Cellular localization and trafficking of the human ABCA1 transporter.

ABCA1, the ATP-binding cassette protein mutated in Tangier disease, mediates the efflux of excess cellular sterol to apoA-I and thereby the formation of high density lipoprotein. The intracellular localization and trafficking of ABCA1 was examined in stably and transiently transfected HeLa cells expressing a functional human ABCA1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein. The fluorescent chimeric ABCA1 transporter was found to reside on the cell surface and on intracellular vesicles that include a novel subset of early endosomes, as well as late endosomes and lysosomes. Studies of the localization and trafficking of ABCA1-GFP in the presence of brefeldin A or monensin, agents known to block intracellular vesicular trafficking, as well as apoA-I-mediated cellular lipid efflux, showed that: (i) ABCA1 functions in lipid efflux at the cell surface, and (ii) delivery of ABCA1 to lysosomes for degradation may serve as a mechanism to modulate its surface expression. Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy revealed that ABCA1-GFP-containing early endosomes undergo fusion, fission, and tubulation and transiently interact with one another, late endocytic vesicles, and the cell surface. These studies establish a complex intracellular trafficking pathway for human ABCA1 that may play important roles in modulating ABCA1 transporter activity and cellular cholesterol homeostasis.

Apolipoprotein specificity for lipid efflux by the human ABCAI transporter.

ABCAI, a member of the ATP binding cassette family, mediates the efflux of excess cellular lipid to HDL and is defective in Tangier disease. The apolipoprotein acceptor specificity for lipid efflux by ABCAI was examined in stably transfected Hela cells, expressing a human ABCAI-GFP fusion protein. ApoA-I and all of the other exchangeable apolipoproteins tested (apoA-II, apoA-IV, apoC-I, apoC-II, apoC-III, apoE) showed greater than a threefold increase in cholesterol and phospholipid efflux from ABCAI-GFP transfected cells compared to control cells. Expression of ABCAI in Hela cells also resulted in a marked increase in specific binding of both apoA-I (Kd = 0.60 microg/mL) and apoA-II (Kd = 0.58 microg/mL) to a common binding site. In summary, ABCAI-mediated cellular binding of apolipoproteins and lipid efflux is not specific for only apoA-I but can also occur with other apolipoproteins that contain multiple amphipathic helical domains.

Decreased reverse cholesterol transport from Tangier disease fibroblasts. Acceptor specificity and effect of brefeldin on lipid efflux.

Tangier disease is characterized by HDL hypercatabolism and increased deposition of cholesterol in tissues. Tangier disease skin fibroblasts have decreased apoA-I-mediated cholesterol and phospholipid efflux, which may lead to the excess accumulation of cellular cholesterol. The mechanism of apolipoprotein-mediated cholesterol efflux and the apolipoprotein acceptor specificity for cholesterol efflux from normal and Tangier disease fibroblasts was investigated. Normal cells readily effluxed cholesterol and phospholipid to apoA-I and to all of the other apolipoproteins tested (apoA-II, AIV, C-I, C-II, C-III). In contrast, Tangier cells were almost completely defective in cholesterol efflux to apoA-I and to all of the other apolipoproteins tested. HDL was also less effective, by approximately 50%, in stimulating cholesterol efflux from Tangier cells compared with normal cells. In addition, Tangier cells also showed significantly reduced phospholipid efflux to both apolipoproteins and HDL. A similar rate of cholesterol efflux, however, was observed from normal and Tangier cells when phospholipid vesicles or cyclodextrin were used as acceptors. In contrast to normal cells, only phospholipid vesicles and cyclodextrin and not apoA-I or HDL depleted intracellular cholesteryl esters from Tangier cells. Brefeldin, an inhibitor of intracellular vesicular trafficking, decreased HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux by approximately 40% but almost completely blocked both cholesterol and phospholipid efflux to apoA-I from normal cells. Brefeldin also inhibited cholesteryl ester depletion by apoA-I and HDL from normal cells. Brefeldin, however, had no significant effect on cholesterol efflux from Tangier cells to HDL. In summary, Tangier cells were found to be defective in both cholesterol and phospholipid efflux to HDL and apoA-I. The defect in apolipoprotein-mediated lipid efflux was not specific for apoA-I but also occurred for other apolipoproteins, and brefeldin blocked HDL-mediated lipid efflux from normal but not Tangier disease cells. On the basis of these results, a model is proposed whereby decreased cholesterol efflux by apolipoproteins in Tangier cells is the result of a defect in a brefeldin-sensitive pathway of lipid efflux.

Carboxyl-terminal domain truncation alters apolipoprotein A-I in vivo catabolism.

