title: The activator protein for glucosylceramide beta-glucosidase from guinea pig liver. Improved isolation method and complete amino acid sequence.
abstract: beta-Glucosidase activator (SAP-2) is a family of heat-stable, acidic glycoproteins which stimulate enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosylceramide. In this study, we improved the purification method and found that SAP-2 is highly heterogeneous. A hot water extract of frozen guinea pig liver was fractionated by ammonium sulfate sedimentation, then chromatographed with DEAE-Sephacel, Sephadex G-75, and concanavalin A-Sepharose. A fraction binding to concanavalin A-Sepharose was purified further with a C4 high performance liquid chromatography reverse phase column. This yielded several peaks, the main one of which was studied. The specific activity of the purified SAP-2 was 35 units/micrograms (1 unit produces 50% stimulation of a basal glucosidase preparation). N-terminal amino acid sequencing showed that this preparation is a mixture of polypeptides differing in the presence or absence of one or two of the end amino acids. The complete amino acid sequence of the 81 residues in SAP-2 has been determined. Comparison of the sequence of guinea pig SAP-2 with the sequence of human sphingomyelinase activator revealed 58% homology and quite similar hydropathy profiles. Both proteins possess a highly hydrophilic region around Asn-22, which is glycosylated, and 6 cysteine residues, in oxidized form, located in the same positions. Comparison with the published nucleotide sequence for the precursor form of the human activator protein for sulfatide sulfatase (SAP-1) suggested that this activator also has a possibly glycosylated Asn and 6 Cys residues at similar positions, although the remainder of the molecule is somewhat different. Examination of another region of the precursor's nucleotide sequence, assuming a few changes in the identifications, revealed the presence of the sphingomyelinase activator. It appears that two or more activators are derived from a single precursor protein. Marked homologies were seen also with a lung surfactant protein and a sulfated glycoprotein from Sertoli cells.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Radin
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Tarr
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005959:Glucosidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005962:Glucosylceramidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D049231:Saposins; D049128:Sphingolipid Activator Proteins
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; C483345:PSAP protein, human; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D049231:Saposins; D049128:Sphingolipid Activator Proteins; D005959:Glucosidases; D005962:Glucosylceramidase; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide