disulfonate (DIDS) and 4,4′-dinitrostilbene-2,2′-di-sulfonate (DIDS) totally abolished SO4(2-) transport. furthermore, DIDS inhibits SO4(2-) transport only when occluded inside the vesicles, indicating a uniform, asymmetrical, inside-out orientation of the reconstituted exchangers. The Ki values of the stilbene disulfonate compound DNDS were 2.5 and 4 microM for AE1 and AE2, respectively, suggesting that the two exchangers possess similar high affinity sites for stilbene compounds. Both AE1 and AE2 showed the same steep pH dependence of sulfate transport, which was maximal at pH 5.5 and reduced to less than 10% (of the value at pH 5.5) at pH 8.5, suggesting that an acidic residue shared by AE1 and AE2 participates in the pH regulation of sulfate transport.

Sulfate transport was examined in rat liver lysosomes that were isolated from thyroid hormone-treated, thyroidectomized, and control animals. Sulfate uptake was significantly decreased in lysosomes from animals that had received intraperitoneal T3 (3,5,3'-triiodothyronine) at a dose of 20 micrograms/100 g body weight. The effect of T3 was maximal by 24 h post-injection and resulted in marked decreases in both Vmax (control: 155 +/- 33 pmol/unit of beta-hexosaminidase/30 s versus T3 treated: 24 +/- 7 pmol/unit of beta-hexosaminidase/30 s) and Km (control: 213 +/- 34 microM versus T3 treated: 92 +/- 6 microM). Thyroidectomy was associated with a significant increase in Vmax (control: 250 pmol/unit of beta-hexosaminidase/30 s versus thyroidectomized: 564 pmol/unit of beta-hexosaminidase/30 s), while Km was not significantly affected. The effect of thyroid hormone on lysosomal sulfate transport appeared to be relatively specific. In contrast to its effect on sulfate transport, T3 treatment had no effect on the uptake of either glucose or N-acetylglucosamine by rat liver lysosomes. Lysosomal pH, acidification in response to Mg/ATP, and the specific activities of alpha-L-iduronidase, beta-hexosaminidase, beta-D-glucosidase, and acid phosphatase were unaffected by T3 administration. Incubation of T3 with lysosomes from control animals had little or no effect on sulfate transport. Treatment of isolated lysosomes with either protein kinase A or alkaline phosphatase resulted in modest stimulation of transport. Thus, T3 does not appear to regulate transport by either direct interaction with the lysosomal transporter or protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation. The exact mechanism for the inhibitory effect of T3 on lysosomal sulfate transport remains to be determined.

Brefeldin A, a fungal metabolite, interferes with vesicular transport causing disassembly of the Golgi complex with redistribution of Golgi components to the endoplasmic reticulum, and isolation of the trans-Golgi cisternae from the trans-Golgi network. We examined the effects of brefeldin A on the synthesis of hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate by chondrocytes from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma. Hyaluronan synthesis continues at a constant rate in the presence of brefeldin A for at least 8 h, and is therefore independent of vesicular transport. By contrast, chondroitin sulfate synthesis is rapidly inhibited (to1% within 15 min) by brefeldin A indicating that addition of chondroitin sulfate chains to the aggrecan core protein precursor requires vesicular transport. Removal of brefeldin A rapidly restored chondroitin sulfate chain elongation and sulfation on the aggrecan core protein precursor reaching 100% of control in 2 h and consistently establishing a higher steady state rate (up to 120%) by 4 h. Addition of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside, an exogenous acceptor for the synthesis of chondroitin sulfate chains, does not reverse the brefeldin A block. This suggests that xyloside-initiated synthesis of chondroitin sulfate depends on transport vesicles as might occur if the enzymes for synthesizing the linkage tetrasaccharide (i.e. galactosyltransferases) reside in the Golgi, while those required to elongate the chains reside in the trans-Golgi network. Recovery of chondroitin sulfate synthesis from brefeldin A treatment occurred efficiently in the presence of cycloheximide, indicating that the machinery for chondroitin sulfate synthesis reassembles from previously existing proteins. The results are consistent with the current model that hyaluronan synthesis occurs at the plasma membrane and is independent of vesicular transport, and with the hypothesis that the enzyme complex for chondroitin sulfate elongation and sulfation residues within the trans-Golgi network, and therefore isolated from the aggrecan core protein precursor in the presence of brefeldin A.

Cl-formate, Cl-oxalate, and SO4-CO3 exchange participate in Cl and organic anion transport across the brush border membrane of the rabbit proximal tubule. To determine the functional similarity of these transporters to each other and to band 3, we characterized, in isolated membrane vesicles, the inhibition of these transporters by compounds known to inhibit erythrocyte band 3. 4,4'-Dinitro-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene (DNDS), diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC), flufenamate, and 4-aceto-4'-isothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene (SITS) were effective inhibitors of Cl-oxalate and SO4-CO3 exchange, suggesting at least some common structural motifs between these exchangers and band 3. Cl-formate exchange was relatively insensitive to DNDS and DPC but sensitive to flufenamate (IC50 = 43 microM). Sensitivity to DNDS but not 4-amino-4'-amino-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene, a feature of band 3, was seen only for the SO4-CO3 exchanger. None of the exchangers had significant affinity for dipyridamole, furosemide, or probenecid. Finally, the presence of DPC or flufenamate increased the IC50 for reversible inhibition by DNDS, consistent with at least a partial overlap between the disulfonic stilbene and diphenylamine carboxylate binding sites of the Cl-oxalate exchanger. We next examined the effect of irreversible SITS binding. The Cl-oxalate exchanger was inhibited 90%, consistent with its high affinity for reversible inhibition by stilbenes. SITS pretreatment caused 50% inhibition of the Cl-formate exchanger, consistent with the reduced affinity of this exchanger for reversible binding of stilbenes. Despite the high sensitivity of the SO4-CO3 exchanger to reversible inhibition by stilbenes, SITS pretreatment caused20% irreversible inhibition of this exchanger. Finally, we characterized the stilbene inhibition of the Cl-oxalate exchanger in more detail. The presence of oxalate increased the IC50 for reversible inhibition by DNDS or SITS, implying that oxalate can directly compete at the reversible stilbene binding site of the Cl-oxalate exchanger. However, oxalate could not protect against covalent inactivation of the Cl-oxalate exchanger by SITS, indicating the presence of a separate site for irreversible binding of disulfonic stilbenes. These results suggest a dissociation between the sensitivities of proximal tubule anion exchangers to reversible and irreversible inhibition by disulfonic stilbenes. In contrast to band 3, the Cl-oxalate exchanger must possess separate sites for reversible and irreversible interaction with stilbenes, with only the former overlapping the substrate binding site.

The neuroendocrine granule-associated protein 7B2, unlike many other neuroendocrine precursor proteins stored in secretory granules, carries in its primary structure the Arg-Xaa-Arg/Lys-Arg processing site usually found in constitutively secreted precursor proteins and recognized by the ubiquitously expressed convertase, furin. pro7B2 (30 kDa), when expressed in endocrine (AtT-20, PC12, and GH4C1) or non-endocrine (Ltk-) cell lines using recombinant vaccinia viruses, was converted to a 23-kDa form. Mutation of the P4 Arg to Gly completely prevented this conversion. When excess pro7B2 was coexpressed with the pro-protein convertases PC1, PC2, or furin, only furin could induce complete processing. In addition, coexpression of pro7B2 in LoVo cells, which are devoid of endogenous furin activity, with each one of the three convertases, showed that only furin was able to induce processing of this precursor. pro7B2 processing in AtT-20 was completely abolished when protein transport into Golgi compartments was blocked by cell incubation at either 15 or 37 degrees C in the presence of monensin or brefeldin A. Furthermore, pulse-chase experiments in the presence of Na2[35S]SO4 showed that pro7B2 is Tyr-sulfated in the trans-Golgi network before it is processed. These results demonstrate that pro7B2 is first processed by a furin-like enzyme within the trans-Golgi network into a 23-kDa form that is then sequestered into secretory granules.

Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) catalyzes the COOH-terminal alpha-amidation of neuro-endocrine peptides through the sequential action of monooxygenase and lyase domains contained within this bifunctional protein. Alternative splicing leads to the expression of soluble and integral membrane bifunctional PAM proteins as well as a soluble monofunctional monooxygenase. In order to determine how alternative splicing affects post-translational modification of PAM proteins, we investigated the sulfation of PAM proteins expressed in stably transfected hEK-293 cells. Metabolic labeling with [35S]SO4(2-) or [35S]methionine and immunoprecipitation demonstrated that [35S]SO4(2-) was efficiently incorporated into PAM proteins that have the noncatalytic exon A region following the monooxygenase domain (PAM-1 and PAM-4) and into a soluble bifunctional PAM protein (PAM-3). Alkaline hydrolysis, radiosequencing, and deglycosylation experiments demonstrated the presence of a sulfated tyrosine (Tyr965) in the COOH-terminal domain of PAM-3 and multiple sulfated O-glycans in the exon A region of PAM-1 and PAM-4. A mutant PAM-3 protein in which Tyr965 was changed to Ala965 (PAM-3/Y965A) was not sulfated and exhibited monooxygenase and lyase activities similar to those of wild type PAM-3. Pulse-chase and temperature block experiments showed that the PAM-3/Y965A protein exits the trans-Golgi network faster than wild type PAM-3. Thus inclusion of exon A results in the sulfation of O-glycans, while elimination of the transmembrane domain results in the sulfation of Tyr965.

Sulfation of proteins on tyrosines is a late Golgi modification that can be used to label proteins with [35S]sulfate for the analysis of post-Golgi transport. To extend the use of this modification to proteins not naturally sulfated, we fused a tyrosine sulfation site, the carboxyl-terminal nonapeptide of cholecystokinin precursor, to the carboxyl terminus of two normally unsulfated proteins: alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor, a secretory protein, and subunit H1 of the asialoglycoprotein receptor; a type II membrane protein. The tagged proteins were efficiently sulfated in transfected COS-7 and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Specifically in COS-7 cells, the proteins were sulfated before they were galactosylated and sialylated and were converted to the mature forms with a half-time of approximately 2-3 min. This is in contrast to other cell types in which tyrosine sulfation was found to be virtually the last modification of the Golgi apparatus. Our results suggest that tyrosine sulfation occurs before the trans-Golgi in transfected COS-7 cells.

Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a major noncollagenous, RGD-containing glycoprotein found in the extracellular matrix of bone. The RGD sequence is flanked by two tyrosine-rich regions, which fit the established consensus requirements for tyrosine sulfation. Tyrosine sulfation is suggested to be important in the regulation of protein secretion and function. The role of this post-translational modification on the cell attachment activity and secretion of a highly sulfated form of BSP isolated from a rat osteoblast-like cell line (UMR 106-01 BSP) was investigated by inhibiting sulfation with chlorate. [35S]Sulfate, [3H]glucosamine, and [3H]tyrosine were used as metabolic precursors to monitor biosynthetic products. Chlorate was effective in inhibiting total [35S]sulfate incorporation by 90% without altering overall protein synthesis and secretion in cultures up to 72 h under serum-free conditions. Isolated proteoglycans and purified BSP were analyzed for sulfate incorporation. Proteoglycans isolated from the medium of cells treated with chlorate displayed a difference in the hydrodynamic properties of the molecules as compared with control cultures. An increase in the specific activity of proteoglycans labeled with [3H]glucosamine isolated from chlorate-treated cells was also observed suggesting a change in hexosamine metabolism induced by chlorate. BSP purified from the medium of chlorate-treated cells contained approximately 7% of the 35S incorporation as compared with nontreated control cultures. Quantification of sulfate incorporation into glycoconjugates versus tyrosine sulfate of BSP indicates that the amount of sulfate associated with N- and O-linked oligosaccharides was reduced by approximately 97%, while that on tyrosine residues was reduced by approximately 90%. Using normal human bone cells, the cell attachment activity of the reduced sulfate form of BSP was nearly equivalent to that of the fully sulfated product.

We have cloned a single cDNA encoding the canalicular sulfate transporter of rat liver using Xenopus laevis oocytes as a functional expression system. The cloned cDNA sulfate anion transporter-1 (sat-1) expresses saturable Na(+)-independent sulfate uptake (Km approximately 0.14 mM) that can be inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic acid stilbene (DIDS, IC50 = 28 microM) and oxalate, but not by succinate or cholate. These properties are very similar to sulfate uptake expressed in oocytes injected with total rat liver mRNA and to the bicarbonate/sulfate exchange system previously characterized in canalicular rat liver plasma membrane vesicles. The cloned sat-1 cDNA has a total length of 3726 base pairs (bp) with an open reading frame encompassing 2109 bp, a 5'-untranslated region of 367 bp, and a 3'-untranslated region of 1250 bp. The coding region predicts a protein of 703 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 75.4 kDa. Computer-based hydrophobicity analysis suggests the presence of 12 putative transmembrane spanning domains. Furthermore, three potential glycosylation sites are detected (Asn-158, Asn-163, Asn-587). Northern blot analysis indicates that similar sulfate anion transporters are also present in the kidney, muscle, and brain of rat and in the liver of the mouse. Using antisense oligonucleotides the mRNA-species of the sat-1 analogue in rat kidney has been characterized by hybrid depletion experiments (Markovich, D., Bissig, M., Sorribas, V., Hagenbuch, B., Meier, P. J., and Murer, H. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 3022-3026).

In earlier studies of oligosaccharide probes (neoglycolipids) generated from an ovarian cystadenoma glycoprotein, one of the components that strongly supported binding of the endothelial adhesion molecule, E-selectin, was identified as an equimolar mixture of tetrasaccharides of blood group Le(a) and Le(x) type sulfated at position 3 of the outer galactose (C.-T. Yuen, A. M. Lawson, W. Chai, M. Larkin, M. S. Stoll, A. C. Stuart, F. X. Sullivan, T. J. Ahern, and T. Feizi (1992) Biochemistry 31, 9126-9131). In the present studies, the individual sulfated Le(a) and sulfated Le(x) oligosaccharides synthesized chemically have been investigated, first, for their ability to support E-selectin binding when converted into neoglycolipids, and second, for their ability to inhibit E-selectin binding to immobilized lipid-linked sialyl-Le(a), sialyl-Le(x), or sulfated Le(a) pentasaccharides; their activities have been compared with those of the sialyl-Le(a) and sialyl-Le(x) analogues. From these studies, the sulfated Le(a) tetra- and pentasaccharides emerge as the most potent E-selectin ligands so far. In particular, the inhibitory activity of the sulfated Le(a) pentasaccharide is substantially greater than that of the sialyl-Le(x) trisaccharide, which is currently the most widely used inhibitor of E-selectin binding: 45-, 35-, or 15-fold greater depending on whether adhesion is to sialyl-Le(a), sulfated Le(a), or sialyl-Le(x) pentasaccharides, respectively. These findings have an important bearing on design of new generations of inhibitors of E-selectin binding as antiinflammatory compounds.

Heparan sulfate-N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase catalyzes both the N-deacetylation and N-sulfation reactions that initiate the modification of the oligosaccharide backbone of heparan sulfate (HS). The glycosaminoglycan polymer appears to modulate the activity of growth factors by mediating their initial binding. To understand how the biosynthesis of these binding sites is regulated, a rat liver-derived cDNA encoding the above activities was overexpressed in a COS cell mutant (CM-15) that has reduced levels of the enzyme and binds poorly to immobilized basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). This resulted in increased synthesis of sulfated blocks of decasaccharide size or longer. These blocks exhibited high affinity binding to bFGF and contained a high content of 2-O-sulfated iduronate and at least five consecutive N-sulfated disaccharides. An increase in the synthesis of these high affinity blocks was not seen in transfected wild-type COS cells even though they showed a 4-fold increase of both enzyme activities, suggesting that once sufficient levels of highly sulfated blocks of saccharides with high affinity for bFGF are attained, no further synthesis of these domains occurs.

