Biosynthetic and structural studies on Thy-1 in a rat neuronal tumor cell line.

Because of the limited information available about the synthesis of N-linked glycoproteins in nerve cells, in regard to both processing steps and enzyme characterization, the biosynthetic processing of Thy-1 of the rat neuronal tumor cell line BN-1010-1 has been investigated using several inhibitors of biosynthesis and transport. (i) Tunicamycin completely inhibited mannose incorporation into Thy-1. Unglycosylated Thy-1 was not transported to the cell surface and was probably degraded rapidly following synthesis. (ii) Brefeldin A completely inhibited the transport of all [3H]mannose-labeled proteins releasable by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, including Thy-1, to the surface of BN-1010-1 cells. Removal of the inhibitor led to rapid reversal of the inhibition. Pulse-chase experiments demonstrated that approximately 50% of Thy-1 was degraded after 4 h in the presence of brefeldin A. (iii) Castanospermine treatment slowed the appearance of Thy-1 on the cell surface. The surface Thy-1 contained mainly normal Man5, Man6, and Man7 oligosaccharides, suggesting that Golgi endo-alpha-D-mannosidase effected the removal of glucose. (iv) Treatment with deoxymannojirimycin resulted in the synthesis of Thy-1 that contained Man8 and Man9 oligosaccharides compared to Man5, Man6, and Man7 in the control. Neither the rate of appearance nor the level of surface expression was affected by the drug. (v) Swainsonine did not affect either the rate of appearance or the level of surface expression of Thy-1. The HPLC elution profile of neutral oligosaccharides resulting from Endo-H digestion of Thy-1 synthesized in the presence of swainsonine was indistinguishable from controls. The lack of an effect of swainsonine is explained by the unexpected absence of a complex type oligosaccharide in Thy-1 of BN-1010-1 cells, as shown in experiments with a variety of lectins as well as digestions with Endo-H or glycopeptidase F, or digestions with both enzymes in sequence. The fact that, after [3H]fucose-labeling, Endo-H digestion produced Thy-1 still labeled with fucose indicates that hybrid oligosaccharide is present in Thy-1.

Formation, turnover, and sensitivity to phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C of Thy-1 of a rat neuronal tumor cell line.

We have investigated the formation, turnover, and sensitivity to phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) of Thy-1 in the rat neuronal tumor cell line BN-1010-1. It was initially established that a relatively short labeling time (1.5 h) using [3H]mannose yielded much more highly labeled PI-PLC-releasable glycoproteins than a longer labeling time (18 h). Labeled Thy-1 was released from the cell surface as early as 30 min postlabeling, increased to a maximum at 2.0 h, and then decreased to 50% of maximum by 5.5 h. The decrease may be due to degradation or spontaneous release into the medium, since total cellular Thy-1 remained constant during the decline. The decrease may be a result of a partial conversion of Thy-1 from a PI-PLC-sensitive to a PI-PLC-insensitive state. This resistance of the plasma membrane-associated Thy-1 was not due to a chemical modification of the glycoprotein, since detergent-extracted Thy-1 was completely sensitive to PI-PLC.

Enhancement of free radical reduction by elevated concentrations of ascorbic acid in avian dystrophic muscle.

It has been postulated that the degenerative process in dystrophic muscle results from increased concentrations of free radicals, peroxides, or lipid hydroperoxides. Therefore, the reduction of the free radical tanol (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinol-1-oxyl) by extracts of muscles of dystrophic and normal chickens was studied. Pectoral (white) and thigh (red) muscles were used. For initial rate measurements, the various muscle extracts were added to an equal volume of 0.2 mM tanol. Reaction mixtures were introduced into the EPR cavity in a standard aqueous flat cell. Rates were measured by continuously monitoring the decrease in signal amplitude of the center (MI = 0) solution tanol EPR resonance line (in-phase first harmonic absorption signal). With extracts from dystrophic white muscle, the reduction rate was 75% faster than normal, whereas in dystrophic red muscle extracts the rate was normal. This agreed with previous observations that white muscle is more severely affected than red in dystrophic chickens. The primary reductant was identified as reduced ascorbic acid, and the rate of reduction of tanol correlated directly with the concentrations of ascorbic acid in the various muscle extracts as shown by chemical analysis. The results suggest an involvement of the intracellular redox status in the pathogenesis of avian muscular dystrophy.

Erythrocyte membrane abnormalities in Duchenne muscular dystrophy monitored by saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance and the spin label 2-(3-carboxypropyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-tridecyl-3-oxazolidinyloxyl were used to study erythrocytes from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy or Becker syndrome and from age-matched normal boys. There were significant differences in the spectral intensities of erythrocytes from Duchenne patients when compared to controls. Spectral intensities increased with time in the former; no such change was observed in the latter. Saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of erythrocytes from patients with Becker syndrome were significantly different from those from Duchenne patients but were not significantly different from normals. These observations suggest the possible usefulness of these techniques in the differential diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Spin label concentration spectral studies suggest that the observed spectral differences between Duchenne patients and controls were due to differential spin exchange phenomena.

Effect of sodium on the transport and utilization of citric acid by Aerobacter (Enterobacter) aerogenes.

Sodium inhibited citrate uptake by two of the four strains of Aerobacter (Enterobacter) aerogenes used in these studies, had no effect on one strain, and stimulated citrate uptake by one strain. Two of the four strains grew well anaerobically on citrate in the presence of Na(+), one grew poorly, and one grew not at all either in the presence or absence of Na(+). Na(+) stimulated the aerobic growth of one strain on citrate, increased the total growth but not the rate of growth of one strain, and prolonged the lag phase but not the rate of growth or total growth of two strains. The experimental data reported herein, therefore, indicate that there are appreciable physiological differences among strains of A. aerogenes.