Intracellular Tubulovesicles Research Articles

Different Membrane Environments Generate Multiple Functions of P-type Ion Pumps

P-type ion pumps (P-type ATPases) are involved in various fundamental biological processes. For example, the gastric proton pump (H+,K+-ATPase) and sodium pump (Na+,K+-ATPase) are responsible for secretion of gastric acid and maintenance of cell membrane potential, respectively. In this review, we summarize three topics of our studies. The first topic is gastric H+,K+-ATPase associated with Cl--transporting proteins (Cl-/H+ exchanger ClC-5 and K+-Cl- cotransporter KCC4). In gastric parietal cells, we found that ClC-5 is predominantly expressed in intracellular tubulovesicles and that KCC4 is predominantly expressed in the apical membrane. Gastric acid (HCl) secretion may be accomplished by the two different complexes of H+,K+-ATPase and Cl--transporting protein. The second topic focuses on the Na+,K+-ATPase α1-isoform (α1NaK) associated with the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). In the cholesterol-enriched membrane microdomains of human cancer cells, we found that α1NaK has a receptor-like (non-pumping) function and that binding of low concentrations (nM level) of cardiac glycosides to α1NaK activates VRAC and exerts anti-cancer effects without affecting the pumping function of α1NaK. The third topic is the Na+,K+-ATPase α3-isoform (α3NaK) in human cancer cells. We found that α3NaK is abnormally expressed in the intracellular vesicles of attached cancer cells and that the plasma membrane translocation of α3NaK upon cell detachment contributes to the survival of metastatic cancer cells. Our results indicate that multiple functions of P-type ion pumps are generated by different membrane environments and their associated proteins.

The Physiology of the Gastric Parietal Cell.

Parietal cells are responsible for gastric acid secretion, which aids in the digestion of food, absorption of minerals, and control of harmful bacteria. However, a fine balance of activators and inhibitors of parietal cell-mediated acid secretion is required to ensure proper digestion of food, while preventing damage to the gastric and duodenal mucosa. As a result, parietal cell secretion is highly regulated through numerous mechanisms including the vagus nerve, gastrin, histamine, ghrelin, somatostatin, glucagon-like peptide 1, and other agonists and antagonists. The tight regulation of parietal cells ensures the proper secretion of HCl. The H+-K+-ATPase enzyme expressed in parietal cells regulates the exchange of cytoplasmic H+ for extracellular K+. The H+ secreted into the gastric lumen by the H+-K+-ATPase combines with luminal Cl- to form gastric acid, HCl. Inhibition of the H+-K+-ATPase is the most efficacious method of preventing harmful gastric acid secretion. Proton pump inhibitors and potassium competitive acid blockers are widely used therapeutically to inhibit acid secretion. Stimulated delivery of the H+-K+-ATPase to the parietal cell apical surface requires the fusion of intracellular tubulovesicles with the overlying secretory canaliculus, a process that represents the most prominent example of apical membrane recycling. In addition to their unique ability to secrete gastric acid, parietal cells also play an important role in gastric mucosal homeostasis through the secretion of multiple growth factor molecules. The gastric parietal cell therefore plays multiple roles in gastric secretion and protection as well as coordination of physiological repair.