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major protein of high density lipoproteins, facilitates reverse cholesterol transport from peripheral tissue to liver. To determine the structural motifs important for modulating the in vivo catabolism of human apoA-I (h-apoA-I), we generated carboxyl-terminal truncation mutants at residues 201 (apoA-I201), 217 (apoA-I217), and 226 (apoA-I226) by site-directed mutagenesis. ApoA-I was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with the maltose binding protein, which was removed by factor Xa cleavage. The in vivo kinetic analysis of the radioiodinated apoA-I in normolipemic rabbits revealed a markedly increased rate of catabolism for the truncated forms of apoA-I. The fractional catabolic rates (FCR) of 9.10 +/- 1.28/day (+/- S.D.) for apoA-I201, 6.34 +/- 0.81/day for apoA-I217, and 4.42 +/- 0.51/day for apoA-I226 were much faster than the FCR of recombinant intact apoA-I (r-apoA-I, 0.93 +/- 0.07/day) and h-apoA-I (0.91 +/- 0.34/day). All the truncated forms of apoA-I were associated with very high density lipoproteins, whereas the intact recombinant apoA-I (r-apoA-I) and h-apoA-I associated with HDL2 and HDL3. Gel filtration chromatography revealed that in contrast to r-apoA-I, the mutant apoA-I201 associated with a phospholipid-rich rabbit apoA-I containing particle. Analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the same mutant migrated in the pre-beta position, but not within the alpha position as did r-apoA-I. These results indicate that the carboxyl-terminal region (residue 227-243) of apoA-I is critical in modulating the association of apoA-I with lipoproteins and in vivo metabolism of apoA-I.

Human apolipoprotein A-I. Post-translational modification by covalent phosphorylation.

In vitro phosphorylation of purified human plasma apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) by a recently characterized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase (Beg, Z. H., Stonik, J. A., and Brewer, H. B., Jr. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 13228-13240) was time-, Ca2+-, and calmodulin-dependent. Maximal phosphorylation of human apoA-I revealed a stoichiometry of approximately 1 mol of PO4/mol of apoA-I. Phosphorylation of apoA-I resulted in an increase of two negative charges and consequently a shift to a more acidic pI for each apoA-I isoform following isoelectrofocusing. Dephosphorylation of 32P-apoA-I with either phosphatase I or a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase was associated with a virtually complete loss of 1 mol of 32PO4/mol of apoA-I. Phosphoamino acid analysis of a purified 32P-peptide established that the phosphorylation occurred on a single serine residue. Automated Edman degradation of the purified 32P-peptide revealed a single amino acid sequence and indicated that phosphorylation occurred on the serine at residue 201 in the apoA-I sequence. ApoA-I was shown to be secreted as a phosphoapolipoprotein by HepG-2 cells as well as primary human hepatocytes. Analysis of HepG-2 cells established that intracellular apoA-I, like secreted apoA-I, is phosphorylated. Dephosphorylation of both secreted and intracellular 32P-apoA-I revealed the loss of radioactivity in the apoA-I protein bands. These data provide the initial description of a post-translational modification involving reversible phosphorylation of extracellular as well as intracellular apoA-I on a serine residue. These combined results suggest that synthesis and secretion of apoA-I as a phosphoapolipoprotein in HepG-2 cells as well as primary human hepatocytes may play an important role in lipoprotein assembly, intracellular transport as well as processing, and lipoprotein secretion.

Phosphorylation and modulation of the enzymic activity of native and protease-cleaved purified hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase by a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase.

A Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase has been purified which catalyzed the phosphorylation and concomitant inactivation of both the microsomal native (100,000 Da) and protease-cleaved purified 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) (53,000 Da) fragments. This low molecular weight brain cytosolic Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase phosphorylates histone H1, synapsin I, and purified HMG-CoA reductase as major substrates. The kinase, purified by sequential chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, calmodulin affinity resin, and high performance liquid chromatography (TSKG 3000 SW) is an electrophoretically homogeneous protein of approximately 110,000 Da. The molecular weight of the holoenzyme, substrate specificity, subunit protein composition, subunit autophosphorylation, subunit isoelectric points, and subunit phosphopeptide analysis suggest that this kinase of Mr 110,000 may be different from other previously reported Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinases. Maximal phosphorylation by the low molecular form of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase of purified HMG-CoA reductase revealed a stoichiometry of approximately 0.5 mol of phosphate/mol of 53,000-Da enzyme. Dephosphorylation of phosphorylated and inactivated native and purified HMG-CoA reductase revealed a time-dependent loss of 32P-bound radioactivity and reactivation of enzyme activity. Based on the results reported here, we propose that HMG-CoA reductase activity may be modulated by yet another kinase system involving covalent phosphorylation. The elucidation of a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent HMG-CoA reductase kinase-mediated modulation of HMG-CoA reductase activity involving reversible phosphorylation may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis.

Modulation of the enzymic activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase by multiple kinase systems involving reversible phosphorylation: a review.