The initial steps in the catabolism of cell-associated heparan sulfate proteolgycans in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are similar to what has been observed in other cells, cell surface proteoglycans are internalized and the heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans are released from core proteins and cleaved to small chains by intracellular heparanases. The mechanism of the release and cleavage reactions is unclear, since only intact proteoglycans and small, cleaved heparan sulfate chains are observed in pulse-chase experiments; however, it is thought that release of the glycosaminoglycans from core proteins precedes heparanas cleavage (Yanagishita, M., and Hascall, V. C. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 9451-9454). The relationship between these two steps were examined with the proteoglycan synthesis mutant pgsE-606 (Bame, K. J., and Esko, J. D. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 8059-8065), since the undersulfated heparan sulfate synthesized by the mutant is a poor substrate for heparanases. In addition to intact proteoglycans and small cleaved chains, a large glycosaminoglycan intermediate is present in pgsE-606 cells, suggesting that heparan sulfate is released from proteoglycans as large chains which are subsequently cleaved by heparanases. The catabolic intermediate in the mutant has been acted upon by heparanases, since it is smaller than the size of the heparan sulfate chains found on proteoglycans, raising the possibility that the glycosaminoglycans are first released from proteoglycans by an endoglycosidic cleavage of the chain before proteolysis of the core protein. To examine whether proteolysis of the core protein is required for endoglycosidic cleavage of the chain, heparan sulfate proteoglycans immobilized to Sepharose were incubated with CHO cell extracts in the presence of protease inhibitors. Heparan sulfate chains are released from the proteoglycans by heparanases in the cell extract, indicating that release of the glycosaminoglycans from core proteins is not a prerequisite for endoglycosidic cleavage of the chain. In addition, these studies indicate that there is a heparanase activity in CHO cells which can recognize and cleave sequences in the undersulfated heparan sulfate, but is unable to completely cleave the mutant glycosaminoglycan, suggesting that there may be multiple heparanase activities responsible for degrading the heparan sulfate chains.

Chondroitin sulfate-rich proteoglycans secreted by arterial intima smooth muscle cells appear involved in low density lipoprotein entrapment and modification. Hypothetically, such a process may contribute to atherogenesis. We compared composition and size of those proteoglycans synthesized by proliferating and resting human arterial smooth muscle cells for which low density lipoprotein had affinity. Lipoprotein-binding proteoglycans secreted by proliferating cells were larger than those of resting cells (M(r) = 1.1 x 10(6) versus 0.8 x 10(6). This was primarily caused by increased M(r) of the chondroitin sulfate chains (6 x 10(4) versus 3.5 x 10(4)). The glycosaminoglycan chains of the proteoglycans from both cells were made of more than 90% chondroitin 6-sulfate and chondroitin 4-sulfate in a 6:4 ratio. Affinity chromatography indicated that low density lipoprotein had a higher affinity with the proteoglycans synthesized by proliferating cells than those from resting cells. Measured with gel mobility shift assay, the apparent affinity constant of low density lipoproteins for proteoglycans from proliferating cells was 3-fold higher than that for proteoglycans from resting cells. This increased affinity appeared related to the higher relative proportion of proteoglycans with longer glycosaminoglycan chains secreted by the proliferating cells than those secreted by the resting cells.

24-Norursodeoxycholic acid (nor-UDCA), when administered into the anesthetized biliary fistula hamster or injected into the perfusate of an isolated liver, was hydroxylated at C-5 to give 5 beta-hydroxynorursodeoxycholic acid 2 (3 alpha,5,7 beta-trihydroxy-24-nor-5 beta-cholan-23-oic acid), which was secreted into bile mainly as such. Similarly, 24-norchenodeoxycholic acid (nor-CDCA) was 5 beta-hydroxylated to give 5 beta-hydroxynor-chenodeoxycholic acid 4 (3 alpha,5,7 alpha-trihydroxy-24-nor-5 beta-cholan-23-oic acid), which was also secreted into bile without appreciable further biotransformation. The site of hydroxylation was assigned by 13C and 1H NMR and mass spectrometry. 5-Hydroxylation was a major biotransformation pathway at physiological bile acid loads. 5-Hydroxylation of UDCA also occurred in the perfused rat liver but to a lesser extent. 5-Hydroxylation of nor-UDCA was not observed in rabbit, dog, or man, indicating that its formation is species-specific. 5-Hydroxylation of nor-CDCA and nor-UDCA is the first reported example of hydroxylation of a tertiary carbon atom of bile acids. Nor-dihydroxy bile acids appear to be useful for the detection of minor hydroxylation pathways, because their prolonged hepatobiliary retention exposes them repeatedly to hydroxylases present in the hepatobiliary system.

beta, gamma-Bidentate CrATP, a stable exchange-inert metal-nucleotide analog, was used as a probe of the conformation of the substrates at the active site of yeast phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK). The paramagnetic effects of Cr3+ on the longitudinal relaxation rates (1/T1p) of the 1H, 31P, and 13C nuclei of 3-phospho-D-glycerate (3PGA) were examined to determine the distances between enzyme-bound CrATP and the nuclei of 3PGA in the ternary PGK.CrATP.3PGA complex. Kinetic studies indicated that Ki(CrATP) was dependent on the concentration of 3PGA that was abolished in the presence of activator sulfate ion. Similarly, NMR studies showed that the environment of CrATP bound at the active site was altered by the presence of sulfate ion. The determined metal-to-nucleus distances show the close proximity of the substrates at the active site of PGK, which is consistent with a hinge-bending mechanism of the enzyme for bringing the two substrates together. Additionally, the presence of an activating concentration of sulfate was observed to cause significant changes in both the relative Cr(3+)-to-3PGA distances and the overall conformation of 3PGA when compared to the findings in the absence of sulfate. This is consistent with the active site being in a "less closed" configuration when sulfate is present. Under both conditions, models can be constructed that allow for direct transfer of a phosphoryl group between the bound substrates.

Light-dependent absorption change at 325 nm, ascribed to QA activity, was strongly reduced in the presence of Cu(II) in oxygen-evolving core complex. This change was much less affected in the presence of the herbicide 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), indicating that the Cu(II)-binding site is different from that of the DCMU and that Cu(II) blocks QA reduction. Cu(II) did not eliminate the absorption change at 545 nm, ascribed to pheophytin reduction, in Na2S2O4-treated oxygen-evolving core and D1-D2-cytochrome b559 complexes. This indicates that Cu(II) does not affect the electron transport between P680 and pheophytin. Moreover, the activity of the bacterial reaction center probed by the absorption change at 790 nm was inhibited by Cu(II), but the signal at 530 nm, associated to the reduction of bacteriopheophytin in Na2S2O4-treated reaction center, was not inhibited. We conclude that Cu(II) impaired the photosynthetic electron transport between pheophytin and QA in both higher plants and photosynthetic bacteria. Cu(II) would bind to an amino acid(s) highly conserved in non-oxygenic and oxygenic reaction centers, which is(are) necessary for the electron transfer between pheophytin and QA. Based on the atomic structure of the bacterial reaction center several schemes of possible Cu(II) binding are shown.

