scholarly journals The Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Is Permeable to Small Molecules

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Le Gall ◽  
Andrea Neuhof ◽  
Tom Rapoport
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Membrane Permeation ◽  
Permeabilized Cells ◽  
Golgi Membranes ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Er Membrane

The lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) differs from the cytosol in its content of ions and other small molecules, but it is unclear whether the ER membrane is as impermeable as other membranes in the cell. Here, we have tested the permeability of the ER membrane to small, nonphysiological molecules. We report that isolated ER vesicles allow different chemical modification reagents to pass from the outside into the lumen with little hindrance. In permeabilized cells, the ER membrane allows the passage of a small, charged modification reagent that is unable to cross the plasma membrane or the lysosomal and trans-Golgi membranes. A larger polar reagent of ∼5 kDa is unable to pass through the ER membrane. Permeation of the small molecules is passive because it occurs at low temperature in the absence of energy. These data indicate that the ER membrane is significantly more leaky than other cellular membranes, a property that may be required for protein folding and other functions of the ER.

scholarly journals Septin-dependent compartmentalization of the endoplasmic reticulum during yeast polarized growth

2005 ◽  
Vol 169 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cosima Luedeke ◽  
Stéphanie Buvelot Frei ◽  
Ivo Sbalzarini ◽  
Heinz Schwarz ◽  
Anne Spang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Diffusion Barriers ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Protein Diffusion ◽  
Ultrastructural Studies ◽  
Bud Neck ◽  
Er Membrane

Polarized cells frequently use diffusion barriers to separate plasma membrane domains. It is unknown whether diffusion barriers also compartmentalize intracellular organelles. We used photobleaching techniques to characterize protein diffusion in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Although a soluble protein diffused rapidly throughout the ER lumen, diffusion of ER membrane proteins was restricted at the bud neck. Ultrastructural studies and fluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of a ring of smooth ER at the bud neck. This ER domain and the restriction of diffusion for ER membrane proteins through the bud neck depended on septin function. The membrane-associated protein Bud6 localized to the bud neck in a septin-dependent manner and was required to restrict the diffusion of ER membrane proteins. Our results indicate that Bud6 acts downstream of septins to assemble a fence in the ER membrane at the bud neck. Thus, in polarized yeast cells, diffusion barriers compartmentalize the ER and the plasma membrane along parallel lines.

scholarly journals Resynthesis of phosphatidylinositol in permeabilized neutrophils following phospholipase Cβ activation: transport of the intermediate, phosphatidic acid, from the plasma membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum for phosphatidylinositol resynthesis is not dependent on soluble lipid carriers or vesicular transport

1999 ◽  
Vol 341 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline WHATMORE ◽  
Claudia WIEDEMANN ◽  
Pennti SOMERHARJU ◽  
Philip SWIGART ◽  
Shamshad COCKCROFT
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Vesicular Transport ◽  
Human Neutrophils ◽  
Permeabilized Cells ◽  
Transfer Protein ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Phosphatidylinositol Transfer ◽  
Pi Hydrolysis ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

Receptor-mediated phospholipase C (PLC) hydrolysis of phosphoinositides is accompanied by the resynthesis of phosphatidylinositol (PI). Hydrolysis of phosphoinositides occurs at the plasma membrane, and the resulting diacylglycerol (DG) is converted into phosphatidate (PA). Two enzymes located at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function sequentially to convert PA back into PI. We have established an assay whereby the resynthesis of PI could be followed in permeabilized cells. In the presence of [γ-32P]ATP, DG generated by PLC activation accumulates label when converted into PA. The 32P-labelled PA is subsequently converted into labelled PI. The formation of labelled PI reports the arrival of labelled PA from the plasma membrane to the ER. Cytosol-depleted, permeabilized human neutrophils are capable of PI resynthesis following stimulation of PLCβ (in the presence of phosphatidylinositol-transfer protein), provided that CTP and inositol are also present. We also found that wortmannin, an inhibitor of endocytosis, or cooling the cells to 15 °C did not stop PI resynthesis. We conclude that PI resynthesis is dependent neither on vesicular transport mechanisms nor on freely diffusible, soluble transport proteins. Phosphatidylcholine-derived PA generated by the ADP-ribosylation-factor-stimulated phospholipase D pathway was found to accumulate label, reflecting the rapid cycling of PA to DG, and back. This labelled PA was not converted into PI. We conclude that PA derived from the PLC pathway is selected for PI resynthesis, and its transfer to the ER could be membrane-protein-mediated at sites of close membrane contact.

scholarly journals TheSaccharomyces cerevisiaePrenylcysteine Carboxyl Methyltransferase Ste14p Is in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2231-2247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia D. Romano ◽  
Walter K. Schmidt ◽  
Susan Michaelis
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Subcellular Fractionation ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Carboxyl Methylation ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Eukaryotic Proteins ◽  
Internal Site ◽  
Membrane Spanning ◽  
Er Membrane

