Effects of CoA and acyl-CoA on Ca(2+)-permeability of endoplasmic-reticulum membranes from rat liver.

We have studied the effects of CoA and palmitoyl-CoA on Ca2+ movements and GTP-dependent vesicle fusion in rat liver microsomes. (1) Inhibition of membrane fusion by CoA depends on esterification of CoA to long-chain acyl-CoA using endogenous non-esterified fatty acids. (2) Binding of long-chain acyl-CoA to microsomal membranes is inhibited by BSA, which also relieves inhibition of membrane fusion. (3) Under conditions where acyl-CoA binding is inhibited, CoA causes increased Ca2+ accumulation, apparently by decreasing the Ca2+ leak rate. (4) Conversely, palmitoyl-CoA, in the presence of BSA, causes Ca2+ efflux. (5) The decrease in Ca(2+)-permeability caused by CoA does not depend on the presence of ATP or GTP, and is irreversible in the short term. (6) Using 14C-labelled CoA we show that CoA derivatives can be formed from endogenous components of microsomal membranes in the absence of ATP. (7) The results are interpreted in terms of a Ca(2+)-permeability which is controlled by CoA and/or long-chain acyl-CoA esters.

Effects of CoA and acyl-CoAs on GTP-dependent Ca2+ release and vesicle fusion in rat liver microsomal vesicles.

(1) CoA (IC50 23 microM) and acyl-CoAs (IC50 values 15-18 microM) inhibit GTP-dependent vesicle fusion in rat liver microsomal vesicles. Acyl-CoAs of carbon chain length C8 and C20 are much less effective than acyl-CoAs of carbon chain length C14-C18. The effect of CoA is mimicked by dephospho-CoA, but not by desulpho-CoA. High acyl-CoA concentrations (50 microM) appear to favour formation of small vesicles (budding), while 50 microM CoA does not. (2) Low concentrations of CoA (EC50 2 microM) and palmitoyl-CoA (10 microM) cause re-accumulation of Ca2+ released in response to GTP. This re-accumulation is into an Ins(1,4,5)P3-sensitive compartment. By investigation of the effects of CoA and palmitoyl-CoA on the thapsigargin-induced passive leak rate of Ca2+, and on the latency of the mannose-6-phosphatase of the vesicles, we conclude that CoA and palmitoyl-CoA cause decreased vesicle permeability rather than stimulation of Ca2+ pumping activity. (3) It is suggested that GTP-induced membrane fusion in rat liver microsomes involves an as yet uncharacterized acylation-deacylation reaction which is required to produce complete vesicle sealing.

Fluoroaluminate treatment of rat liver microsomes inhibits GTP-dependent vesicle fusion.

1. Inhibition of GTP-dependent membrane fusion of rat liver microsomes requires preincubation of the membranes with GDP (17 microM) and relatively high Mg2+ concentration (0.5 mM) as well as AlCl3 (30 microM) and KF (5 mM). Preincubation is required for maximal inhibition (75%). 2. Vesicle fusion in rat liver microsomes has been demonstrated in the absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Further, inhibition by AlF4- of GTP-dependent vesicle fusion in the absence of PEG has been demonstrated. 3. Under similar preincubation conditions AlF4- can bring about inhibition (80%) of the high-affinity PEG-stimulated GTPase activity in rat liver microsomes, previously described by Nicchitta, Joseph & Williamson [(1986) FEBS Lett. 209, 243-248]. 4. Preincubation of small-Mr GTP-binding proteins (Gn proteins) on nitrocellulose strips with GDP (20 pM), AlCl3 (30 microM) and KF (5 mM) results in inhibition of binding of guanosine 5'-[gamma-[35S]thio]triphosphate to Gn proteins. The extent of inhibition of this binding differs for different Gn proteins.

Effects of GTP on Ca2+ movements across endoplasmic reticulum membranes.

Our initial observation that GTP could, under some experimental conditions, have profound effects on Ca2+ movements across endoplasmic reticulum membranes arose from attempts to increase the sensitivity of rat liver microsomes to inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3). Most preparations of microsomal fractions from rat liver release only a very small percentage of accumulated Ca2+ on addition of IP3. We found, rather empirically, that the addition of microM concentrations of GTP greatly enhanced the amount of Ca2+ releasable by IP3. The initial, very appealing, hypothesis was to postulate a direct effect of GTP on the IP3-sensitive Ca2+ channel. This idea is no longer tenable, as will be described below. The more likely explanation, that GTP has its effect by either fusing small microsomal vesicles together or by allowing some form of communication between adjacent membranes is considerably more complex mechanistically and also possibly has far reaching implications for the mechanisms by which cells organise and maintain their reticular structures.