To characterize the sulfated proteoglycans (PGs) alterations associated with malignant transformation of epithelial cells in vitro, the localization, charge, size, and composition of cell-associated and secreted sulfated PGs have been compared in rabbit renal proximal-tubule cells in primary culture (Ronco et al., 1990) and in a derived SV-40 transformed cell line (RC.SV1) exhibiting a proximal phenotype and high tumor-inducing ability (Vandewalle et al., 1989). Both normal and transformed cells incorporated PGs into a thick basement membrane layer as shown by ruthenium red staining and immunodetection with a monoclonal antibody raised against the core protein of the bovine basement membrane heparan sulfate-PG (HS-PG). In primary cultures of normal cells, cell-associated PGs were almost identical to those extracted from renal tubule fractions in vivo by their size (Kav = 0.27 vs. 0.26 on Sepharose CL-6B) and composition characterized by the exclusive presence of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan (HS-GAG) chains. In addition, the cells secreted a HS-PG with similar biochemical characteristics (Kav = 0.29; 100% HS-GAG chains). The SV-40-transformed RC.SV1 cells also synthesized and secreted a unique PG with the same charge and Kav values and apparently the same core protein (35 kDa) as in nontransformed cells, but three major differences were observed: (i) an increased proportion of PG-associated [35S]sulfate radioactivity released into the culture medium (36 vs. 21%), (ii) the emergence of free GAG chains unincorporated into PGs and detected only in the cell-associated fraction, and (iii) a dramatic change in the composition of GAG chains in which chondroitin sulfate replaced heparan-sulfate. The latter finding is in keeping with the known chondroitin sulfate increase and heparan-sulfate decrease in epithelial tumors. The alterations of PGs observed in this study may play a role in the acquisition and/or maintenance of the malignant phenotype.

The glycoprotein hormones lutropin (LH) and follitropin (FSH) are both synthesized by gonadotrophs in the anterior pituitary but are stored in separate secretory granules prior to secretion. Despite having highly homologous beta-subunits and alpha-subunits with the identical amino acid sequence, the Asn-linked oligosaccharides on LH terminate with SO4-GalNAc while those on FSH terminate with sialic acid-Gal. In addition to LH and FSH, gonadotrophs secrete uncombined (free) alpha-subunit which bears the same sulfated oligosaccharides as LH. We have examined the synthesis and secretion of LH and free alpha-subunit in primary cultures of bovine pituitary cells in order to determine if the sulfated oligosaccharides have any impact on sorting. Our results show that newly synthesized free alpha-subunit is secreted exclusively via the constitutive pathway with a t1/2 of 1.8 h and is never found in dense-core secretory granules. In contrast, LH dimer is secreted by both the constitutive and the regulated pathways. Constitutive secretion and arrival in a dense secretory granule both occur with t1/2 values of 1-1.5 h for newly synthesized LH. Sulfation occurs immediately prior to arrival of LH in the secretory granule and is followed by a period of 1-1.5 h before the LH-containing granules become sensitive to release by gonadotropin releasing hormone. As a result the t1/2 for LH secretion in the presence of gonadotropin releasing hormone is 3.5 h. Sulfation of the free alpha-subunit oligosaccharides is not, therefore, sufficient to direct the alpha-subunit to secretory granules, and the information required for directing LH to granules must reside either in the beta-subunit or the alpha beta-complex.

We employed a rapid fractionation method coupled with a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to quantify the globulins and avenins in developing and mature oat seeds. On a molar basis, there is approximately 10-11 times as much globulin as avenin. Pulse labeling of endosperm proteins indicated that the rate of globulin synthesis is approximately nine times that of avenin. In addition, neither protein class showed any signs of degradation during this experiment. Analysis of the storage protein mRNAs indicates that both globulin and avenin transcripts are associated with membrane-bound polysomes and are found in similar concentrations within the membrane-bound polysome fraction. We found that avenin and globulin mRNAs are fully loaded with ribosomes, suggesting that initiation is not rate-limiting for translation of either protein. Rates of globulin and avenin synthesis were similar when synthetic storage protein mRNAs were translated in vitro. Translation of equimolar amounts of globulin and avenin mRNAs in the same reaction showed equivalent amounts of protein synthesized when compared with globulin and avenin mRNAs translated in separate reaction mixes. We propose that translation elongation or termination reactions are likely regulatory steps for controlling storage protein synthesis in oat endosperm.

The band 3 protein of the human red blood cell membrane contains a glutamate residue that must be protonated in order for divalent (SO4=) anion transport to take place at an appreciable rate. The carboxyl side chain on this glutamate residue can be converted to the primary alcohol by treatment of intact cells with Woodward's reagent K (N-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium 3'-sulfonate) followed by reductive cleavage with BH4-. Edman degradation of CNBr fragments from band 3 labeled in intact cells with Woodward's reagent K and [3H]BH4- showed that Glu681 is heavily labeled under conditions in which Cl- exchange is inhibited, SO4= exchange is accelerated, and Cl- conductance is accelerated. No other glutamate residue in band 3 is detectably labeled under the conditions of these experiments, as demonstrated either by Edman degradation or by the lack of label in major known proteolytic fragments. It is concluded that Glu681 is the binding site for the H+ that is transported with SO4= during band 3-catalyzed H+/SO4= cotransport. This residue is conserved among all species of red cell band 3 (AE1) as well as the related proteins AE2 and AE3. Glu681 is the first amino acid residue in band 3 which has been identified as a binding site for a transported substrate (H+). The functional characteristics of this residue suggest that it lies within the transport pathway and can be alternately exposed to the intracellular and extracellular media.

The DNA sequence of the sulfate activation locus from Escherichia coli K-12 has been determined. The sequence includes the structural genes encoding the enzymes ATP sulfurylase (cysD and cysN) and APS kinase (cysC) which catalyze the synthesis of activated sulfate. These are the only genes known to reside in the sulfate activation operon. Consensus elements of the operon promoter were identified, and the start codons and open reading frames of the Cys polypeptides were determined. During this work, another gene, iap, was partially sequenced and mapped. The activity of ATP sulfurylase is stimulated by an intrinsic GTPase. Comparison of the primary sequences of CysN and Ef-Tu revealed that CysN has conserved many of the residues integral to the three-dimensional structure important for guanine nucleotide binding in Ef-Tu and RAS. nodP and nodQ, from Rhizobium meliloti, are essential for nodulation in leguminous plants. The Cys and Nod proteins are remarkably similar. NodP appears to be the smaller subunit of ATP sulfurylase. NodQ encodes homologues of both CysN and CysC; thus, these enzymes may be covalently associated in R. meliloti. The consensus GTP-binding sequences of NodQ and CysN are identical suggesting that NodQ encodes a regulatory GTPase.

The apoproteins of the streptococcal NADH peroxidase (H2O2----2H2O) and NADH oxidase (O2----2H2O) stabilize the neutral forms of 6-hydroxy- and 6-mercapto-FAD, respectively. The redox behavior of the 6-hydroxy-FAD peroxidase closely mimics that of the native enzyme with both dithionite and NADH. Both oxidase and peroxidase preferentially stabilize the N(1)-protonated p-quinonoid species of 8-mercapto-FAD, and the 8-position of the bound flavin is accessible to solvent in both proteins. The 8-mercapto-FAD peroxidase yields an EH2 spectrum on reduction virtually identical to that seen with 8-mercapto-FAD glutathione reductase, but no distinct EH2.NADH form appears. The dramatic decreases in reactivity at the flavin 2- and 4-positions for both the peroxidase and the oxidase, assessed with the reconstituted 2- and 4-thio-FAD enzymes, suggest that these positions are buried by elements of both protein structures. Furthermore, reconstitution of the peroxidase with the higher potential 2- and 4-thioflavins yields enzyme forms which are fully reducible with 1.4 eq of NADH/FAD, giving rise to stable thio-FADH2.NAD+ complexes. This behavior closely mimics that of the native NADH oxidase and provides further evidence supporting the hypothesis that a major functional distinction between the two structurally related proteins is determined by the redox potential and/or NADH reactivity of the bound flavin coenzyme.

Proteoglycans of the human B lymphoblastoid cell line LICR-LON-HMy2 were metabolically labeled with [35S]sulfate. High-density fractions of 35S-labeled material separated by CsCl gradient ultracentrifugation were further purified by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Two proteoglycans, isolated from cell lysates and culture supernatants, were characterized by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in combination with enzymatic degradation. Treatment with chondroitinase AC completely degraded the glycosaminoglycan moiety of the proteoglycans. Three to 4 chondroitin sulfate chains (average molecular mass = 26 kDa) were estimated for each of the two proteoglycans. Differences between the proteochondroitin sulfates (CSPG) were observed in the content of N-linked oligosaccharides. After chondroitinase AC treatment the resulting band in SDS-PAGE of the secreted CSPG was sensitive to treatment with endoglycosidase F (Endo F) which further reduced the molecular mass from 30 to 21.5 kDa, whereas the band of the cellular CSPG after chondroitinase AC treatment (molecular mass = 30 kDa) remained resistant to Endo F treatment. The composition of amino acids was different in the protein cores, suggesting differences in the primary structure. Both CSPG contained a high percentage of glycine and serine. For both CSPG a molecular mass of approximately 135 kDa was deduced from the hydrodynamic sizes of the glycosaminoglycan chains obtained after alkaline/borohydride treatment and the migration of the protein/oligosaccharide complexes in SDS-PAGE. 75% of all [35S]sulfate-labeled molecules were found in the culture supernatant and 25% in the cellular fraction. 35S-Labeled material in the culture supernatant consisted exclusively of intact CSPG, whereas 35S-Labeled molecules in the cellular preparation consisted largely of free chondroitin sulfate chains. Only 8.3% of the cellular material, isolated from the microsomal fraction, was intact CSPG. In pulse-chase experiments maximal secretion of CSPG was found after 4 h, comprising approximately 40% of totally synthesized CSPG. From these experiments we tentatively conclude that a small proportion of CSPG synthesized by LICR-LON-HMy2 cells is membrane-associated, a larger portion is secreted, and another portion is intracellularly degraded.

Many neural and endocrine cells possess two pathways of secretion: a regulated pathway and a constitutive pathway. Peptide hormones are stored in granules which undergo regulated release whereas other surface-bound proteins are externalized constitutively via a distinct set of vesicles. An important issue is whether proper function of these pathways requires continuous protein synthesis. Wieland et al. (Wieland, F.T., Gleason, M.L., Serafini, T.A., and Rothman, J.E. (1987) Cell 50, 289-300) have shown that a tripeptide containing the sequence Asn-Tyr-Thr can be glycosylated in intracellular compartments and secreted efficiently from Chinese hamster ovary and HepG2 cells, presumably via the constitutive secretory pathway. Secretion is not affected by cycloheximide, suggesting that operation of this pathway does not require components supplied by new protein synthesis. In this report we determined the effects of protein synthesis inhibitor on membrane traffic to the regulated secretory pathway in the mouse pituitary AtT-20 cells. We examined transport of glycosaminoglycan chains since previous studies have shown that these chains enter the regulated secretory pathways and are packaged along with the hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). We found that cycloheximide treatment severely impairs the cell's ability to store and secrete glycosaminoglycan chains by the regulated secretory pathway. In marked contrast, constitutive secretion of glycosaminoglycan chains remains unhindered in the absence of protein synthesis. The differential requirements for protein synthesis indicate differences in the mechanisms for sorting and/or transport of molecules through the constitutive and the regulated secretory pathways. We discuss the possible mechanisms by which protein synthesis may influence trafficking of glycosaminoglycan chains to the regulated secretory pathway.

Human aldose reductase (EC 1.1.1.21) and aldehyde reductase (EC 1.1.1.2) are implicated in the development of diabetic complications by a variety of mechanisms, and a number of drugs to inhibit these enzymes have been proposed for the therapy and prevention of these complications. To probe the structure and function of these two enzymes, we used site-directed mutagenesis in the cDNAs of both enzymes to replace lysine 262 with methionine. Wild-type and mutant enzymes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified by anion exchange and affinity chromatography. N-terminal sequence analysis, Western blots, and kinetic studies confirmed the identity of the recombinant wild-type enzymes with the native human placental and liver enzymes. Recombinant aldose reductase (hAR) and aldehyde reductase (hGR) have apparent kinetic constants virtually identical to their respective native enzymes. The mutant aldose reductase (hARK262 greater than M) shows a 66-fold increase in Km for NADPH with respect to the wild type (1.9 +/- 0.4 microM versus 125 +/- 14 microM), whereas the Km for DL-glyceraldehyde increased 35-fold (20 +/- 2 versus 693 +/- 41 microM). The same constants for the mutant aldehyde reductase (hGRK262 greater than M) increased 97- and 86-fold, respectively (from 2.0 +/- 0.4 to 194 +/- 16 microM and from 1.6 +/- 0.4 to 137 +/- 3 mM). These results indicate that lysine 262 in aldose reductase and aldehyde reductase is crucial to their catalytic activity by affecting co-factor binding.

Acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) is unstable at physiological temperatures in the absence of polyanions such as heparin. Therefore, the effect of temperature on the kinetics of refolding of aFGF has been examined in the presence and absence of several polyanions. The protein folds into its native state at temperatures up to 30 degrees C without polyanions with an activation energy of approximately 14 kcal/mol, but does not acquire native structure above this temperature. When heparin, inositol hexasulfate, or sulfate ion are present, aFGF refolds below 30 degrees C with a slightly reduced activation energy (10-11 kcal/mol). In addition, the protein now also renatures between 30 and 50 degrees C with activation energies of 1-2 (heparin), 16 (inositol hexasulfate), and 7 (sulfate) kcal/mol. Trace heavy metals appear to inhibit the refolding process, but a molecular chaperone (bovine 70-kDa heat shock cognate protein) and a peptidylprolyl isomerase (the FK506-binding protein) have no effect. It is concluded that the rate of refolding of aFGF at physiological temperatures is probably controlled by the interaction of a native-like state of the protein with an unknown polyanionic species.

In avian-cultured adipocytes 76% of the newly synthesized lipoprotein lipase is degraded before release into the medium (Cupp, M., Bensadoun, A., and Melford, K. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 6383-6388). The same group (Cisar, L. A., Hoogewerf, A. J., Cupp, M., Rapport, C. A., and Bensadoun, A. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 1767-1774) has proposed that the interaction of lipoprotein lipase with a class of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans is necessary for degradation to occur. To test further this hypothesis, the binding capacity of the plasma membrane for the lipase was decreased by inhibiting the sulfation of glycosaminoglycans with sodium chlorate, an inhibitor of sulfate adenyltransferase. Chlorate decreased sulfate incorporation into trypsin-releasable heparan sulfate proteoglycans to 20% of control levels. The amount of uronic acid in the trypsin-releasable heparan sulfate proteoglycans remained constant. Therefore, chlorate decreased sulfation density on heparan sulfate chains by approximately 5-fold. In the same fractions, chlorate increased the median heparan sulfate Mr measured on Sephacryl S-300. Chlorate decreased the maximum binding of 125I-lipoprotein lipase to adipocytes by 4-fold, but no significant effects on the affinity constants were observed. Chlorate increased lipoprotein lipase secretion in a dose-dependent relationship up to 30 mM. Utilizing a pulse-chase protocol, it was shown that lipase synthesis in control and chlorate-treated cells was not significantly different and that the increased secretion could be accounted for by a decreased lipoprotein lipase degradation rate. In control cells 77 +/- 11% of the synthesized enzyme was degraded whereas in chlorate-treated cells degradation was reduced to 42 +/- 9% of the synthesized amount. The present study shows that decreased sulfation of heparan sulfate proteoglycans decreases the maximum binding of the lipase for the adipocyte cell surface. Consistent with the model that binding of lipoprotein lipase to cell surface heparan sulfate is required for lipase degradation, degradation is reduced in chlorate-treated cultures. In this report it is also shown that chlorate inhibits lipoprotein lipase sulfation and that desulfation of the enzyme has no effect on its catalytic efficiency or on its binding to cultured adipocytes.