Eukaryotic proteins containing a C-terminal CAAX motif undergo a series of posttranslational CAAX-processing events that include isoprenylation, C-terminal proteolytic cleavage, and carboxyl methylation. We demonstrated previously that the STE14gene product of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mediates the carboxyl methylation step of CAAX processing in yeast. In this study, we have investigated the subcellular localization of Ste14p, a predicted membrane-spanning protein, using a polyclonal antibody generated against the C terminus of Ste14p and an in vitro methyltransferase assay. We demonstrate by immunofluorescence and subcellular fractionation that Ste14p and its associated activity are localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane of yeast. In addition, other studies from our laboratory have shown that the CAAX proteases are also ER membrane proteins. Together these results indicate that the intracellular site of CAAX protein processing is the ER membrane, presumably on its cytosolic face. Interestingly, the insertion of a hemagglutinin epitope tag at the N terminus, at the C terminus, or at an internal site disrupts the ER localization of Ste14p and results in its mislocalization, apparently to the Golgi. We have also expressed the Ste14p homologue from Schizosaccharomyces pombe, mam4p, in S. cerevisiae and have shown that mam4p complements a Δste14 mutant. This finding, plus additional recent examples of cross-species complementation, indicates that the CAAX methyltransferase family consists of functional homologues.

Incorporation in vivo of [32P]orthophosphate and [Me-3H]choline into rough microsomal, Golgi, and plasma membranes of rat liver

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 876-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia L. Chang ◽  
John R. Riordan ◽  
Mario A. Moscarello ◽  
Jennifer M. Sturgess
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Rat Liver ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Specific Radioactivity ◽  
Marker Enzyme ◽  
Golgi Membranes ◽  
Endomembrane Flow

To study membrane biogenesis and to test the validity of the endomembrane flow hypothesis, incorporation of 32P and [Me-3H]choline in vivo into membranes of the rat liver was followed. Rough microsomal, Golgi-rich, and plasma membrane fractions were monitored with marker enzyme assays and shown with morphometric analysis to contain 82% rough microsomes, at least 70% Golgi complexes, and 88% plasma membranes, respectively. Membrane subfractions from the rough microsomal and Golgi-rich fractions were prepared by sonic disruption.At 5 to 30 min after 32P injection, the specific radioactivity of phosphatidylcholine was higher in the rough microsomal membranes than in the Golgi membranes. From 1 to 3 h, the specific activity of phosphatidylcholine in Golgi membranes became higher and reached the maximum at about 3 h. Although the plasma membrane had the lowest specific radioactivity throughout 0.25–3 h, it increased rapidly thereafter to attain the highest specific activity at 5 h. Both rough microsomal and plasma membranes reached their maxima at 5 h.The specific radioactivity of [32P]phosphatidylethanolamine in the three membrane fractions was similar to that of [32P]phosphatidylcholine except from 5 to 30 min, when the specific radioactivity of phosphatidylethanolamine in the Golgi membranes was similar to the rough microsomal membranes.At 15 min to 5 h after [Me-3H]choline injection, more than 90% of the radioactivity in all the membranes was acid-precipitable. The specific radioactivities of the acid-precipitated membranes, expressed as dpm per milligram protein, reached the maximum at 3 h. After [Me-3H]choline injection, the specific radioactivity of phosphatidylcholine separated from the lipid extract of the acid-precipitated membranes (dpm per micromole phosphorus) did not differ significantly in the three membrane fractions. The results indicated rapid incorporation of choline into membrane phosphatidylcholine by the rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and plasma membranes simultaneously.The data with both 32P and [Me-3H]choline precursors did not support the endomembrane flow hypothesis. The Golgi complexes apparently synthesized phosphatidylethanolamine and incorporated choline into phosphatidylcholine as well as the endoplasmic reticulum. The results are discussed with relevance to current hypotheses on the biogenesis and transfer of membrane phospholipids.

New insights into the activation of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins by proteolytic processing

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Inoue ◽  
Ryuichiro Sato
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Regulatory Element ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Proteolytic Processing ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Sterol Regulatory Element

AbstractSterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are transcription factors that regulate a wide variety of genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis. After transcription, SREBPs are controlled at multiple post-transcriptional levels, including proteolytic processing and post-translational modification. Among these, proteolytic processing is a crucial regulatory step that activates SREBPs, which are synthesized as inactive endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins. In this review, we focus on recent progress with regard to signaling pathways and small molecules that affect activation of SREBPs by proteolytic processing.