Functional coupling of chloride–proton exchanger ClC-5 to gastric H+,K+-ATPase

SummaryIt has been reported that chloride–proton exchanger ClC-5 and vacuolar-type H+-ATPase are essential for endosomal acidification in the renal proximal cells. Here, we found that ClC-5 is expressed in the gastric parietal cells which secrete actively hydrochloric acid at the luminal region of the gland, and that it is partially localized in the intracellular tubulovesicles in which gastric H+,K+-ATPase is abundantly expressed. ClC-5 was co-immunoprecipitated with H+,K+-ATPase in the lysate of tubulovesicles. The ATP-dependent uptake of 36Cl− into the vesicles was abolished by 2-methyl-8-(phenylmethoxy)imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-acetonitrile (SCH28080), an inhibitor of H+,K+-ATPase, suggesting functional expression of ClC-5. In the tetracycline-regulated expression system of ClC-5 in the HEK293 cells stably expressing gastric H+,K+-ATPase, ClC-5 was co-immunoprecipitated with H+,K+-ATPase, but not with endogenous Na+,K+-ATPase. The SCH28080-sensitive 36Cl− transporting activity was observed in the ClC-5-expressing cells, but not in the ClC-5-non-expressing cells. The mutant (E211A-ClC-5), which has no H+ transport activity, did not show the SCH28080-sensitive 36Cl− transport. On the other hand, both ClC-5 and its mutant (E211A) significantly increased the activity of H+,K+-ATPase. Our results suggest that ClC-5 and H+,K+-ATPase are functionally associated and that they may contribute to gastric acid secretion.

Functional Association between K+-Cl- Cotransporter-4 and H+,K+-ATPase in the Apical Canalicular Membrane of Gastric Parietal Cells

We studied whether K+-Cl(-) cotransporters (KCCs) are involved in gastric HCl secretion. We found that KCC4 is expressed in the gastric parietal cells more abundantly at the luminal region of the gland than at the basal region. KCC4 was found in the stimulation-associated vesicles (SAV) derived from the apical canalicular membrane but not in the intracellular tubulovesicles, whereas H+,K+-ATPase was expressed in both of them. In contrast, KCC1, KCC2, and KCC3 were not found in either SAV or tubulovesicles. KCC4 coimmunoprecipitated with H+,K+-ATPase in the lysate of SAV. Interestingly the MgATP-dependent uptake of (36)Cl(-) into the SAV was suppressed by either the H+,K+-ATPase inhibitor (SCH28080) or the KCC inhibitor ((R)-(+)-[(2-n-butyl-6,7-dichloro-2-cyclopentyl-2,3-dihydro-1-oxo-1H-inden-5-yl)oxy]acetic acid). The KCC inhibitor suppressed the H+ uptake into SAV and the H+,K+-ATPase activity of SAV, but the inhibitor had no effects on these activities in the freeze-dried leaky SAV. These results indicate that the K+-Cl(-) cotransport by KCC4 is tightly coupled with H+/K+ antiport by H+,K+-ATPase, resulting in HCl accumulation in SAV. In the tetracycline-regulated expression system of KCC4 in the HEK293 cells stably expressing gastric H+,K+-ATPase, KCC4 was coimmunoprecipitated with H+,K+-ATPase. The rate of recovery of intracellular pH in the KCC4-expressing cells after acid loading through an ammonium pulse was significantly faster than that in the KCC4-non-expressing cells. Our results suggest that KCC4 and H+,K+-ATPase are the main machineries for basal HCl secretion in the apical canalicular membrane of the resting parietal cell. They also may contribute in part to massive acid secretion in the stimulated state.

Loss of Parietal Cell Tubulovesicles and Hypertrophic Gastritis in Hip1r Knockout Mice

Huntingtin-interacting protein-1 related (Hip1r) is a clathrin and F-actin binding protein proposed to play an important role in endocytosis. Hip1r is abundantly expressed in the stomach. We used cell fractionation and immunostaining to demonstrate its predominant expression in parietal cells coincident with the F-actin rich intracellular canaliculus. In resting parietal cells the proton pump is stored in intracellular tubulovesicles, which fuse with the apical canalicular membrane when stimulated to secrete acid. Cessation of acid secretion involves endocytosis and regeneration of tubulovesicles. We hypothesized that Hip1r is crucial for endocytosis of the parietal apical membrane to form tubulovesicles. We analyzed the stomachs of Hip1r knockout mice (Hip1r-KO) with and without histamine stimulation. Hip1r-KO mice had markedly reduced acid secretion, suggesting a parietal cell defect. Histological analysis showed reduced numbers of parietal and chief cells, and increased inflammatory cell infiltrates. However, expansion of both an abnormal mucous neck cell population as well as surface mucous cells resulted in a marked thickening of the oxyntic mucosa in the mutant. Electron microscopic studies showed that Hip1r-KO parietal cells have grossly altered morphology with loss of tubulovesicles and expansion of the canalicular membrane. These results suggest that Hip1r is required for clathrin-mediated endocytosis of the apical membrane to form tubulovesicles in the parietal cell. We speculate that abnormal membrane dynamics in the Hip1r-KO causes parietal cell death leading to low acid and cellular transformation of the gastric mucosa. Support: DK56882(LCS) & DK31900 (CSC).