Dunaliella bardawil, a unicellular green alga that can be induced to accumulate massive amounts of beta-carotene, is particularly suitable for studies of carotenogenesis regulation and its links to developmental and adaptive processes in the chloroplast. A cDNA clone corresponding to a transcript accumulating coordinately with carotenogenesis induction was isolated by differential hybridization of a cDNA library made from intensely illuminated cells. This transcript was also abundant in algal mutants able to accumulate beta-carotene under relatively low light intensity. DNA sequence analysis indicates that cbr (for carotene biosynthesis-related) is closely related to early light-induced genes (elip) of higher plants. Similarity also exists between repeated oligopeptide motifs in Cbr and Cab proteins of photosystems I and II. Three upstream direct repeats in cbr include an octamer and hexamer related to mammalian sterol regulatory elements. The relationship between cbr transcript and beta-carotene accumulation, the structural similarity between Cbr and Cab proteins, and the presence of potential SRE-1 elements lead us to propose that Cbr represents novel carotenoid binding proteins, whose synthesis might be coordinated with carotenogenic enzymes via an evolutionary conserved regulatory mechanism.

The structure of a unique focose-branched chondroitin sulfate isolated from the body wall of a sea cucumber was examined in detail. This glycosaminoglycan contains side chain disaccharide units of sulfated fucopyranosyl units linked to approximately one-half of the glucuronic acid moieties through the O-3 position of the acid. The intact polysaccharide is totally resistant to chondroitinase degradation, whereas, after defucosylation, it is partially degraded by the enzyme. However, only after an additional step of desulfation, the chondroitin from sea cucumber is almost totally degraded by chondroitinase AC or ABC. This result, together with the methylation and NMR studies of the native and chemically modified polysaccharide, suggest that besides the fucose branches, the sea cucumber chondroitin sulfate contains sulfate esters at position O-3 of the beta-D-glucuronic acid units. Furthermore, the proteoglycan from the sea cucumber chondroitin sulfate is recognized by anti-Leu-7 monoclonal antibody, which specifically recognizes 3-sulfoglucuronic acid residues. In analogy with the fucose branched units, the 3-O-sulfo-beta-D-glucuronosyl residues are resistant to chondroitinase degradation. Regarding the position of the glycosidic linkage and site of sulfation in the fucose branches, our results suggest high heterogeneity. Tentatively, it is possible to suggest the preponderance of disaccharide units formed by 3,4-di-O-sulfo-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl units glycosidically linked through position 1----2 to 4-O-sulfo-alpha-L-fucopyranose. Finally, the presence of unusual 4/6-disulfated disaccharide units, together with the common 6-sulfated and non-sulfated units, was detected in the chondroitin sulfate core of this polysaccharide.

The proteoglycans (cell-associated and culture media) in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in culture were analyzed before and during differentiation into adipocytes. Cells were metabolically labeled with [35S]sulfate and [3H] glucosamine for 24 h and then extracted and analyzed. There was a 1.68 +/- 0.07-fold increase in the 35S in medium proteoglycan during differentiation, whereas cell-associated proteoglycan radioactivity showed no increase. Analyses of radiolabeled molecules using ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and high performance liquid chromatography after enzymatic or alkaline digestion indicated that all of the 35S label was recovered as two major species of chondroitin 4-sulfate proteoglycans (CSPG-I and CSPG-II) and 7% as heparan sulfate proteoglycan. CSPG-I has a mass of approximately 970 kDa with multiple chondroitin sulfate chains (average of 50 kDa each) and a core protein of approximately 370 kDa including oligosaccharides. CSPG-II has a mass of 140 kDa with one or two chondroitin sulfate chains (average of 68 kDa each) and a core protein of 41 kDa including oligosaccharides. CSPG-I appears to be similar to versican, whereas CSPG-II is similar to decorin and/or biglycan, found in other fibroblastic cells. Cell differentiation was associated with a specific increase in CSPG-I (4.0 +/- 0.2-fold in media and 3.2 +/- 0.5-fold in the cell-associated form). This system should facilitate study of the functional roles of proteoglycans during growth and differentiation.

In vivo implants of demineralized dentin matrix into muscle induce the formation of bone within the muscle. As with bone matrix implants, the bone induction appears to follow a chondrogenic pathway. Outgrowth cells from explants of neonatal rat muscle respond to bone matrix, in vitro, by expressing a heightened synthesis of sulfated proteoglycans and type II collagen, phenotypic of cartilage. The in vitro cell culture system has been used as an assay to monitor the isolation of the factor responsible for expression of this phenotypic transformation. Soluble proteins extracted from rat incisor dentin matrix during demineralization with EDTA, and not precipitable with 1.0 M CaCl2, were active in the in vitro system. The active extract was fractionated by Sephacryl S-100 chromatography in 6 M guanidine HCl, isoelectric focusing in Immobilines, and by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. All fractions were assayed for activity at every stage. The final active fraction from the reverse phase chromatography on a Zorbax Poly-F column was purified to homogeneity, and yielded a single spot on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The component, RP-4, had pI 5.4-5.5, and an apparent Mr 6,000-10,000, based on globular protein standards. Maximal activity with respect to both sulfate incorporation into proteoglycan and production of type II collagen was in the 1.0-10 ng/ml range. The RP-4 had a unique amino-terminal amino sequence and was rich in Gly, Pro, Glx, and Ala residues. It was different from transforming growth factor-beta and the bone morphogenetic protein family of proteins in these essential features.

GMP-140 is a 140-kDa granule membrane glycoprotein localized to the alpha-granules of platelets and the Weibel-Palade bodies of endothelial cells. Expression of GMP-140 on the activated cell surface has been shown to mediate the adhesion of thrombin-activated platelets to neutrophils and monocytes and the transient adhesion of neutrophils to endothelium. In contrast, fluid-phase GMP-140 strongly inhibits the CD18-dependent adhesion of tumor necrosis factor alpha-activated neutrophils to endothelium suggesting that GMP-140 can also serve an anti-adhesive function. In the present report, it is demonstrated that fluid-phase GMP-140 which exists predominantly as a tetramer binds to a single class of high affinity receptor on neutrophils and HL60 cells. Binding of 125I-labeled GMP-140 to neutrophils and HL60 cells and the rosetting of neutrophils and HL60 cells by thrombin-activated platelets were inhibited by EDTA, excess unlabeled fluid-phase GMP-140, Fab fragments of an affinity-purified rabbit anti-GMP-140 antibody, and by the murine anti-GMP-140 monoclonal antibody, AK 4. Both neutrophil and HL60 GMP-140 binding and platelet rosetting were strongly inhibited by heparin, fucoidin, and dextran sulfate 500,000, were partially inhibited by dextran sulfate 5,000 and lambda- and kappa-carrageenan, but were not inhibited by chondroitins 4- and 6-sulfate. Since this sulfated glycan specificity is identical to that previously reported by us for GMP-140, the present results suggest that the sulfated glycan binding site and the neutrophil receptor binding site on GMP-140 are either identical or proximal.

Using recombinant DNA techniques, an Escherichia coli periplasmic sulfate receptor or sulfate-binding protein involved in active transport has been overexpressed and characterized. This protein is essentially identical in size, sequence, antigenicity, and ligand affinity and specificity to the sulfate receptor from Salmonella typhimurium whose crystal structure has been refined at 2 A resolution. The dehydrated sulfate is bound in the deep cleft between the two lobes of the bilobate protein. Using the structure of the S. typhimurium as a guide, three site-directed mutants (Ser129Cys, Gly46Cys, and Ser129Cys/Gly46Cys) have been made. In the Cys129/Cys46 mutant the disulfide has been successfully introduced across the opening of the ligand-binding site cleft of the E. coli sulfate-binding protein. The dissociation of sulfate from the double mutant protein is very slow under oxidizing conditions and increases more than 200-fold when reducing agent is added. This effect is attributed to a loss of interdomain structural flexibility in the presence of the disulfide, and underscores the importance of protein conformational change in binding protein function.

