Partial purification and characterization of .beta.-mannosyltransferase from suspension-cultured soybean cells

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The .beta.-mannosyltransferase that catalyzes the synthesis of Man-.beta.-GlcNAc-GlcNAc-PP-dolichol from GDP-mannose and dolichyl-PP-GlcNAc-GlcNAc was solubilized from microsomes of suspension-cultured soybean cells by treatment with 1.5% Triton X-100 and was purified about 700-fold by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, hydroxylapatite, and a GDP affinity column. The purified enzyme was reasonably stable in the presence of 20% glycerol and 0.5 mM dithiothreitol. The enzyme required either detergent (Triton X-100 or NP-40) or phospholipid for maximum activity, but the effects of these two were not additive. Thus, either phosphatidylcholine or Triton X-100 could give maximum stimulation. In terms of phospholipid stimulation, both the head group and the acyl chain appeared to be important since phosphatidylcholines with 18-carbon unsaturated fatty acids were most effective. The purified enzyme had a sharp pH optimum of 6.9-7.0 and required a divalent cation. Mg2+ was the best metal ion with optimum activity occurring at 6 mM, but Mn2+ was reasonably effective while Ca2+ was slightly stimulatory. The Km for GDP-mannose was calculated to be 1.7 .times. 10-6 M and that for dolichyl-PP-GlcNAc-GlcNac about 9 .times. 10-6 M. The enzyme was inhibited by a number of guanosine nucleotides such as GDP-glucose, GDP, GMP, and GTP, but various uridine and adenosine nucleotides were without effect. The purified enzyme was apparently free of .alpha.-1,3-mannosyltranferase (and perhaps other mannosyltransferases) and dolichyl-P-mannose synthase since the only product seen from dolichyl-PP-GlcNAc-GlcNAc and GDP-mannose was Man-.beta.-GlcNAc-GlcNAc-PP-dolichol. No activity was observed when dolichyl-P-mannose replaced the GDP-mannose.