This report summarizes the current concepts regarding the in vitro and in vivo modulation of the enzymic activity of HMG-CoA reductase and mevalonate formation in rat and human liver, as well as in cultured fibroblasts from normal and familial hypercholesterolemic subjects. Three separate mechanisms for the short-term modulation of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity by covalent phosphorylation have been described. These mechanisms involved three separate specific kinase systems including reductase kinase, protein kinase C, and a Ca+2, calmodulin-dependent kinase. The conceptual schemes presented in this report will provide a basis for future research as well as an overview for improved understanding of the complex and multifaceted short-term regulation of this key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathways of mevalonate, ubiquinones, dolichols, isopentenyl-tRNAs, and cholesterol.

Phosphorylation of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and modulation of its enzymic activity by calcium-activated and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase.

A calcium-activated and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) catalyzes the phosphorylation of both insoluble microsomal (Mr approximately 100,000) and purified soluble (Mr = 53,000) 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase. The phosphorylation and concomitant inactivation of enzymic activity of HMG-CoA reductase was absolutely dependent on Ca2+, phosphatidylserine, and diolein. Dephosphorylation of phosphorylated HMG-CoA reductase was associated with the loss of protein bound radioactivity and reactivation of enzymic activity. Maximal phosphorylation of purified HMG-CoA reductase was associated with the incorporation of 1.05 +/- 0.016 mol of phosphate/mol of native form of HMG-CoA reductase (Mr approximately 100,000). The apparent Km for purified HMG-CoA reductase and histone H1 was 0.08 mg/ml, and 0.12 mg/ml, respectively. The tumor-promoting phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate stimulated the protein kinase C-catalyzed phosphorylation of HMG-CoA reductase. Increased phosphorylation of HMG-CoA reductase by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate suggests a possible in vivo protein kinase C-mediated mechanism for the short-term regulation of HMG-CoA reductase activity. The identification of the protein kinase C system in addition to the reductase kinase-reductase kinase kinase bicyclic cascade systems for the modulation of the enzymic activity of HMG-CoA reductase may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis.

In vivo modulation of rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, reductase kinase, and reductase kinase kinase by mevalonolactone.

It has been previously demonstrated that the enzymic activity of rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase; EC 1.1.1.34) is modulated in vitro and in vivo by a bicyclic cascade system involving reversible phosphorylation of HMG-CoA reductase and reductase kinase. In the present study, administration of mevalonolactone to rats caused a rapid inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity. The initial short-term (20-min) reversible inhibition (38%) of enzyme activity was due to increased phosphorylation of HMG-CoA reductase. The inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity by increased phosphorylation was associated with an increased activity and phosphorylation (2- to 3-fold) of reductase kinase. The increased phosphorylation of reductase kinase was catalyzed by reductase kinase kinase, which was significantly elevated (3- to 4-fold) after the administration of mevalonolactone to rats. The mechanism for the in vivo activation of reductase kinase kinase is as yet unknown. Mevalonolactone administration was also associated with a significant inhibition of phosphoprotein phosphatase activity, which dephosphorylates both HMG-CoA reductase (activation) and reductase kinase (inactivation). These results indicate that mevalonolactone administration to rats in vivo was associated with an inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity by two mechanisms: (i) an increase in the degree of phosphorylation of both HMG-CoA reductase and reductase kinase due to increased activity of reductase kinase kinase; (ii) a decrease in the dephosphorylation of both HMG-CoA reductase and reductase kinase secondary to inhibition of phosphoprotein phosphatase activity. These combined effects favor an increase in the steady-state level of the phosphorylated forms of both HMG-CoA reductase and reductase kinase, resulting in a net reduction in the enzymic activity of HMG-CoA reductase and mevalonate formation. These results demonstrate that the activity of reductase kinase kinase is modulated in vivo, providing a mechanism for the regulation of the activities of both reductase kinase and HMG-CoA reductase.

Human hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase: evidence for the regulation of enzymic activity by a bicyclic phosphorylation cascade.

Microsomal human liver HMG-CoA reductase has been shown to exist in active (dephosphorylated) and inactive (phosphorylated) forms. Microsomal HMG-CoA reductase was inactivated in vitro by ATP-Mg in a time dependent manner; this inactivation was mediated by reductase kinase. Incubation of inactivated enzyme with phosphatase resulted in a time dependent reactivation (dephosphorylation). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified HMG-CoA reductase incubated with reductase kinase and radiolabeled ATP revealed that the 32P radioactivity and HMG-CoA reductase enzymic activity were localized in a single electrophoretic position. Partial dephosphorylation of the phosphorylated enzyme was associated with loss of 32P and increase in HMG-CoA reductase activity. Human reductase kinase also exists in active and inactive forms. The active (phosphorylated) form of reductase kinase can be inactivated by incubation with phosphatase. Phosphorylation of inactive reductase kinase with ATP-Mg and a second kinase, reductase kinase kinase, was associated with a parallel increase in the enzymic activity of reductase kinase and the ability to inactivate HMG-CoA reductase. The combined results present initial evidence for the presence of human HMG-CoA reductase and reductase kinase in active and inactive forms, and the in vitro modulation of its enzymic activity by a bicyclic phosphorylation cascade. This bicyclic cascade system may provide a mechanism for short-term regulation of the pathway for cholesterol biosynthesis in man.