The N-linked carbohydrate chains of porcine thyroglobulin were released by peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase-F (PNGase-F). The resulting oligosaccharides were fractionated by a combination of fast protein liquid chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography and analyzed by 500-MHz 1H NMR spectroscopy. The major acidic compounds are mono- and disialylated, fucosylated diantennary compounds terminated with alpha(2-6)-linked sialic acid on the Man alpha(1-3) branch. The Man alpha(1-6) branch shows a large heterogeneity. It can be terminated with Man-4', GlcNAc-5', or Gal-6', whereas the Gal-6' residue may be extended with Gal alpha(1-3), NeuAc alpha(2-3), or Sia alpha (2-6). In the major structures 8% of alpha(2-6)-linked sialic acid was found as NeuGc instead of NeuAc. The main compounds have sulfated homologues bearing a sulfate group (6-20%) at C-3 of Gal-6' or at C-6 of GlcNAc-5 as follows. [formula: see text]

The biological recognition of trigonal pyramids has been studied in a statistical analysis of the Cambridge Structural Data Base. The preferential stereochemistry of pyramidal anion-Lewis acid interactions is easily described for the phosphonyl dianion (R-PO3(2-), as found in the phosphate group) and the sulfonyl monoanion (R-SO3-, as found in the sulfate group) by trans/gauche conformational terminology. Interactions between these pyramidal anions and metals generally prefer gauche geometry (as defined by the R-X = O-Mn+ torsion angle, X = P or S). Interactions between phosphonyls and hydrogen bond donors likewise display a preference for gauche orientation. Interactions between sulfonyls and hydrogen bond donors exhibit a preference for gauche stereochemistry and also cluster in eclipsed regions. These hydrogen bond motifs provide a greater understanding of the function of pyramidal anions in biological structure and function. For example, interactions of the sulfate monoanion are important for the binding of heparin, a sulfated glycosaminoglycan, to antithrombin III.

We have found that many dianionic species, at millimolar concentrations, significantly activate or inhibit the bovine carbonic anhydrase III-catalyzed hydration of CO2. Dianionic species such as HPO2-4 and SO2-3, with pKb values near 7, are activators, whereas weakly basis species such as SO2-4 act as inhibitors. Both activation and inhibition are partial hyperbolic in nature and do not appear to compete with monoanionic linear inhibitors like N-3. Our kinetic data are consistent with a formal mechanism of action for carbonic anhydrase III that is directly analogous to that of carbonic anhydrase II, in which Lys-64 of carbonic anhydrase III can act as an intramolecular H+ transfer group during CO2 hydration. Our data suggest that dianionic inhibitors depress the rate of H+ transfer during turnover by stabilizing the protonated form of Lys-64. We postulate that dianionic activators enhance the rate of a rate-limiting H+ transfer step in the mechanism, probably by acting directly as H+ acceptors.

After adipocytes were labeled with Na2[35SO4], immunoadsorbed with immobilized antilipoprotein lipase, and subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and fluorography, a labeled band was identified at 59,700 daltons, the molecular mass of chicken lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Excess unlabeled LPL prevented the immunoadsorption of this labeled species, hence the labeled species was determined to be LPL. Digestion of LPL with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H) caused a shift in mobility of LPL in SDS-PAGE with no loss of radioactivity, whereas digestion with glycopeptidase F resulted in removal of 99% of the radioactivity. Adipocytes cultured with Trans35S-label and tunicamycin produced an LPL species of 52,000 daltons, but tunicamycin abolished the incorporation of 35SO4 into LPL. This established that 35SO4 was incorporated into an N-linked oligosaccharide of LPL. Endo H digestion of pulse-chase labeled LPL revealed the presence of two complex and one high mannose-type N-linked oligosaccharides. A single 35SO4-labeled tryptic peptide was isolated by reverse phase chromatography. The amino acid sequence of the peptide established that the 35SO4 oligosaccharide is conjugated at Asn-45. Behavior of the 35SO4-labeled oligosaccharide on concanavalin A-agarose, sequential exoglycosidase digestion, and chemical analysis of the 35SO4 oligosaccharide confirms that this moiety is of the complex type. Sequential exoglycosidase digestion, thin layer chromatography of the released monosaccharides, and the use of glycosylation inhibitors established that the sulfated sugar is a core N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). The data show that chicken LPL contains two complex and one high mannose N-linked oligosaccharides and that 35SO4 is incorporated into LPL on a GlcNAc residue of a complex oligosaccharide located at Asn-45.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae a-factor is a dodecapeptide pheromone in which the carboxyl group of the COOH-terminal cysteine residue is methyl-esterified and the sulfhydryl side chain is conjugated in thioether linkage to a farnesyl moiety. We found that MAT a ste14 mutant cells secreted a biologically inactive form of a-factor which had more hydrophilic character than the wild-type pheromone. The authentic pheromone could be metabolically labeled with [methyl-3H]methionine, and the resulting COOH-terminal methyl ester could be removed by mild alkaline hydrolysis. In contrast, a-factor secreted by ste14 mutants did not incorporate a base-labile 3H-methyl moiety. Base treatment converted the normal pheromone into a form which was biologically inactive and which comigrated with the ste14 form of the peptide upon thin-layer chromatography. These results indicate that STE14 gene function is required for COOH-terminal methylation of a-factor.

Rat gastric mucin undergoes extensive modifications during biosynthesis, including oligomerization, N- and O-glycosylation, and sulfation. We characterized the events in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and Golgi complex and studied how these steps are interrelated, using specific inhibitors of cellular processes. The mucin precursors oligomerize in the RER by forming intermolecular disulfide bonds. The oligomers comprise a mixture of predominantly di- and trimers of molar ratio 3:2. The oligomerized precursors are transported to the Golgi complex to form mature, oligomeric mucin by extensive O-glycosylation, and sulfation. N-Glycosylation of the precursor is required for efficient oligomerization. Brefeldin A, which inhibits protein transport between RER and Golgi complex, allows oligomerization and concomitantly induces initial O-glycosylation. Oligomerization and egrees from the RER precedes initial O-glycosylation and are therefore independent of the latter process.

A microsomal preparation from chondroitin 4-sulfate-synthesizing cultured mouse mastocytoma cells was incubated with UDP-[3H]GalNAc, UDP-GlcA, and 3'-phosphoadenylylphosphosulfate (PAPS) for 30 s at 10 degrees C and with UDP-[14C]GlcA, UDP-GalNAc, and PAPS for 4 h at 37 degrees C for synthesis of 3H- and 14C-labeled chondroitin/chondroitin sulfate. The latter incubation provided more than 100 times as much product as did the short incubation at 10 degrees C. Upon chromatography of the isolated labeled glycosaminoglycans on a Sepharose CL-6B column, most of the [14C]glycosaminoglycan from the 4 h, 37 degrees C incubation was excluded from the column, indicating that this nascent glycosaminoglycan had been polymerized fully. In contrast, most of the [3H]glycosaminoglycan from the 30 s, 10 degrees C incubation was mostly retarded upon cochromatography on this same column, indicating that the nascent glycosaminoglycan was still growing in size. The labeled fractions representing chondroitin/chondroitin sulfate of varying sizes were analyzed for degree of sulfation by degradation with chondroitin ABC lyase followed by paper electrophoresis of the products. Results indicated that the [14C]chondroitin/chondroitin sulfate formed in the 4-h incubation was 60-70% sulfated. Incomplete chains of [3H]chondroitin/chondroitin sulfate formed in the 30-s incubation were also sulfated as much as 20-25%. As the size of the [3H]chondroitin/chondroitin sulfate increased, there was a concomitant increase in sulfation. These results demonstrate that in this microsomal system sulfation takes place while the nascent chondroitin glycosaminoglycan chains are still actively growing in length, although the sulfation lags somewhat behind the polymerization. This not only indicates a common membrane location for both polymerization and sulfation of chondroitin but also demonstrates that the sulfation of chondroitin by these mastocytoma cells may occur during the process of glycosaminoglycan polymerization rather than subsequent to completion of the glycosaminoglycan chains.

