Glycoprotein Biosynthesis: Stimulation of N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferase Activity by Cytidiee 5′-Diphosphocholine

Abstract

The stimulatory effect of CDP-choline on N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity is marked in rough microsomes but is almost absent in Golgi-rich membranes or in serum. The marked CDP-choline effect on the enzyme is evident even when the nucleotide–sugar substrate concentration is raised to near saturation. Diglyceride has an inhibitory action on the enzyme which is effectively reversed by further addition of CDP-choline. Of the other different lipid factors tested only CDP-ethanolamine has a stimulatory effect similar to CDP-choline. CDP-choline alone activates the enzyme better than Triton. CDP-choline and Triton, in different combinations of doses, show a marked synergistic effect. Cationic detergents do not activate the enzyme and inorganic pyrophosphate almost completely inhibits the enzyme activity. Phospholipase A has an inhibitory effect in the presence of CDP-choline. Phospholipase C, by itself, stimulates the enzyme activity. In the presence of CDP-choline, a higher concentration of phospholipase C partially abolishes the CDP-choline effect on the enzyme. Phosphorylcholine from labeled CDP-choline is rapidly incorporated into lecithin in the assay system used for measuring N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity. Capacity for lecithin synthesis is poor in Golgi membranes. However, lecithin synthesis is stimulated by adding exogenous diglyceride, but CDP-choline plus diglyceride failed to activate N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase in Golgi membranes. Finally, various possibilities have been discussed to explain the mechanism of action of CDP-choline on the enzyme.