Polyisobutylmethacrylate modifies glycolipid binding specificity of verotoxin 1 in thin-layer chromatogram overlay procedures.

Verotoxins (or Shiga-like toxins) are a family of closely related toxins elaborated by Escherichia coli. At least three toxins have been described, VT1, VT2, and SLTII, in addition to Shiga toxin itself, and all bind to globotriaosyl ceramide, Gb3. Some discrepancies exist in the literature regarding the binding of the toxins to Gb4 as monitored by TLC overlay procedures. These procedures are widely used to investigate the specificity of carbohydrate-binding ligands. Polyisobutylmethacrylate, PIBM, is generally used in TLC overlay procedures to prevent silica loss and orient carbohydrate moieties for the binding of various ligands to glycolipids. We now report that pretreatment of chromatograms with PIBM modifies binding of VT1 to include Gb4 and decreases binding to Gb3 and the P1 glycolipid. We suggest that PIBM can alter the conformation of the glycolipid oligosaccharide, and therefore caution is advised in analysis of ligand binding to glycolipids after treatment with this compound.

Synthesis and translocation of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase alpha- and beta-subunits to plasma membrane in MDCK cells.

Synthesis and translocation of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase alpha-catalytic and beta-glycoprotein subunits from intracellular membranes to the plasma membrane were studied in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK-T) by combining the methods of pulse-chase labeling, subcellular fractionation on sorbitol gradients, and immunoprecipitation. Immunoprecipitation from homogenates revealed that radioactive methionine incorporated into beta-subunit was equal to that incorporated into alpha-subunit after 15 min of labeling. Because the ratio of total methionines in alpha- vs. beta-subunit is approximately 5:1, these results suggest that beta-subunit is synthesized in molar excess over alpha-subunit. Half of the newly synthesized beta-subunit, likely unassembled units, were degraded by 60 min after labeling, while alpha-subunits were stable through 120 min after synthesis, suggesting alpha may be limiting for alpha beta-assembly. By 120 min the ratio of counts incorporated into alpha vs. beta approached 5, which is predicted by a 1:1 ratio of alpha to beta. The sorbitol gradient resolved two major membrane samples: a mixture of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi populations and a plasma membrane-enriched sample. Immature beta (beta i) could not be detected in the plasma membrane-enriched samples at levels greater than could be attributed to cross-contamination by intracellular membranes. Mature beta (beta m) became detectable after 30 min, and conversion of beta i to beta m was 90% complete at 120 min. A peak of labeled alpha-subunit appeared in the plasma membrane-enriched sample at 60 min, coincident with the appearance of labeled beta m-subunit in this sample, suggesting movement as alpha beta-heterodimers.

Secretagogue-induced redistributions of Na,K-ATPase in rat lacrimal acini.

Lacrimal acinar cells secrete macromolecular products in an approximately isotonic, sodium chloride (NaCl)-rich fluid. The mechanisms of macromolecular product secretion depend in part on a recycling traffic of membrane constituents between the Golgi complex and the apical plasma membrane. In contrast, the acinar cell's mechanisms for secreting Na+ and Cl- depend largely on the fluxes of these ions through transporters expressed in the apical and basal-lateral membranes. In addition to accelerating the recycling of secretory vesicle membrane constituents, the cholinergic agonist carbachol also triggers a net redistribution of sodium potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase) ion pumps between Golgi-associated pools and the basal-lateral plasma membranes (Yiu SC, et al: J Membrane Biol 102:185, 1988). In the present study, acinar preparations from rat lacrimal glands were stimulated with either carbachol, epinephrine, or isoproterenol. All three agonist stimulated release of the secretory protein lactoperoxidase, but only carbachol significantly accelerated Na+ undirectional influx. Subcellular fractionation analyses of resting and stimulated preparations indicated that carbachol caused a significant translocation of Na,K-ATPase activity from a Golgi-associated compartment to the basal-lateral plasma membranes. Neither adrenergic agonist significantly increased the basal-lateral membrane Na,K-ATPase activity, but each triggered a distinct pattern of redistributions of Na,K-ATPase and the Golgi membrane marker, galactosyltransferase. The carbachol-induced augmentation of basal-lateral membrane Na,K-ATPase activity represents a mechanism by which the cell might compensate for increased Na+ influx.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analytic subcellular fractionation of acini from rat lacrimal gland.