Sulfate transport was examined using membrane vesicles (pH 7.0 inside) prepared from rat liver lysosomes. Sulfate uptake was dependent upon external pH with increased uptake at lower buffer pH. The Km for uptake was 160 microM at pH 5.0 while at pH 7.0, a lower affinity system with a Km of 1.4 mM was present. The protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone increased uptake at pH 5.0 while valinomycin/KCl had no effect. In contrast, at pH 7.0, valinomycin-induced changes in membrane potential stimulated uptake. Countertransport of sulfate at pH 7.0 was inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic acid stilbene, N-(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, and a variety of anions: SO4(2-) greater than MoO4(2-) greater than Cl- greater than HPO4- greater than HCO3-. Trans-stimulation of sulfate uptake at pH 7.0 was observed with MoO4(2-) and, to a lesser extent, with S2O3(2-) while Cl-, HPO4-, and HCO3- had little effect. However, chloride loading of vesicles resulted in marked stimulation of sulfate uptake at pH 5.0. It appears that sulfate and protons exit lysosomes in exchange for chloride by a specific, pH-regulated anion transport system.

Incubation of a microsomal fraction from murine mastocytoma, with UDP-[1-3H]GlcA, UDP-GlcNAc, and adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS), yielded labeled, N-sulfated polysaccharides, in which most of the incorporated O-sulfate groups were located at C2 of L-iduronic acid and at C6 of D-glucosamine units. Analysis by anion-exchange high pressure liquid chromatography of disaccharides, generated by deaminative cleavage of these polysaccharides, revealed that, in addition, an appreciable portion of the -GlcNSO3-HexA-GlcNSO3- sequences in the intact polymers contained O-sulfated (at C2 or C3) D-glucuronic acid units. Calculations based on such compositional analysis of the N- and O-sulfated biosynthetic product, isolated by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, showed that glucuronosyl 2/3-O-sulfate accounted for approximately 12% of the total incorporated O-sulfate groups. With [35S]PAPS (at a low total PAPS concentration) as an alternative source of label, the sulfated glucuronic acid residues were again detectable, albeit in much smaller amounts (1.8% of the total O-sulfate groups). Incorporation of label from UDP-[5-3H]GlcA was retained by the O-sulfated glucuronic acid units, thus demonstrating that these components had in fact been formed by sulfation of glucuronic acid residues and not by "back epimerization" of sulfated iduronic acid units. Structural analysis of polysaccharide intermediates at various stages of biosynthetic polymer modification, separated by ion-exchange chromatography, showed O-sulfation of glucuronic and iduronic acid units to appear simultaneously and before the 6-O-sulfation of glucosamine residues.

Previous studies on rabbit thrombomodulin (TM) revealed that certain anticoagulant activities expressed by TM depend on the presence of an acidic domain tentatively identified as a sulfated galactosaminoglycan (Bourin, M.-C., Ohlin, A.-K., Lane, D., Stenflo, J., and Lindahl, U. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8044-8052). The glycan was released by alkaline beta-elimination, isolated by ion-exchange chromatography, and radiolabeled by partial N-deacetylation (hydrazinolysis) followed by re-N-[3H]acetylation. The labeled product behaved like standard chondroitin sulfate on ion-exchange chromatography, exhibited a Mr of 10-12 x 10(3) on gel chromatography, and was susceptible to degradation by chondroitinase and testicular hyaluronidase. The major labeled degradation products following digestion of the glycosaminoglycan with chondroitinase were identified, depending on the incubation conditions, either as 4/6-mono-O-sulfated, 4,5-unsaturated disaccharides (delta HexA-GalNAc(S] and N-acetylgalactosamine 4,6-di-O-sulfate (GalcNAc (diS], the latter component accounting for approximately 25% of the total label, or as a major fraction of labeled trisaccharide, with the predominant structure GalNAc(diS)-GlcA-GalNAc(diS). The terminal GalNAc(diS) unit (not substituted at C3) was shown to be more susceptible to N-deacetylation during hydrazinolysis than were the internal GalNAc units (substituted at C3), and thus was more extensively labeled, resulting in over-representation of this unit. It is concluded that rabbit TM is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, which carries a single glycan side chain characterized by an unusual accumulation of sulfate groups at the nonreducing terminus. Metabolically 35S-labeled TM was isolated from cultured rabbit heart endothelial cells and characterized as a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan which accounted for 1-2% of the total 35S-labeled cell-associated macromolecules. The isolated chondroitin sulfate showed weaker antithrombin-dependent anticoagulant activity, on a molar basis, than the intact TM proteoglycan. The anticoagulant action of TM thus depends on a unique form of functional collaboration between the different constituents of a glycoconjugate.

Mouse L929 cells were used to study the mechanism of cAMP induction of alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity. Following treatment with 200 microM 8-chlorophenylthio-cAMP (CPT-cAMP), alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity was observed to increase 80-fold after 24 h. The CPT-cAMP dose response of the alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity correlated well with the CPT-cAMP activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in L cells. A cDNA clone for the alkaline phosphatase was isolated and used to demonstrate a 10-fold increase in alkaline phosphatase mRNA levels after a 24-h treatment of L cells with CPT-cAMP. Increased mRNA levels were first detected 4-6 h, after CPT-cAMP treatment, and the level of alkaline phosphatase mRNA decreased rapidly after removal of CPT-cAMP. In vitro nuclear transcription studies showed that a 3-fold increase in alkaline phosphatase gene transcription was detectable 6 h after CPT treatment, and this increase was blocked by cycloheximide. In order to determine if the catalytic (C) subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase was able to mediate the induction of AP, L cells were transfected with expression vectors containing the metallothionein promoter and coding for the C alpha isoform of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase or for a catalytic subunit in which lysine 72 had been mutated to methionine (C alpha K72M). Zinc treatment of stably transfected cells expressing the wild-type C subunit showed an increase in protein kinase activity and an increase in AP activity. Zinc treatment of cells containing the mutant C subunit expression vector produced an increase in the amount of a protein which was recognized by C subunit antibodies on Western blots, but these cells showed no increase in protein kinase activity or in AP activity. We conclude that the C subunit is sufficient for transcriptional induction of the AP gene and that the phosphotransferase activity of the C subunit is required for this induction.

Osteoblasts elaborate a dynamic extracellular matrix that is constructed and mineralized as bone is formed. This matrix is primarily composed of collagen, along with noncollagenous proteins which include glycoproteins and proteoglycans. After various times in culture, human bone cells were labeled with [35S]sulfate, [3H] leucine/proline, or [3H]glucosamine and the metabolism of hyaluronan and four distinct species of proteoglycans (PGs) was assayed in the medium, cell layer, and intracellular pools. These cells produce hyaluronan (Mr approximately 1,400,000; a chondroitin sulfate PG (CSPG), Mr approximately 600,000; a heparan sulfate PG (HSPG), Mr approximately 400,000; and two dermatan sulfate PGs with Mr approximately 270,000 (biglycan, PG I) and Mr approximately 135,000 (decorin, PG II) that distribute between the medium and cell layer. Two days following subculture, 12 h [35S]sulfate steady-state labeling yielded a composition of 24, 27, 31, and 18% for total CSPG, HSPG, biglycan, and decorin, respectively. While HSPG and decorin levels and distribution between medium and cell layer remained relatively constant during steady-state labeling at different times in culture, CSPG and biglycan levels increased dramatically at late stages of growth, and their distribution changed throughout culture. These results were independent of cell density, media depletion, and labeling pool effects. In contrast, hyaluronan synthesis was uncoupled from PG synthesis and apparently density-dependent. Pulse chase labeling at different stages of culture showed that the CSPG and decorin behaved as secretory PGs. Both HSPG and biglycan underwent catabolism, with HSPG possessing a t1/2 of 8 h and biglycan a t1/2 of 4 h. While the rate of HSPG turnover did not appreciably change between early and late culture, that of biglycan decreased. The mRNA for decorin was constant, while that of biglycan changed during culture. These results suggest that each PG possesses a distinct pattern of cellular and temporal distribution that may reflect specific stages in matrix formation and maturation.