The effect of limited proteolysis on GTP-dependent Ca2+ efflux and GTP-dependent fusion in rat liver microsomal vesicles.

1. Limited proteolytic digestion of rat liver microsomes (microsomal fractions) with trypsin (5 micrograms/ml), proteinase K (1.0 microgram/ml) and Pronase (20 micrograms/ml final concns.) resulted in abolition of GTP-dependent vesicle fusion. 2. Vesicle fusion could be partially restored to microsomes which had undergone limited tryptic digestion, by the addition of untreated microsomal vesicles. 3. GTP-dependent Ca2+ efflux from rat liver microsomes was also observed to be inhibited by limited proteolysis with trypsin and proteinase K. 4. Limited proteolysis of rat liver microsomes had no effect on subsequent GTP-dependent phosphorylation of polypeptides of Mr 17,000 and 38,000, and thus it is unlikely that the phosphorylation of these proteins is involved in GTP-dependent Ca2+ efflux and GTP-dependent vesicle fusion. 5. GTP binding by Gn proteins [proteins which bind GTP after transfer to nitrocellulose, as defined by Bhullar & Haslam (1986) Biochem. J. 245, 617-620] was inhibited by pre-treatment of microsomes with trypsin, proteinase K and Pronase at concentrations similar to those which abolished GTP-dependent Ca2+ efflux and vesicle fusion. 6. We suggest that one or more of the Gn proteins may be involved in the molecular mechanisms of GTP-dependent vesicle fusion and Ca2+ efflux in rat liver microsomes and that limited proteolytic digestion may be a useful tool in further investigation of these processes.

ras p21 and other Gn proteins are detected in mammalian cell lines by [gamma-35S]GTP gamma S binding.

The presence of guanine nucleotide binding proteins in mouse and human cell lines was investigated using [gamma-35S]GTP gamma S and [gamma-32P]GTP. Cell lysate polypeptides were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose. Incubation of the nitrocellulose blots with [gamma-35S]GTP gamma S identified 9 distinct GTP-binding polypeptides in all lysates. One of these is the ras oncogene product, p21, as demonstrated by subsequent immunochemical staining of the nitrocellulose blots. We have shown that this procedure provides a sensitive method for detection of p21 in culture cell lines.

Effects of elevated intracellular magnesium on cytoskeletal integrity.

Increasing the intracellular magnesium concentration of PtK2 cells by 1 mM or more resulted in the disassembly of the interphase microtubule array over a period of 5 min after microinjection. This effect was found to be both transient and fully reversible, with the microtubule arrays reforming after further incubation. These effects were studied using immunofluorescence microscopy of fixed cells, and also in living cells using rhodamine-tubulin or rhodamine-conjugated anti-tubulin antibodies and image intensification and enhancement techniques. Simultaneously and accompanying the disassembly of the microtubule arrays the F-actin stress fibres also disappeared, usually leaving the peripheral and perinuclear F-actin microfilaments intact. In contrast, increasing intracellular magnesium appeared to have no effect on the vimentin-containing intermediate filaments of PtK2 cells. These effects on the cytoskeleton were specific to magnesium and could not be mimicked by either microinjection of injection buffer of equivalent ionic strength or sham injection. Raising the intracellular free calcium to the same extent resulted in the disassembly of the microtubule network, but appeared to have no effect on the F-actin stress fibres.

Heparin inhibits the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release from rat liver microsomes.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins (1,4,5)P3)-stimulated Ca2+ release is inhibited by low concentrations of heparin (IC50 = 4.5 micrograms/ml). GTP-stimulated Ca2+ release is unaffected at a heparin concentration of 16 micrograms/ml. Addition of heparin after Ins (1,4,5)P3 causes the rapid re-uptake of Ins (1,4,5)P3-releasable Ca2+.

Presence of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins in a plant hypocotyl microsomal fraction.

