BIOSYNTHETIC LABELING OF BETA-HEXOSAMINIDASE-B - INHIBITION OF THE CELLULAR UPTAKE OF LYSOSOMAL SECRETIONS CONTAINING [H-3] HEXOSAMINIDASE-B BY INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-II IN RAT C6 GLIAL-CELLS

The insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptor binds two classes of ligands, IGF-II and lysosomal enzymes containing the mannose-6-phosphate recognition marker. To study the interaction of the two classes of ligands at the receptor level, we have isolated 'high uptake' forms of lysosomal enzymes containing mannose-6-phosphate that had been radiolabeled biosynthetically using a tissue culture model: Tay-Sachs disease fibroblasts were incubated in medium containing [H-3]mannose, ammonium chloride and mannose-6-phosphate. Under the conditions of these experiments, the Tay-Sachs disease fibroblasts synthesized and secreted radiolabeled hexosaminidase B, as confirmed by measuring enzymatic activity of cell-conditioned medium. The enzyme secreted was recognized by antibodies raised against purified hexosaminidase A and B but not by nonimmune control sera in Western blotting and immunoprecipitation experiments. The radiolabeled cell-conditioned medium was partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Sephadex column. When partially purified [H-3]hexosaminidase B was incubated with rat C6 glial cells which express large numbers of IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptors, the enzyme was taken up specifically via the IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptor as evidenced by carbohydrate competition experiments. The specific uptake of the radiolabeled lysosomal enzyme was partially inhibited by IGF-II and an antibody against the IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptor (No. 3637). We conclude that the cellular uptake of a biosynthetically labeled lysosomal enzyme, hexosaminidase B, is partially inhibited by IGF-II. We hypothesize that IGF-II might be capable of modulating lysosomal pathways in vivo.