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An aminopeptidase N (APN) with a molecular weight of 110kDa was released from the midgut membrane of Bombyx mori by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), and purified to a homogeneous state. This 110-kDa APN was different from the 100-kDa APN that we previously reported, in chromatographic behaviors, substrate specificity, and N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences. However, the N-terminal sequence of 110-kDa APN, DPAFRLPTTTRPRHYQVTLT, was highly homologous with those of Manduca sexta and Heliothis virescens APNs, which were identified as a receptor for an insecticidal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis. From a B. mori midgut cDNA library, we cloned the 110-kDa APN cDNA that possessed a 2958-bp open reading frame encoding a 111573-Da polypeptide of 986 residues. The sequence of the eicosa-peptide Asp42Thr61 deduced from the cDNA was completely matched with the N-terminal sequence of the mature 110-kDa APN. One potential N-glycosylation site, HEXXHXW zinc-binding motif and characteristic proline-rich repeats were observed in the ORF. Moreover, the primary sequence contained two hydrophobic peptides on N- and C-termini. The N-terminal peptide sequence showed characteristics of leader peptide for secretion and the C-terminal peptide contained a possible glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring site. Taken together, the deduced amino acid sequence suggests that the 110-kDa APN is a GPI-anchored protein and a specific receptor protein for B. thuringiensis CryIA delta-endotoxin.

A large glucose polymer was found, following pronase digestion, in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells metabolically labeled with [1-3H]galactose. The polymer was excluded from a Bio-Gel A-0.5 m column and adsorbed by immobilized concanavalin A-Sepharose from which it was eluted with 10 mM alpha-methylmannoside. Glucose was found to be the sole component monosaccharide. Except for those capable of degrading glycogen, no exo- or endo-glycosidases cleaved the polymer. This is the first report on the occurrence of a glucose polymer in undifferentiated PC12 cells.

Neutral glycolipids in PC12 cells were examined. A major neutral glycosphingolipid, isolated from a chloroform/methanol extract of the cells, was found to contain only galactose and glucose at a ratio of 3:1 and identified as ceramide tetrahexoside by fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry. Its saccharide sequence was determined by a new method developed here using endoglycoceramidase (Ito, M., and Yamagata, T. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 14278-14282). The glycosphingolipid was digested with endoglycoceramidase to produce oligosaccharide which was subsequently pyridylaminated. The fluorescence-labeled oligosaccharide was digested with a series of specific exoglycosidases and fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography. The 2-aminopyridyl oligosaccharide was hydrolyzed by alpha-galactosidase to give a 2-aminopyridyl oligosaccharide which was identified as 2-aminopyridyl lactose by high performance liquid chromatography, indicating the glycolipid structure to be Gal alpha Gal alpha Gal beta GlcCer. Ceramide trihexoside obtained by limited digestion of the intact glycolipid was clearly identical with ceramide trihexoside obtained from human erythrocytes, according to NMR spectroscopy and methylation analysis. From these and other data on the intact glycolipid, obtained by methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy, its structure was confirmed as Gal alpha 1-3Gal alpha 1-4Gal beta 1-4Glc beta 1-1Cer, III3-Gal alpha-globotriaosylceramide. This is the first report indicating the presence of this glycosphingolipid in PC12 cells.

Human teratocarcinoma-derived cells of line PA 1, which are capable of differentiating in vitro [Zeuthen, J. et al. (1980) Int J. Cancer, 25, 19-32], incorporate label from radioactive sulfate and/or glucosamine into several large-sized glycosaminoglycans including hyaluronate, chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate co-polymers, heparan sulfate and keratan-sulfate-like molecules. All these polysaccharide fractions were identified by specific degradation methods. The labeled hyaluronate was degraded into a mixture of unsaturated octa-, hexa- and tetra-saccharides by a treatment with Streptomyces hyaluronidase (EC 4.2.2.1). The chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate co-polymers were cleaved with chondroitin AC lyase (EC 4.2.2.5) into unsaturated disaccharides and a series of unsaturated oligosaccharides; the latter were degraded by a treatment with chondroitin ABC lyase (EC 4.2.2.4) into unsaturated disaccharides. Heparan sulfate was degraded with nitrous acid into free inorganic [35S]sulfate and a series of [35S]sulfate-labeled oligosaccharides and/or glycopeptides. The keratan-sulfate-like molecules were hydrolyzed by a treatment with endo-beta-galactosidase from Escherichia freundii into a series of distinct [35S]sulfate-labeled oligosaccharides; small oligosaccharides were liberated also from [3H]galactose-labeled molecules. The smallest one of the liberated oligosaccharides was tentatively identified as a sulfated disaccharide.

Labelled oligomannosyl type glycans of E2 protein of Semliki Forest virus were liberated by treatment with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, as well as by hydrazinolysis and analysed by paper chromatography. The protein-bound virus oligosaccharides were a mixture of Man7GlcNAc2, Man6GlcNAc2 and Man5GlcNAc2, and Man8GlcNAc2 also appeared to be present. P62 protein, the direct precursor of E2, was labelled by supplying infected BHK cells with 2-3H-mannose for 5 min. The oligomannosyl glycans of the P62 proteins formed were about two monosaccharide units larger than those of the mature virus E2 proteins.