K(+) recycling and gastric acid secretion.

Gastric juice contains elevated, compared with plasma, concentrations of K+. K+ is essential for the secretion of gastric acid. The molecular basis for the dependence on K+ is the primary proton pump, the gastric H+-K+-ATPase, the target of an important class of therapeutic agents, the proton pump inhibitors. The proton pump is localised to intracellular tubulovesicular membranes in unstimulated cells. Tubulovesicles show a low permeability to K+, which limits the activity of the H+-K+-ATPase in these resting cells. Upon stimulation, tubulovesicles with their cargo of H+-K+-ATPase traffic to the apical membrane (Okamato & Forte, 2001). Apical conductive pathways for K+ and Cl− are co-localised with the H+-K+-ATPase in the stimulated cells (Wolosin & Forte, 1985). The ClC-2 Cl− channel has recently been implicated as the Cl− exit pathway, providing for HCl secretion (Sherry et al. 2001). A parallel exit pathway for K+ allows for apical K+ recycling, thereby energising the primary proton pump (Fig. 1). Figure 1 A simplified cellular model for the secretion of gastric acid by the parietal cell Fujita et al. (2002) in this issue of The Journal of Physiology have used a range of techniques to implicate the inwardly rectifying Kir4.1 K+ channel in K+ recycling at the parietal cell apical membrane. Acid secretion was sensitive to Ba2+, a feature, although not a signature, of Kir channels. Kir4.1, as well as Kir4.2 and Kir7.1, were detected by RT-PCR in the gastric mucosa. Kir4.1, but not Kir4.2 or Kir7.1, was localised at the light and electron microscopic level to the parietal cell. Within the parietal cell, Kir4.1 co-localised with H+-K+-ATPase at the apical membrane. The absence of Kir4.1 from the H+-K+-ATPase-rich tubulovesicles is consistent with the impermeability of isolated tubulovesicles to K+, in contrast to the high K+ permeability of isolated apical membrane vesicles. Electrophysiological studies indicated that Kir4.1 is insensitive to external acid, at least down to pH 3.0, the limit of the experimental protocol. Thus, Kir4.1 is a strong candidate for a key component in the acid secretory process; K+ recycling at the apical membrane. Kir4.1 is not the only candidate for the apical K+ recycling pathway. KCNQ1 has also been proposed as the key apical K+ recycling channel in the parietal cell (Grahammer et al. 2001). KCNQ1 mRNA and protein was identified in gastric mucosa by Northern and Western blots and immunolocalisation. Acid secretion was sensitive to the chromanol KCNQ1 inhibitor 293B, while KCNQ1 was resistant to pH 5.5 when co-expressed with KCNE3. KCNQ1 was co-localised at the light microscopic level with H+-K+-ATPase, including in the deeper parts of the parietal cells. This suggests KCNQ1 may be co-localised with H+-K+-ATPase in the K+-impermeable intracellular tubulovesicles, requiring a regulatory mechanism such as co-assembly with KCNE3 by protein kinase A activation to form an active K+ channel (Grahammer et al. 2001). The roles of Kir4.1 and KCNQ1 in K+ recycling at the apical membrane of the parietal cell may be complimentary. Do the K+ channels both subserve similar functions, but with perhaps differential regulation? Other questions require addressing. Are these apical K+ channels constitutively active, or regulated upon cell activation? The K+ and Cl− conductive pathways in isolated parietal cell apical membranes have overlapping sensitivity to divalent captions, such as Zn2+ (Wolosin & Forte, 1985). ClC-2 is sensitive to Zn2+ (Clark et al. 1998). Do Kir4.1 and/or KCNQ1 show Zn2+ sensitivity? Primary parietal secretion is pH 0.8 (160 mm HCl). Can experimental protocols be devised which allow a direct demonstration that either of these channels can function at such low pH? A cellular model for the secretion of gastric acid is now more complete (Fig. 1). K+ recycling at the apical membrane, coupled with the function of the H+-K+-ATPase, is paralleled by K+ recycling at the basolateral membrane coupled to the Na+-K+-ATPase. Expression studies, even when supported by appropriate localisation, do not always equate with physiological relevance. Thus, the experiments of Fujita et al. demonstrating that Kir4.1 is able to function in the presence of a highly acidic external environment are important. Definitive experiments indicating the involvement of Kir4.1 and/or KCNQ1 in the apical recycling of K+ awaits direct analysis of the apical membrane of the parietal cell. The studies of Fujita et al. provide an important insight into a serious candidate channel mediating this function.

