ERp28, a human endoplasmic-reticulum-lumenal protein, is a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family but lacks a CXXC thioredoxin-box motif.

We report on the isolation, sequence and a putative role of a human endoplasmic-reticulum-lumenal protein, ERp28. The protein has the C-terminal retention signal KEEL and localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as seen by subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescence studies. The protein has significant sequence similarity to members of the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family, although it lacks the thioredoxin box (CGHC) motif. We propose, on the basis of sequence analysis, a model of the domain structure of PDI, representing a significant extension of previously proposed models. Our results are in partial agreement with recently published NMR data [Kemmink, J., Darby, J., Dijkstra, K., Nilges, M. & Creighton, T. E. (1997) Curr. Biol. 7, 239-245] and indicate that PDI contains, in addition to the two thioredoxin folds described in previous models, two thioredoxin folds within the domains previously defined as b and b'. The thioredoxin domain of ERp28 shares a higher degree of similarity with the corresponding active and inactive domains of PDI than with other members of the PDI family, indicating that ERp28 developed from an ancient form of PDI or a PDI precursor. In contrast to Ig-heavy-chain-binding protein, human ERp28 is not induced by metabolic stress (tunicamycin). In in vitro experiments, ERp28 and calnexin precipitate with overexpressed, wild-type hepatitis B small surface antigen and with a mutated ER-retained form. This indicates that ERp28, as calnexin, may be involved in the processing of secretory proteins within the ER.

Characterization of brefeldin A induced vesicular structures containing cycling proteins of the intermediate compartment/cis-Golgi network.

Residence of luminal ER proteins is mediated by a cyclic process which involves binding of escaped proteins to a KDEL receptor in a post-ER compartment and redistribution of the ligand-receptor complex back to the ER. We examined the relocation of the KDEL receptor after treatment with the fungal metabolite brefeldin A and compared this with the retrograde transport of the KDEL receptor observed after ligand or receptor overexpression. Incubation with brefeldin A led to the formation of vesicular structures containing the KDEL receptor and ERGIC-53, a marker for the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that these structures are composed of tubulo-vesicular clusters. The brefeldin A induced vesicular structures were morphologically and biochemically distinct from the ER-Golgi hybrid compartment as demonstrated by double immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation. Overexpression of the receptor itself or a lysozyme-KDEL construct led to a shift of the KDEL receptor together with ERGIC-53, an intermediate compartment marker to the ER but not to structures resembling BFA induced vesicular structures. Moreover, overexpression of the receptor resulted in the partial redistribution of marker proteins of the medial Golgi and the trans-Golgi network to ER-like structures. We conclude that the effects of brefeldin A on the redistribution of the KDEL receptor do not reflect physiological events occurring during increased occupancy of the receptor with ligands.

Retention and retrieval: both mechanisms cooperate to maintain calreticulin in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Many soluble resident proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum share a COOH-terminal Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL) sequence. Current opinion favours a model in which these proteins can escape from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by bulk flow and are recognized and sorted in the Golgi apparatus by binding to a specific KDEL-receptor, which returns them to the ER. Through biochemical, morphological and mutational analysis we have studied the mechanisms that determine the localization of calreticulin, a soluble 60 kDa KDEL-protein of the ER. Immunogold labelling established the ER localization of calreticulin in transfected and nontransfected COS cells. Although the ER cisternae in transfected cells were enormously dilated and heavily labelled by gold particles we found no significant label in any other compartment. In vivo pulse chase experiments with [35S]methionine followed by biochemical fractionation of calreticulin overexpressing COS cells (50- to 100-fold) revealed that only a minor part of labelled calreticulin leaves the ER. Retrieval from the Golgi was confirmed by a partial redistribution of the endogenous KDEL-receptor as shown by double immunofluorescence. These data suggest a KDEL-independent retention of calreticulin in the ER. Further supporting evidence has come from morphological in vivo studies using calreticulin-transfected and vesicular stomatitis virus (ts045)-infected COS cells. Stimulation of vesicular transport from the ER by releasing the temperature-dependent transport block for the viral G-protein resulted in a small but significant appearance of calreticulin in a post-ER compartment. In contrast a calreticulin mutant, which lacked the Ca(2+)-binding domain but included the KDEL sequence, could escape from the ER to a much higher extent. Secretion of the nonmutated calreticulin was very low (1-2% of total calreticulin in 3 hours) compared to the mutated form (18% in 3 hours). Deletion of the KDEL sequence led to an increase in secretion to 29% over a 3 hour period, which is much less than expected for a secretory protein. Taken together these results strongly support the hypothesis of two independently operating retention/retrieval mechanisms for calreticulin: one providing for direct retention in the ER with a very high capacity and having Ca(2+)-dependent properties; the other a KDEL-based retrieval system for escaped calreticulin present in the Golgi apparatus.

CaBP1, a calcium binding protein of the thioredoxin family, is a resident KDEL protein of the ER and not of the intermediate compartment.