The presence of specific guanine nucleotide-binding proteins in a zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) hypocotyl microsomal fraction was investigated. Polypeptides were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose. Incubation of nitrocellulose blots with [alpha-32P]GTP and [gamma-32P]GTP indicated the presence of four specific and distinct GTP-binding proteins with molecular masses of approx. 23.4 kDa, 24.8 kDa, 26.6 kDa and 28.5 kDa. Binding of [alpha-32P]GTP could be completely prevented by 30 microM GDP or 10 microM guanosine 5'[gamma-thio]triphosphate. This report presents evidence for the presence in a microsomal fraction from zucchini hypocotyls of Gn-proteins as defined by Bhullar and Haslam (1987) Biochem.J. 245, 617-620. The four plant proteins resemble animal Gn-proteins when molecular weights and GTP-binding specificities are considered.

Respiration driven C1- uptake by submitochondrial particles.

Both Mg2+ and oligomycin are required for the establishment of a membrane potential and the uptake of Cl- in submitochondrial particles prepared from rat liver. The effect of oligomycin is considered to be due to blocking of H+ conduction through exposed F0 channels of the ATPase complex whereas Mg2+ may more directly affect the anion-conducting channel.

The mechanism of action of GTP on Ca2+ efflux from rat liver microsomal vesicles. Measurement of vesicle fusion by fluorescence energy transfer.

1. GTP-promoted fusion between microsomal vesicles was studied by using fluorescence-resonance-energy transfer between the fluorescent membrane probes octadecanoyl-aminofluorescein and octadecyl-rhodamine. 2. The fluorescence increase after GTP addition does not require the presence of ATP, is unaffected by changes in free [Ca2+] in the range 10 microM-1 nM, but requires Mg2+, although higher Mg2+ concentrations are inhibitory. 3. In terms of requirements for poly(ethylene glycol), dependence on GTP concentration and inhibition by high Mg2+ concentrations, there is excellent correlation between rate of increase in fluorescence and rate of GTP-promoted Ca2+ efflux measured under Ca2+ transport conditions. 4. The observations support our previous conclusions that GTP-induced membrane fusion plays a major role in causing GTP-promoted Ca2+ efflux from microsomal vesicles.

The mechanism of action of GTP on Ca2+ efflux from rat liver microsomal vesicles.

1. Guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]), if added before GTP, blocks both Ca2+ efflux promoted by GTP and the effect of GTP on enhancement of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3)-promoted Ca2+ release from preloaded microsomal vesicles. If, however, GTP[S] is added after GTP, it does not reverse the Ca2+ efflux promoted by GTP, nor does it inhibit IP3-promoted Ca2+ release. 2. The effect of GTP in enhancing IP3-promoted Ca2+ release is maintained after washing the microsomal vesicles free of added GTP. After this treatment, enhancement of IP3-promoted Ca2+ efflux can be observed in the absence of poly(ethylene glycol). 3. Electron microscopy shows that during GTP treatment of microsomal vesicles there is rapid production of very large vesicular structures, apparently produced by fusion of smaller vesicles. 4. Light-scattering changes are detectable during the fusion process. 5. Both Ca2+ efflux promoted by GTP and the enhancement of IP3-promoted Ca2+ release seen in the presence of GTP can probably be attributed to GTP-dependent vesicle fusion.

The effect of GTP on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-stimulated Ca2+ efflux from a rat liver microsomal fraction. Is a GTP-dependent protein phosphorylation involved?

GTP, when added to a rat liver microsomal fraction that had previously been allowed to accumulate Ca2+, causes a slow release of Ca2+, which is greatly enhanced by addition of inositol trisphosphate (IP3). The Ca2+ release caused by IP3 under these conditions is very much greater than that observed in the absence of GTP. The effect of GTP is dependent on the presence of polyethylene glycol in the incubation medium and is not due to inhibition of the Ca2+-accumulation system. The response to GTP is time-dependent, particularly at low (4 microM) GTP concentrations, and cannot be mimicked by ATP, ITP, CTP, UTP and GDP. Studies with [gamma-32P]GTP show that, during incubation with microsomal fractions, the terminal phosphate of GTP is transferred to two protein species, of Mr 38 000 and 17 000. These protein phosphorylations are still present when an excess of unlabelled ATP is included in the incubation mixture, but appear to be unaffected by the presence or absence of IP3 and polyethylene glycol. As a working hypothesis, it is suggested that a protein, phosphorylated by GTP, has to bind to the microsomal membranes before IP3 can stimulate Ca2+ release, and that, in vitro, the binding of this protein is favoured by the presence of polyethylene glycol.