Acid secretion of parietal cells is paralleled by a redistribution of NSF and α, β-SNAPs and inhibited by tetanus toxin

Stimulation of parietal cells causes fusion of intracellular tubulovesicles with the canalicular plasma membrane thereby increasing the apical membrane area up to tenfold. The presence of the SNARE proteins synaptobrevin, syntaxin1, and SNAP25 in parietal cells and their intracellular redistribution after stimulation suggest a SNARE-mediated mechanism. Here we show that NSF and alpha, beta-SNAPs which are involved in the dissociation of the SNARE complex in neurons also occur in parietal cells exhibiting subcellular distributions similar to the ones obtained for SNARE proteins and for the H+, K(+)-ATPase. More importantly proteolytic cleavage of synaptobrevin by tetanus neurotoxin completely inhibits the cAMP-dependent increase of acid secretion further supporting the crucial role SNARE proteins play in parietal cells.

Two Rab proteins, vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP-2) and secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs), are present on immunoisolated parietal cell tubulovesicles.

The tubulovesicles of gastric parietal cells sequester H+/K+-ATPase molecules within resting parietal cells. Stimulation of parietal cell secretion elicits delivery of intracellular H+/K+-ATPase to the apically oriented secretory canaliculus. Previous investigations have suggested that this process requires the regulated fusion of intracellular tubulovesicles with the canalicular target membrane. We have sought to investigate the presence of critical putative regulators of vesicle fusion on immunoisolated gastric parietal cell tubulovesicles. Highly purified tubulovesicles were prepared by gradient fractionation and immunoisolation on magnetic beads coated with monoclonal antibodies against the alpha subunit of H+/K+-ATPase. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of Rab11, Rab25, vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP-2) and secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs) on immunoisolated vesicles. The same cohort of proteins was recovered on vesicles immunoisolated with monoclonal antibodies against SCAMPs and VAMP-2. In contrast, whereas immunoreactivities for syntaxin 1A/1B and synaptosome-associated protein (SNAP-25) were present in gradient-isolated vesicles, none of the immunoreactivity was associated with immunoisolated vesicles. The observation of VAMP-2 and two Rab proteins on immunoisolated H+/K+-ATPase-containing tubulovesicles supports the role for tubulovesicles in a regulated vesicle fusion process. In addition, the presence of SCAMPs along with Rab11 and Rab25 implicates the tubulovesicles as a critical apical recycling vesicle population.

Enrichment of rab11, a small GTP-binding protein, in gastric parietal cells.