Biochemical approaches to the study of cytosolic calcium regulation in nerve endings

1981 ◽  
Vol 296 (1080) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Nerve Ending ◽  
Cytosolic Calcium ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Mitochondrial Inner Membrane ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Minor Significance

The nerve ending cytosol is bounded by the plasma membrane, the mitochondrial inner membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, transport across each of which is capable, in theory, of regulating the cytosolic free Ca 2+ concentration. By parallel monitoring of mitochondrial and plasma membrane potentials, ATP levels, Na + gradients and intrasynaptosomal Ca 2+ distribution in preparations of isolated synaptosomes, we conclude the following: ( a ) mitochondria in situ represent a major Ca 2+ pool, regulating the upper steady-state limit of the cytosolic free Ca 2+ concentration by sequestering Ca 2+ reversibly; ( b ) this limit is responsive to the cytosolic Na + concentration, but is below the concentration required for significant exocytosis; ( c ) plasma membrane Ca 2+ transport can be resolved into a constant slow influx, a voltage-dependent and verapamil-sensitive influx and an ATP-dependent efflux, while Ca 2+ efflux driven by the sodium electrochemical potential cannot be detected; ( d ) Ca 2+ regulation by intrasynaptosomal endoplasmic reticulum appears to be of minor significance in the present preparation.

scholarly journals SUBSURFACE CISTERNS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEURONAL PLASMA MEMBRANE

1962 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Rosenbluth
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Nerve Cell ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Granular Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Supporting Cells ◽  
Golgi Membranes ◽  
Subsurface Cisterns ◽  
Central Nervous Systems ◽  
Neuronal Plasma Membrane

Subsurface cisterns (SSC's) are large, flattened, membrane-limited vesicles which are very closely apposed to the inner aspect of the plasma membranes of nerve cell bodies and the proximal parts of their processes. They occur in a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate neurons of both the peripheral and central nervous systems, but not in the surrounding supporting cells. SSC's are sheet-like in configuration, having a luminal depth which may be less than 100 A and a breadth which may be as much as several microns. They are separated from the plasmalemma by a light zone of ∼50 to 80 A which sometimes contains a faint intermediate line. Flattened, agranular cisterns resembling SSC's, but structurally distinct from both typical granular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and from Golgi membranes, also occur deep in the cytoplasm of neurons. It is suggested that membranes which are closely apposed may interact, resulting in alterations in their respective properties. The patches of neuronal plasmalemma associated with subsurface cisterns may, therefore, have special properties because of this association, resulting in a non-uniform neuronal surface. The possible significance of SSC's in relation to neuronal electrophysiology and metabolism is discussed.

scholarly journals Different subcellular localization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae HMG-CoA reductase isozymes at elevated levels corresponds to distinct endoplasmic reticulum membrane proliferations.

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 769-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
A J Koning ◽  
C J Roberts ◽  
R L Wright
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Subcellular Localization ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Hmg Coa Reductase ◽  
Endogenous Expression ◽  
Coa Reductase ◽  
Er Membrane

In all eucaryotic cell types analyzed, proliferations of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be induced by increasing the levels of certain integral ER proteins. One of the best characterized of these proteins is HMG-CoA reductase, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in sterol biosynthesis. We have investigated the subcellular distributions of the two HMG-CoA reductase isozymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the types of ER proliferations that arise in response to elevated levels of each isozyme. At endogenous expression levels, Hmg1p and Hmg2p were both primarily localized in the nuclear envelope. However, at increased levels, the isozymes displayed distinct subcellular localization patterns in which each isozyme was predominantly localized in a different region of the ER. Specifically, increased levels of Hmg1p were concentrated in the nuclear envelope, whereas increased levels of Hmg2p were concentrated in the peripheral ER. In addition, an Hmg2p chimeric protein containing a 77-amino acid lumenal segment from Hmg1p was localized in a pattern that resembled that of Hmg1p when expressed at increased levels. Reflecting their different subcellular distributions, elevated levels of Hmg1p and Hmg2p induced sets of ER membrane proliferations with distinct morphologies. The ER membrane protein, Sec61p, was localized in the membranes induced by both Hmg1p and Hmg2p green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions. In contrast, the lumenal ER protein, Kar2p, was present in Hmg1p:GFP membranes, but only rarely in Hmg2p:GFP membranes. These results indicated that the membranes synthesized in response to Hmg1p and Hmg2p were derived from the ER, but that the membranes were not identical in protein composition. We determined that the different types of ER proliferations were not simply due to quantitative differences in protein amounts or to the different half-lives of the two isozymes. It is possible that the specific distributions of the two yeast HMG-CoA reductase isozymes and their corresponding membrane proliferations may reveal regions of the ER that are specialized for certain branches of the sterol biosynthetic pathway.

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