A cDNA encoding rat CaBP1 has been isolated and sequenced. The deduced polypeptide chain consists of 440 amino acids including two internal thioredoxin-like domains and a C-terminal KDEL retention/retrieval signal. Regarding the high degree of identity to the hamster protein P5, CaBP1 is considered to be the homologous rat protein. Previous work has suggested that CaBP1 is a resident luminal protein of the intermediate compartment (Schweizer, A., Peter, F., Nguyen Van, P., Söling, H.D. and Hauri, H.P. (1993) Eur. J. Cell Biol. 60, 366-370). Our conclusion that CaBP1 is a resident protein of the endoplasmic reticulum and not of the intermediate compartment is based on three different approaches: subcellular fractionation, indirect immunofluorescence and overexpression of CaBP1. Subcellular fractionation of Vero cells in a velocity controlled step gradient led to copurification of CaBP1-containing vesicles and several marker proteins for the ER including calreticulin and alpha-SSRP. The intermediate compartment, as defined by a monoclonal antibody against the marker protein p53 (ERGIC-53), could be separated from these ER markers. Double immunofluorescence analysed by laser scanning microscopy showed no significant colocalization between CaBP1 and p53, but between CaBP1 and calreticulin. In addition experiments, Vero cells were infected with VSV tsO45. At 15 degrees C the VSV-G protein accumulated in punctuate structures representing the intermediate compartment, while CaBP1 maintained its original reticular localization. Even after high-level overexpression in COS cells, CaBP1 was not detected in the intermediate compartment, but was efficiently retained in the ER as judged by light microscopy.

Different sorting of Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu proteins in rat liver.

Most of the resident soluble proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) seem to be sorted into this compartment via their COOH-terminal tetrapeptide Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL). This sorting is supposed to occur in a post-ER compartment. Three resident soluble ER glycoproteins belonging to the KDEL family are CaBP1, CaBP2, CaBP3 (= calreticulin), and CaBP4 (= grp94) (Nguyen Van, P., Peter, F., and Söling, H.-D. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 17494-17501). In rat liver, calreticulin possesses a carbohydrate moiety of the complex hybrid type with terminal galactoses (Nguyen Van, P., Peter, F., and Söling, H.-D. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 17494-17501). We can show now that practically all calreticulin molecules (and not only a fraction) possess terminal galactoses as well as the COOH-terminal KDEL sequence. This as well as pulse-chase experiments performed at 37 and 15 degrees C indicate that calreticulin must have passed through the trans-Golgi. Subcellular fractionations of post-mitochondrial supernatants from isolated rat hepatocytes by sucrose-Nycodenz gradient centrifugation revealed that calreticulin is confined mainly to the rough ER, grp94 mainly to the smooth ER. CaBP1, a member of the thioredoxin family, was recovered in fractions which most likely represent the intermediate compartment. This indicates that KDEL is a sorting signal which leads to the retention of these proteins in the pre-Golgi compartments. However, additional factors, most likely residing within the specific KDEL protein itself, determine the final location of the protein within the pre-Golgi compartments. This is underlined by experiments in which the density dependent distribution of total KDEL proteins was studied using a COOH-terminal KDEL-specific antibody.

[The mode of action of a nonpolyenic antifungal (desertomycin) produced by a strain of Streptomyces spectabilis]. / Recherches sur le mode d'action d'un antifongique non polyénique (désertomycine) produit par une souche de Streptomyces spectabilis.

A metabolite with antifungal activity, of non polyenic macrolide structure, was extracted and purified from the culture supernatant of a soil-isolated Streptomyces spectabilis strain, BT 352. This product was found to be related to (or being) desertomycin. Six yeast and five filamentous fungus strains were used to determine minimum concentration of the metabolite that inhibits growth by 80% (IMC); it was established at 50 micrograms/mL for the fungi and at 100 micrograms/mL or more for the yeasts tested. Short-term genotoxicity tests showed no antifungal effect on the bacterial genome, and desertomycin at concentration levels of 100 micrograms/mL or more affected protein synthesis. The antifungal metabolite had no immediate inhibiting effect upon yeast respiration, even at high concentrations; however, the respiration activity of cells grown in the presence of subinhibiting doses and collected during their growth phase was reduced by as much as 40%. Saccharomyces uvarum spheroplast regeneration in a liquid medium containing desertomycin was inhibited at doses fivefold weaker than the IMC determined with intact cells. Contrary to amphotericin B, desertomycin subinhibiting doses do not modify, and if so lightly, the yeast latent phase or the spheroplast wall regeneration phase, thus indicating a fungicidal action. Moreover, following a 30-min contact with desertomycin subinhibiting and inhibiting doses, yeasts liberated potassium in large amounts, indicating that plasma membranes were affected.

Functionally distinct serine phosphorylation sites of p36, the cellular substrate of retroviral protein kinase; differential inhibition of reassociation with p11.

P36 was originally defined as the major cytoplasmic target of retrovirally coded tyrosine-kinases. While recently much has been learned about its biochemistry, the functional importance of its tyrosine and serine phosphorylation has not been approached. As p36 is now understood as a multi-ligand protein its in vitro phosphorylation by three different serine/threonine kinases was followed. Monomeric p36 is a much better substrate than the complex containing two copies each of p36 and p11 (protein I). All p36 phosphorylation sites occur within the amino-terminal 29 residues specifically released by mild proteolysis. As this region harbors an important interaction site for p11 the reduced phosphorylation of p36 in the protein I complex results most likely from a lowered accessibility. Phosphorylation of p36 is serine specific. Reconstitution experiments define at least two functionally distinct sites. One product of protein kinase C reconstitutes with p11 to protein I, while this complex formation normal for p36 is observed neither for the second phosphorylation product nor for the derivatives resulting from phosphorylation by calmodulin or cAMP dependent kinases. The results lend direct support to the hypothesis that phosphorylation of p36 can modulate one of its molecular functions. Obvious implications for other Ca2+-dependent lipid binding proteins are discussed.