Parietal cell secretion of acid requires the coordinated fusion of H(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase)-containing tubulovesicles with a secretory canalicular target membrane. We have previously reported the presence of rab2 on parietal cell tubulovesicles (L. H. Tang, S. A. Stoch, I. M. Modlin, and J. R. Goldenring. Biochem. J. 285: 715-719, 1992). Since 60% of the small GTP-binding protein sequences obtained from parietal cells were > 95% homologous with human rab11 (J. R. Goldenring, K. R. Shen, H. D. Vaughan, and I.M. Modlin. J. Biol. Chem. 268: 18419-18422, 1993), we sought to study rab11 in gastric parietal cells. A complete rab11 sequence was obtained, and the deduced amino acid sequence of rabbit rab11 was identical to that for human. Rab11 mRNA was present throughout the gastrointestinal mucosa. mRNA for both rab11 and rab2 were enriched in isolated parietal cells compared with chief cells. A polyclonal antiserum against rab11 labeled a single 25-kDa band in isolated parietal cells. Immunostaining of rat fundic tissue demonstrated prominent staining of parietal cells. Rab11 staining cosegregated with alpha-H(+)-K(+)-ATPase staining in enriched preparations of rabbit parietal cell tubulovesicles. These results suggest that rab11 is enriched in parietal cells and is associated with intracellular tubulovesicles.

Autocrine motility factor and its receptor: role in cell locomotion and metastasis.

The ability to locomote and migrate is fundamental to the acquisition of invasive and metastatic properties by tumor cells. Autocrine motility factor (AMF) is a 55 kD cytokine produced by various tumor cells which stimulates their in vitro motility and in vivo lung colonizing ability. AMF stimulates cell motility via a receptor-mediated signalling pathway. Signal transduction following binding of AMF to its receptor, a cell surface glycoprotein of 78 kD (gp78) homologous to p53, is mediated by a pertussis toxin sensitive G protein, inositol phosphate production and the phosphorylation of gp78. Cell surface gp78 is localized to the leading and trailing edges of motile cells but following cell permeabilization is found within an extended network of intracellular tubulovesicles. Gp78 tubulovesicles colocalize with microtubules and extension of the tubulovesicular network to the cell periphery is dependent on the presence of intact microtubules. Gp78 labeled vesicles can be induced to translocate between the cell center and periphery by altering intracellular pH as previously described for tubulovesicles labeled by fluid phase uptake. Anti-gp78 mAb added to viable motile cells is localized to large multivesicular bodies which, with time, relocate to the leading edge. Binding of AMF to its receptor induces signal transduction, similar to chemotactic stimulation of neutrophil mobility, as well as the internalization and transport of its receptor to the leading edge stimulating pseudopodial protrusion and cell motility.

Tumor cell autocrine motility factor receptor.

The ability to locomote and migrate is fundamental to the acquisition of invasive and metastatic properties by tumor cells. Autocrine motility factor (AMF) is a cytokine produced by various tumor cells which stimulates their in vitro motility and in vivo lung-colonizing ability. AMF stimulates cell motility via a receptor-mediated signalling pathway. Signal transduction following binding of AMF to its receptor, a cell surface glycoprotein of 78 kD (gp78), is mediated by a pertussis toxin sensitive G protein, inositol phosphate production and the phosphorylation of gp78. AMF induces gp78 internalization to intracellular tubulovesicles and transport to the leading edge stimulating pseudopodial protrusion and cell motility.

Redistribution and characterization of (H+ + K+)-ATPase membranes from resting and stimulated gastric parietal cells.