A recent hypothesis for the cellular mechanism of fluid secretion by lacrimal acini has been based, in part, on the results of subcellular fractionation analyses of lacrimal gland fragments which had been incubated for a brief period in vitro. An important assumption in those studies was that the ion transporters and neurotransmitter receptors measured in isolated subcellular fractions were associated with membranes derived from the acinar cells, since these comprise the bulk of the lacrimal gland mass. This study was undertaken to validate this assumption. Acinar complexes were isolated from rat exorbital lacrimal glands by digestion with collagenase, hyaluronidase, and DNase. Although terminal intralobular duct segments and myoepithelial cells were occasionally noted, the preparations appeared to be free of larger ducts, blood cells, blood vessels, and interstitial cells. Acinar cells were then disrupted, and the homogenates underwent the fractionation procedure used previously for lacrimal gland fragment preparations. This procedure involved a sequence of analyses by differential sedimentation, isopycnic centrifugation on sorbitol gradients, and partitioning in dextran-polyethyleneglycol two-phase systems. Calculated initial specific activities for sodium/potassium adenosinetriphosphatase (Na+/K(+)-ATPase), alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, and succinate dehydrogenase were identical to those obtained from fragment preparations. Major membrane populations resolved by the sequential analyses, including one believed to represent endoplasmic reticulum membranes, two believed to be derived from the acinar cell basal-lateral membrane, and two believed to be derived from the Golgi complex, corresponded closely to populations resolved from lacrimal fragment preparations. In addition to validating the previous use of lacrimal gland fragment preparations in studies of acinar cell function, these results suggest that preparations of isolated lacrimal acini will be useful for future work on neurotransmitter-receptor regulation and basal-lateral plasma membrane dynamics in the lacrimal gland.

Subcellular distribution of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in rat exorbital lacrimal gland.

The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (MAChR) is an important mediator of parasympathetic regulation of secretion by the rat exorbital lacrimal gland. In order to survey the subcellular distribution of MAChR in lacrimal acinar cells, we have measured the binding of the specific muscarinic cholinergic antagonist [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]-QNB) to membrane samples isolated from rat exorbital lacrimal glands by differential and equilibrium density gradient centrifugation. Binding of [3H]-QNB in all membrane fractions was consistent with the presence of a single class of receptor which was muscarinic in nature on the basis of its Kd for [3H]-QNB (0.30-0.35 nM) and its ability to interact with the muscarinic agonists carbachol and methachol and the antagonist atropine. MAChR were present at the highest specific activity in acinar cell basal-lateral plasma membrane-derived populations, where Bmax was as high as 1960 fmole/mg protein. However, the density distributions of MAChR and of other membrane markers indicated that the receptors were present also in membranes derived from cytoplasmic structures, where Bmax values ranged from 50.4 to 152.8 fmole/mg protein. Stimulation with 10 microM carbachol for 30 min led to a 20% (P less than 0.05) increase in the relative MAChR content of a population of membranes derived from the acinar cell basal-lateral membrane; an apparent tendency for MAChR activity to decrease in other membrane populations suggests that stimulation might cause a redistribution of MAChR between cytoplasmic pools and the cell surface membranes.

Stimulation-associated redistribution of Na,K-ATPase in rat lacrimal gland.

To test the possibility that stimulation of secretion leads Na,K-ATPase to be recruited from cytoplasmic pools and inserted into basal-lateral plasma membranes, we surveyed the subcellular distributions of Na,K-ATPase in resting and stimulated fragments of rat exorbital lacrimal gland. After a two-dimensional separation procedure based on differential sedimentation and density gradient centrifugation, we defined six density windows, which differ from one another in their contents of biochemical markers. The membranes equilibrating in window I could be identified as a sample of basal-lateral membranes; in resting preparations these membranes contained Na,K-ATPase enriched 16.6-fold with respect to the initial homogenates. Windows II through VI contained various cytoplasmic membrane populations; these accounted for roughly 80% of the total recovered Na,K-ATPase activity. Thirty-minute stimulation with 10 microM carbachol caused a 1.4-fold increase (P less than 0.05) in the total Na,K-ATPase content of window I; this increase could be largely accounted for by a 1.7-fold decrease in the total Na,K-ATPase content of density window V. Acid phosphatase activity also redistributed following stimulation, but it was recruited from a different source, and it was inserted into membranes equilibrating in windows II and III as well as into the membranes of window I.

Na+/H+ antiporter in lacrimal acinar cell basal-lateral membranes.

The first step in the formation of lacrimal gland fluid is believed to depend on transport systems which couple a flux of Cl- ions to the passive influx of Na+ ions across the acinar cell basal-lateral plasma membrane. The transport systems which mediate these fluxes have not yet been characterized, but a review of previous studies (Parod and Putney, Am J Physiol 239:G106, 1980) raises the possibility that Na+/H+ antiporters might represent a major pathway for Na+ influx. This conclusion is of interest, because antiporter mediated Na+ fluxes can, potentially, drive net Cl- fluxes. We have now examined a sample of basal-lateral membrane vesicles from rat exorbital lacrimal gland to verify the presence of a Na+/H+ antiporter activity. Imposition of an outward H+ gradient caused a 4.4-fold increase in the 22Na influx rate, while imposition of an outward Na+ gradient accelerated H+ uptake as determined by changes in acridine orange absorbance. All transport experiments were done in the presence of valinomycin and symmetrical K+ concentrations, eliminating the possibility of conductive Na+ or H+ fluxes driven by diffusion potentials. The pH gradient dependent Na+ influx was completely inhibited by 1 mM amiloride, indicating that it was mediated by a Na+/H+ antiporter similar to those described in other tissues. Comparison of the density distributions of Na+/H+ antiport and standard membrane marker enzyme activities confirmed that the antiporter was primarily localized to the basal-lateral membranes.