Regulated apical secretion of zymogens in rat pancreas - Involvement of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoprotein GP-2, the lectin ZG16p, and cholesterol-glycosphingolipid-enriched microdomains

We examined the role of glycosphingolipid- and cholesterol-enriched microdo mains, or rafts, in the sorting of digestive enzymes into zymogen granules destined for apical secretion and in granule formation. Isolated membranes of zymogen granules from pancreatic acinar cells showed an enrichment in ch olesterol and sphingomyelin and formed detergent-insoluble glycolipid-enric hed complexes. These complexes floated to the lighter fractions of sucrose density gradients and contained the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anch ored glycoprotein GP-2, the lectin ZG16p, and sulfated matrix proteoglycans . Morphological and pulse-chase studies with isolated pancreatic lobules re vealed that after inhibition of GPI-anchor biosynthesis by mannosamine or t he fungal metabolite YW 3548, granule formation was impaired leading to an accumulation of newly synthesized proteins in the Golgi apparatus and the r ough endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, the membrane attachment of matrix proteoglycans was diminished. After cholesterol depletion or inhibition of glycosphingolipid synthesis by fumonisin B1, the formation of zymogen granu les as well as the formation of detergent-insoluble complexes was reduced. In addition, cholesterol depletion led to constitutive secretion of newly s ynthesized proteins, e.g. amylase, indicating that zymogens were missorted. Together, these data provide first evidence that in polarized acinar cells of the exocrine pancreas GPI-anchored proteins, e.g, GP-2, and cholesterol -sphingolipid-enriched microdomains are required for granule formation as w ell as for regulated secretion of zymogens and may function as sorting plat forms for secretory proteins destined for apical delivery.