When isolated from resting parietal cells, the majority of the (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity was recovered in the microsomal fraction. These microsomal vesicles demonstrated a low K+ permeability, such that the addition of valinomycin resulted in marked stimulation of (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity, and proton accumulation. When isolated from stimulated parietal cells, the (H+ + K+)-ATPase was redistributed to larger, denser vesicles: stimulation-associated (s.a.) vesicles. S.a. vesicles showed an increased K+ permeability, such that maximal (H+ + K+)-ATPase and proton accumulation activities were observed in low K+ concentrations and no enhancement of activities occurred on the addition of valinomycin. The change in subcellular distribution of (H+ + K+)-ATPase correlated with morphological changes observed with stimulation of parietal cells, the microsomes and s.a. vesicles derived from the intracellular tubulovesicles and the apical plasma membrane, respectively. Total (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity recoverable from stimulated gastric mucosa was 64% of that from resting tissue. Therefore, we tested for latent activity in s.a. vesicles. Permeabilization of s.a. vesicles with octyl glucoside increased (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity by greater than 2-fold. Latent (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity was resistant to highly tryptic conditions (which inactivated all activity in gastric microsomes). About 20% of the non-latent (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity was also resistant to trypsin digestion. We interpret these results as indicating that, of the s.a. vesicles, approx. 55% have a right-side-out orientation and are impermeable to ATP, 10% right-side-out and permeable to ATP, and 35% have an inside-out orientation.

Preparation of rat gastric heavy and light microsomal membranes enriched in (H+-K+)-ATPase using 2H2O and Percoll gradients

Gastric heavy microsomal membranes highly enriched in (H+-K+)-ATPase were obtained from cimetidine- or carbachol-treated rats through 2H2O and Percoll gradient centrifugations. Both the resting (cimetidine-treated) and the stimulated (carbachol-treated) heavy membranes which presumably represent the apical membrane of gastric parietal cells were enriched with the polypeptides of 81,000 and 45,000 besides that of 93,000 representing (H+-K+)-ATPase. No apparent differences could be detected between the resting and the stimulated heavy membranes in their polypeptide profiles or their specific activity of (H+-K+)-ATPase. Nevertheless, the level of 86RbCl uptake was greater in the stimulated than the resting heavy microsomal membrane vesicles. The light gastric microsomes which abound in intracellular tubulovesicles containing reserve (H+-K+)-ATPase as isolated from cimetidine-treated rats were similarly purified with respect to (H+-K+)-ATPase. The purified light gastric membranes were largely devoid of the polypeptides of 81,000 and 45,000 found in the heavy gastric membranes. These observations further support the current hypothesis that secretagogues bring about changes in the environment of (H+-K+)-ATPase and induce KCl permeability in the apical membrane of the parietal cells, although at present we have been unable to identify the polypeptide(s) responsible for the KCl pathway.

Ion transport studies with H+-K+-ATPase-rich vesicles: implications for HCl secretion and parietal cell physiology

A summary of recent studies on relations between the properties of the membrane incorporating the H+-K+-ATPase, the H+ motive force in gastric acid secretion, and the secretory state of the parietal cell is presented. Depending on tissue secretory state, two distinct H+-K+-ATPase-rich membranes predominate in tissue homogenates, the gastric microsomes derived from the intracellular tubulovesicles of the resting cell and the stimulation-associated (SA) vesicle derived from the apical membrane of the acid-secreting cell. Structural and chemical differences between both vesicular types lend support to the notion that the formation of an expanded, elaborated apical membrane in the secreting parietal cell results from fusion of tubulovesicles containing the H+-K+-ATPase to an apical membrane of different chemical composition. Comparison of polypeptide composition of microsomes and SA membranes provides a way to identify and isolate membrane and cytoskeletal components putatively involved in the membrane interconversion process. Comparison of transport properties between gastric microsomes and SA vesicles demonstrates that stimulation triggers the appearance of rapid K+ and Cl- permeabilities in the H+-K+-ATPase membrane, allowing efficient acid accumulation in SA vesicles by the combination of rapid KCl influx followed by ATPase-driven H+ for K+ exchange, i.e., by K+ recycling. These stimulation-triggered conductances are functionally independent. Nevertheless, their concurrent inhibition by certain divalent cations (Mn2+,Zn2+) suggests their location within a single physical domain. The compatibility of the K+-recycling model for HCl accumulation in SA vesicles with gastric HCl secretion and selected electrophysiological observations and certain implications of the findings for cellular mechanisms of transport regulation in the context of a membrane fusion and recycling model are discussed.