Elaboration of a novel technique for purification of plasma membranes from Xenopus laevis oocytes

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (3) ◽  
pp. C1132-C1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Leduc-Nadeau ◽  
Karim Lahjouji ◽  
Pierre Bissonnette ◽  
Jean-Yves Lapointe ◽  
Daniel G. Bichet
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Western Blot ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Transient Receptor Potential ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Vitelline Membrane ◽  
Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes

Over the past two decades, Xenopus laevis oocytes have been widely used as an expression system to investigate both physiological and pathological properties of membrane proteins such as channels and transporters. Past studies have clearly shown the key implications of mistargeting in relation to the pathogenesis of these proteins. To unambiguously determine the plasma membrane targeting of a protein, a thorough purification technique becomes essential. Unfortunately, available techniques are either too cumbersome, technically demanding, or require large amounts of material, all of which are not adequate when using oocytes individually injected with cRNA or DNA. In this article, we present a new technique that permits excellent purification of plasma membranes from X. laevis oocytes. This technique is fast, does not require particular skills such as peeling of vitelline membrane, and permits purification of multiple samples from as few as 10 and up to >100 oocytes. The procedure combines partial digestion of the vitelline membrane, polymerization of the plasma membrane, and low-speed centrifugations. We have validated this technique essentially with Western blot assays on three plasma membrane proteins [aquaporin (AQP)2, Na+-glucose cotransporter (SGLT)1, and transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV)5], using both wild-type and mistargeted forms of the proteins. Purified plasma membrane fractions were easily collected, and samples were found to be adequate for Western blot identification.

Incorporation of proteins into (Xenopus) oocytes by proteoliposome microinjection: functional characterization of a novel aquaporin

1996 ◽  
Vol 109 (6) ◽  
pp. 1285-1295
Author(s):  
F. Le Caherec ◽  
P. Bron ◽  
J.M. Verbavatz ◽  
A. Garret ◽  
G. Morel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Digestive Tract ◽  
Xenopus Oocytes ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Plasma Membrane Proteins ◽  
Cicadella Viridis

Xenopus laevis oocytes are widely used as an expression system for plasma membrane proteins, achieved by cytoplasmic microinjection of messenger RNA. In the present study, we propose an alternative system allowing functional insertion of exogenous proteins into the plasma membrane of Xenopus oocytes. We microinjected proteoliposome suspensions into the cytoplasm and then analyzed membrane protein function. The proteins used in this work were members of the MIP family: the human erythrocyte water channel aquaporin 1 (AQP1), the major intrinsic protein (MIP26) from bovine eye lens and a 25 kDa polypeptide (P25) from a water shunting complex found in the digestive tract of an homopteran sap-sucking insect (Cicadella viridis). Proteoliposomes containing either AQP1, MIP26, or P25 were injected into Xenopus oocytes. The subsequent insertion of these proteins into the plasma membrane of oocytes was demonstrated by immunocytochemistry. Oocytes microinjected with either AQP1 or P25-proteoliposomes exhibited significantly increased osmotic membrane water permeabilities (Pf = 3.16 +/- 026 and 4.03 +/- 0.26 × 10(−3) cm/second, respectively) compared to those measured for oocytes injected with liposomes alone or with MIP26-proteoliposomes (Pf = 1.39 +/- 0.07 and 1.44 +/- 0.10 × 10(−3) cm/second, respectively). These effects were inhibited by HgCl2 in a reversible manner. Arrhenius activation energies of water transfer were low when AQP1 or P25 were present in oocyte plasma membranes (Ea = 2.29 and 3.01 kcal/mol, respectively, versus Ea = 11.75 kcal/mol for liposome injected oocytes). The properties observed here for AQP1 are identical to those widely reported following AQP1 cRNA expression in oocytes. From the present study, we conclude that: (1) exogenous plasma membrane proteins incorporated into liposomes and microinjected into the cytoplasm of Xenopus oocytes are subsequently found in the plasma membrane of the oocytes in a functional state; and (2) in this system, the P25 polypeptide from the MIP family found in the digestive tract of Cicadella viridis exhibits properties similar to those described for the archetype of water channels AQP1, and thus is a new member of the aquaporin family.

scholarly journals Functional and Morphological Correlates of Connexin50 Expressed in Xenopus laevis Oocytes

1999 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido A. Zampighi ◽  
Donald D.F. Loo ◽  
Michael Kreman ◽  
Sepehr Eskandari ◽  
Ernest M. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Coated Vesicles ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Membrane Area ◽  
Gap Junction Channels ◽  
Vesicle Exocytosis ◽  
Cell Current