Characterization and regulation of reductase kinase, a protein kinase that modulates the enzymic activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase.

The activity of rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase [HMG-CoA reductase; mevalonate:NADP(+) oxidoreductase (CoA-acylating), EC 1.1.1.34] can be modulated in vitro by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reaction sequence. A microsomal reductase kinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of HMG-CoA reductase and histones. Histone phosphorylation was enhanced 2- to 3-fold by cyclic AMP. Reductase kinase exists in interconvertible active and inactive forms. Incubation of reductase kinase with phosphoprotein phosphatase resulted in a time-dependent decrease in the ability of reductase kinase to catalyze the phosphorylation of histones and to inactivate HMG-CoA reductase. Incubation of phosphoprotein phosphatase-inactivated reductase kinase with [gamma-(32)P]ATP plus Mg(2+) and a partially purified protein kinase designated reductase kinase kinase resulted in parallel increases in protein-bound (32)P radioactivity and ability to inactivate HMG-CoA reductase. Incubation of (32)P-labeled reductase kinase with phosphoprotein phosphatase resulted in a time-dependent loss of protein-bound (32)P radioactivity and a decrease in the ability to inactivate HMG-CoA reductase. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified reductase kinase incubated with reductase kinase kinase and [gamma-(32)P]ATP plus Mg(2+) revealed that the (32)P radioactivity and reductase kinase enzymic activity were located in a single electrophoretic position. Dephosphorylation of (32)P-labeled purified reductase kinase with phosphoprotein phosphatase was associated with significant loss of radioactivity and enzymic activity in the protein band ascribed to reductase kinase. These results provide evidence that the activity of reductase kinase, like HMG-CoA reductase, is modulated by a reversible phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reaction sequence.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase from avian liver. Catalytic properties.

The catalytic properties of microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase from avian liver have been investigated. Solubilized and highly purified reductase preparations were not cold labile, and enzymic activity remained unchanged following preincubation at 37 degrees C. The pH optimum was 6.8--7.0 and maximal catalytic activity was achieved with 2 mM dithiothreitol and 0.75 M KCl. The heat stability of the enzyme was studied and the addition of 0.75 M KCl, 0.8 mg/ml bovine serum albumin and 5 mM NADPH reduced the inactivation of the purified reductase associated with heat treatment at 65 degrees C. At 37 degrees C, 0.8 mg/ml bovine serum albumin enhanced the purified reductase activity by 100 (+/- 20)%. An improved assay was developed for the avian hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase and the specific activity of the purified enzyme increased from 1550 to 3300 nmol . min-1 . mg-1. The Km values of solubilized and purified reductase for D-hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA were 1.05 micrometer and 1.62 micrometer, and for NADPH, 1 mM and 263 micrometer, respectively. The activities of the reductase preparations were non-competitively inhibited by coenzyme A, acyl-CoA esters, and hydroxymethylglutarate. MgATP also reduced avian reductase activity. These modulators may play a role in the cellular regulation of the reductase activity.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase: regulation of enzymatic activity by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.

The activity of microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) [mevalonate:NADP+ oxidoreductase (CoA-acylating); EC 1.1.1.34] was inhibited by ATP+Mg2+. Inactivation of HMG-CoA reductase by ATP+Mg2+ was dependent on time, temperature, and ATP concentration. Incubation of microsomal HMG-CoA reductase with [gamma-32P]ATP+Mg2+ was associated with a reciprocal increase in [32P]protein-bound radioactivity and a decrease in enzymatic activity. Incubation of 32P-labeled microsomal HMG-CoA reductase with a partially purified cytosolic phosphatase resulted in a time-dependent reciprocal release of [32P]protein-bound radioactivity and reactivation of enzyme activity. Phosphorylation of HMG-CoA reductase was confirmed by immunoprecipitation of partially purified [gamma-32P]-ATP+Mg2+-inactivated microsomal HMG-CoA reductase with a reductase-specific antiserum. Sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis of the [gamma-32P]immunoprecipitate revealed that the 32P radioactivity was located in the electrophoretic position of HMG-CoA reductase. These results established that the reversible inactivation of HMG-CoA reductase by ATP+Mg2+ was due to covalent modification of the enzyme by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reaction sequence. The existence of HMG-CoA reductase in interconvertible active and inactive forms provides a mechanism for the rapid short-term regulation of the pathway for cholesterol biosynthesis.