XYLOSYLATION OF ALTERNATIVELY SPLICED ISOFORMS OF ALZHEIMER APP BY XYLOSYLTRANSFERASE

Acceptor affinities of UDP-D-xylose:proteoglycan core protein beta-D-x ylosyltransferase (XT) recognition signals in synthetic L-APP and L-AP LP2 homologous peptides were determined. The Michaelis-Menten constant s (K-M) of the L-APP peptide TENEGSGLTNIK and the L-APLP2 peptide SENE GSGMAEQK were 20.1 and 18.9 mu M, respectively. Therefore, the peptide s proved to be as good accepters for XT as the bikunin aminoterminus h omologous peptide (K-M = 22 mu M). Due to the occurrence of L-APP and L-APLP2 transcripts in human brain tissue, XT activity was measured in human liquor cerebrospinalis. Mean values were calculated as 0.22 mU/ L in males and 0.47 mU/L in females without disturbance of blood-brain barrier. In addition, in homogenized rat brain tissue a mean XT activ ity of 0.75 mU/L was determined. Furthermore, XT activity was investig ated in 21 different human cell lines. In 7 cell lines an enzyme activ ity was not detected in either extracellular space or cytoplasma. Our findings indicate that XT is not ubiquitously expressed in human cell types.