Electrophysiological and morphological methods were used to study connexin50 (Cx50) expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Oocytes expressing Cx50 exhibited a new population of intramembrane particles (9.0 nm in diameter) in the plasma membrane. The particles represented hemichannels (connexin hexamers) because (a) their cross-sectional area could accommodate 24 ± 3 helices, (b) when their density reached 300–400/μm2, they formed complete channels (dodecamers) in single oocytes, and assembled into plaques, and (c) their appearance in the plasma membrane was associated with a whole-cell current, which was activated at low external Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o), and was blocked by octanol and by intracellular acidification. The Cx50 hemichannel density was directly proportional to the magnitude of the Cx50 Ca2+-sensitive current. Measurements of hemichannel density and the Ca2+-sensitive current in the same oocytes suggested that at physiological [Ca2+]o (1–2 mM), hemichannels rarely open. In the cytoplasm, hemichannels were present in ∼0.1-μm diameter “coated” and in larger 0.2–0.5-μm diameter vesicles. The smaller coated vesicles contained endogenous plasma membrane proteins of the oocyte intermingled with 5–40 Cx50 hemichannels, and were observed to fuse with the plasma membrane. The larger vesicles, which contained Cx50 hemichannels, gap junction channels, and endogenous membrane proteins, originated from invaginations of the plasma membrane, as their lumen was labeled with the extracellular marker peroxidase. The insertion rate of hemichannels into the plasma membrane (80,000/s), suggested that an average of 4,000 small coated vesicles were inserted every second. However, insertion of hemichannels occurred at a constant plasma membrane area, indicating that insertion by vesicle exocytosis (60–500 μm2 membranes/s) was balanced by plasma membrane endocytosis. These exocytotic and endocytotic rates suggest that the entire plasma membrane of the oocyte is replaced in ∼24 h.

Downregulation of surface sodium pumps by endocytosis during meiotic maturation of Xenopus laevis oocytes

1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (1) ◽  
pp. C179-C184 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Schmalzing ◽  
P. Eckard ◽  
S. Kroner ◽  
H. Passow
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Sucrose Gradient ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Buoyant Density ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Meiotic Maturation ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Sodium Pumps

During meiotic maturation, plasma membranes of Xenopus laevis oocytes completely lose the capacity to transport Na and K and to bind ouabain. To explore whether the downregulation might be due to an internalization of the sodium pump molecules, the intracellular binding of ouabain was determined. Selective permeabilization of the plasma membrane of mature oocytes (eggs) by digitonin almost failed to disclose ouabain binding sites. However, when the eggs were additionally treated with 0.02% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to permeabilize inner membranes, all sodium pumps present before maturation were recovered. Phosphorylation by [gamma-32P]ATP combined with SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and autoradiography showed that sodium pumps were greatly reduced in isolated plasma membranes of eggs. According to sucrose gradient fractionation, maturation induced a shift of sodium pumps from the plasma membrane fraction to membranes of lower buoyant density with a protein composition different from that of the plasma membrane. Endocytosed sodium pumps identified on the sucrose gradient from [3H]ouabain bound to the cell surface before maturation could be phosphorylated with inorganic [32P]phosphate. The findings suggest that downregulation of sodium pumps during maturation is brought about by translocation of surface sodium pumps to an intracellular compartment, presumably endosomes. This contrasts the mechanism of downregulation of Na-dependent cotransport systems, the activities of which are reduced as a consequence of a maturation-induced depolarization of the membrane without a removal of the corresponding transporter from the plasma membrane.

Evidence for an ATP-independent long-chain phosphatidylcholine translocator in hepatocyte membranes

1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (6) ◽  
pp. G1312-G1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fuchs ◽  
Martin C. Carey ◽  
David E. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Gene Product ◽  
Rat Liver ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Heat Denaturation ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Erythrocyte Ghosts ◽  
Transfer Protein ◽  
Long Chain

Transport of phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules across canalicular plasma membranes of the liver is essential for their secretion into bile. To test for evidence of protein-mediated translocation of natural long-chain PCs, we investigated whether hepatocyte membrane subfractions reconstituted into proteoliposomes promoted transmembrane translocation of radiolabeled PCs. Translocation of PC molecules in proteoliposomes was measured by an assay that employed multilamellar acceptor vesicles and the specific PC transfer protein purified from liver. As inferred from the percentage of radiolabel removed from proteoliposomes, facilitated PC translocation occurred in microsomes and canalicular and basolateral plasma membranes from rat liver but not in erythrocyte ghosts, microsomes, homogenates of COS and H35 cells, or Xenopus laevis oocytes. Heat denaturation in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol and Pronase digestion of solubilized membrane proteins inhibited translocation. In contrast to the mdr2 gene product (Mdr2), which promotes ATP-dependent, verapamil-inhibitable PC translocation, ATP did not enhance and verapamil failed to block PC translocation. These data support the possibility that an ATP-independent PC translocator, possibly distinct from Mdr2, may be present in hepatocyte canalicular plasma membranes.

Characterization of Transport Activity of SLC11 Transporters in Xenopus laevis Oocytes by Fluorophore Quenching

2021 ◽  
pp. 247255522110041
Author(s):  
Raffaella Cinquetti ◽  
Francesca Guia Imperiali ◽  
Salvatore Bozzaro ◽  
Daniele Zanella ◽  
Francesca Vacca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Voltage Clamp ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Peptide Transporter ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Substrate Uptake ◽  
Transport Activity ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Metal Transporters ◽  
Electrode Voltage

Membrane proteins are involved in different physiological functions and are the target of pharmaceutical and abuse drugs. Xenopus laevis oocytes provide a powerful heterologous expression system for functional studies of these proteins. Typical experiments investigate transport using electrophysiology and radiolabeled uptake. A two-electrode voltage clamp is suitable only for electrogenic proteins, and uptake measurements require the existence of radiolabeled substrates and adequate laboratory facilities. Recently, Dictyostelium discoideum Nramp1 and NrampB were characterized using multidisciplinary approaches. NrampB showed no measurable electrogenic activity, and it was investigated in Xenopus oocytes by acquiring confocal images of the quenching of injected fluorophore calcein. This method is adequate to measure the variation in emitted fluorescence, and thus transporter activity indirectly, but requires long experimental procedures to collect statistically consistent data. Considering that optimal expression of heterologous proteins lasts for 48–72 h, a slow acquiring process requires the use of more than one batch of oocytes to complete the experiments. Here, a novel approach to measure substrate uptake is reported. Upon injection of a fluorophore, oocytes were incubated with the substrate and the transport activity measured, evaluating fluorescence quenching in a microplate reader. The technique permits the testing of tens of oocytes in different experimental conditions simultaneously, and thus the collection of significant statistical data for each batch, saving time and animals. The method was tested with different metal transporters (SLC11), DMT1, DdNramp1, and DdNrampB, and verified with the peptide transporter PepT1 (SLC15). Comparison with traditional methods (uptake, two-electrode voltage clamp) and with quenching images acquired by fluorescence microscopy confirmed its efficacy.

Imaging of Xenopus laevis Oocyte Plasma Membrane in Physiological-Like Conditions by Atomic Force Microscopy

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1358-1363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Santacroce ◽  
Federica Daniele ◽  
Andrea Cremona ◽  
Diletta Scaccabarozzi ◽  
Michela Castagna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Functional Study ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocyte ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Afm Imaging

AbstractXenopus laevis oocytes are an interesting model for the study of many developmental mechanisms because of their dimensions and the ease with which they can be manipulated. In addition, they are widely employed systems for the expression and functional study of heterologous proteins, which can be expressed with high efficiency on their plasma membrane. Here we applied atomic force microscopy (AFM) to the study of the plasma membrane of X. laevis oocytes. In particular, we developed and optimized a new sample preparation protocol, based on the purification of plasma membranes by ultracentrifugation on a sucrose gradient, to perform a high-resolution AFM imaging of X. laevis oocyte plasma membrane in physiological-like conditions. Reproducible AFM topographs allowed visualization and dimensional characterization of membrane patches, whose height corresponds to a single lipid bilayer, as well as the presence of nanometer structures embedded in the plasma membrane and identified as native membrane proteins. The described method appears to be an applicable tool for performing high-resolution AFM imaging of X. laevis oocyte plasma membrane in a physiological-like environment, thus opening promising perspectives for studying in situ cloned membrane proteins of relevant biomedical/pharmacological interest expressed in this biological system.

scholarly journals Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical localization of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase 4 in Ca2+-transporting epithelia

2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (7) ◽  
pp. F604-F616 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Todd Alexander ◽  
Megan R. Beggs ◽  
Reza Zamani ◽  
Niels Marcussen ◽  
Sebastian Frische ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Transient Receptor Potential ◽  
Basolateral Membrane ◽  
Receptor Potential ◽  
Human Kidney ◽  
Muscle Layer ◽  
Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid ◽  
Distal Nephron

Plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPases (PMCAs) participate in epithelial Ca2+ transport and intracellular Ca2+ signaling. The Pmca4 isoform is enriched in distal nephron isolates and decreased in mice lacking the epithelial transient receptor potential vanilloid 5 Ca2+ channel. We therefore hypothesized that Pmca4 plays a significant role in transcellular Ca2+ flux and investigated the localization and regulation of Pmca4 in Ca2+-transporting epithelia. Using antibodies directed specifically against Pmca4, we found it expressed only in the smooth muscle layer of mouse and human intestines, whereas pan-specific Pmca antibodies detected Pmca1 in lateral membranes of enterocytes. In the kidney, Pmca4 showed broad localization to the distal nephron. In the mouse, expression was most abundant in segments coexpressing the epithelial ransient receptor potential vanilloid 5 Ca2+ channel. Significant, albeit lower, expression was also evident in the region encompassing the cortical thick ascending limbs, macula densa, and early distal tubules as well as smooth muscle layers surrounding renal vessels. In the human kidney, a similar pattern of distribution was observed, with the highest PMCA4 expression in Na+-Cl− cotransporter-positive tubules. Electron microscopy demonstrated Pmca4 localization in distal nephron cells at both the basolateral membrane and intracellular perinuclear compartments but not submembranous vesicles, suggesting rapid trafficking to the plasma membrane is unlikely to occur in vivo. Pmca4 expression was not altered by perturbations in Ca2+ balance, pointing to a housekeeping function of the pump in Ca2+-transporting epithelia. In conclusion, Pmca4 shows a divergent expression pattern in Ca2+-transporting epithelia, inferring diverse roles for this isoform not limited to transepithelial Ca2+ transport.

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