Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of human intestinal alkaline phosphatase: close homology to placental alkaline phosphatase.

A cDNA clone for human adult intestinal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) [orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum); EC 3.1.3.1] was isolated from a lambda gt11 expression library. The cDNA insert of this clone is 2513 base pairs in length and contains an open reading frame that encodes a 528-amino acid polypeptide. This deduced polypeptide contains the first 40 amino acids of human intestinal ALP, as determined by direct protein sequencing. Intestinal ALP shows 86.5% amino acid identity to placental (type 1) ALP and 56.6% amino acid identity to liver/bone/kidney ALP. In the 3'-untranslated regions, intestinal and placental ALP cDNAs are 73.5% identical (excluding gaps). The evolution of this multigene enzyme family is discussed.     

The ontogony of the human placental glucocorticoid receptor and inducibility of heat-stable alkaline phosphatase.

The human placenta was found to contain a cytosol receptor for glucocorticoids. The concentration of this receptor in term placenta was 27-fold higher than that found in cytosol from first trimester placenta. The levels of cytosol glucocorticoid receptor in three trophoblastic cell lines (JAr, BeWo, and JEG) were also determined and all were found to be low. The ability of prednisolone, a potent glucocorticoid, to stimulate heat-stable alkaline phosphatase activity found in these cells was tested. Although control experiments demonstrated that the conditions were adequate to stimulate HeLa cell alkaline phosphatase, none of the trophoblastic lines responded to prednisolone administration. This result may be explained by the observation that the JAr cells lacked any detectable glucocorticoid receptor and the receptor levels in cytosol prepared from JEG and BeWo cells were 12% and 2%, respectively, of those measured in HeLa cytosol. Our studies also suggest that the increase in serum levels of heat-stable alkaline phosphatase observed during pregnancy may reflect increasing placental sensitivity to glucocorticoids as a result of increased receptor levels.     

Human placental alkaline phosphatase in liver and intestine.

Three distinct forms of human alkaline phosphatase, presumably isozymes, are known, each apparently associated with a specific tissue. These are placental, intestinal, and liver (kidney and bone). We have used a specific immunoassay and HPLC to show that placental alkaline phosphatase is also present in extracts of liver and intestine in appreciable amounts.     

Electrophoresis of enzyme--monoclonal antibody complexes: studies of human placental alkaline phosphatase polymorphism.

Enzyme--monoclonal antibody complexes formed between six different monoclonal antibodies and the six phenotypes of human placental alkaline phosphatase [orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1] that represent the homozygous and heterozygous combinations of the three common alleles have been examined by electrophoresis in starch, acrylamide, and agarose gels. Since the complexes formed retain full enzyme activity, they could be detected after gel electrophoresis by an enzyme stain. Distinctive electrophoretic patterns were obtained with each monoclonal antibody. Differential binding of certain of the antibodies with the products of different alleles produces clear discrimination of various homozygous and heterozygous phenotypes. This discrimination parallels the results previously obtained by using a quantitative binding radioimmunoassay. The results show that this general method should prove useful in screening hybridoma fluids for the presence of monoclonal antibodies to specific enzymes; in the detection of allelic variation, even where this is not expressed by electrophoretic differences among the uncomplexed enzymes; and in discriminating between homozygotes and heterozygotes. It could also prove to be a useful tool in the elucidation of the molecular structures of enzyme--monoclonal antibody complexes.     

Expression of active, membrane-bound human placental alkaline phosphatase by transfected simian cells.

Human placental alkaline phosphatase (PALPase) has been transiently expressed in simian (COS) cells by transfection with a eukaryotic expression vector containing the corresponding cDNA. The level of expression of PALPase was high, and it was produced in an enzymatically active form. The bulk of PALPase was associated with the cell membrane as shown by immunocytochemistry and subcellular fractionation studies. The PALPase produced by transfected COS cells, like PALPase in human tissue, was specifically released from the intact cells in a hydrophilic form by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and is, therefore, apparently attached to the outer membrane by means of a phosphatidylinositol-glycan. Transfected COS cells appear to be an excellent model for elucidating the mechanism of attachment of this phosphatidylinositol-glycan to a protein moiety.     

Cloning, sequencing, and chromosomal localization of human term placental alkaline phosphatase cDNA.

A human term (third trimester) placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP; EC 3.1.3.1) cDNA was isolated from a human placental lambda gt11 cDNA library. The expression library was screened by using rabbit antibodies against PLAP and oligonucleotide probes. DNA sequence analysis of a positive clone with an insert of 2.7 kilobase pairs allowed us to predict the complete amino acid sequence of PLAP (530 residues), which coincided with the reported 42 N-terminal amino acid sequence of PLAP except at position 3. Contrary to the previous supposition that there was no amino acid sequence homology between PLAP and Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (471 residues), we found 30% overall homology, with regions of strong homology including the putative active site and the metal-binding sites. The 44-residue C-terminal extension of PLAP has a stretch of 17 hydrophobic amino acids, which presumably anchors the protein to the plasma membrane, a change perhaps necessary for the transition from a bacterial periplasmic enzyme to a mammalian membrane-associated enzyme. We have also localized PLAP-related DNA sequences mainly on chromosome 2 and to a lesser degree on chromosome 17. It seems likely therefore that the PLAP gene resides on chromosome 2 and other member(s) of the alkaline phosphatase family may exist (on this chromosome and) on chromosome 17.     

Structural evidence that human liver and placental alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes are coded by different genes.

Human liver alkaline phosphatase [ortho-phosphoric monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1] was purified, and some of its physical and chemical properties were examined and compared to those of human placental alkaline phosphatase. The results indicated a different peptide structure for each, based upon HB2-terminal residue sequence, two-dimensional tryptic peptide maps, and different amino acid compositions. These data are interpreted to indicate that the enzymes are synthesized by different structural genes. Other molecular properties differentiating the two enzymes were a higher apparent molecular weight for the liver enzyme from sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, a higher S20,w value, different carbohydrate content, and a different isoelectric point. The immunochemical specificity of each enzyme was not affected by removal of sialic acid groups. Both enzymes are similar in that they are dimers of equal molecular weight subunits, and are probably homodimers.     

Pst I restriction fragment length polymorphism of the human placental alkaline phosphatase gene in normal placentae and tumors.

The structure of the human placental alkaline phosphatase gene from normal term placentae was studied by restriction enzyme digestion and Southern blot analysis using a cDNA probe to the gene for the placental enzyme. The DNA digests fall into three distinct patterns based on the presence and intensity of an extra 1.1-kilobase Pst I band. The extra 1.1-kilobase band is present in 9 of 27 placenta samples, and in 1 of these samples the extra band is present at double intensity. No polymorphism was revealed by digestion with restriction enzymes EcoRI, Sma I, BamHI, or Sac I. The extra Pst I-digestion site may lie in a noncoding region of the gene because no correlation was observed between the restriction fragment length polymorphism and the common placental alkaline phosphatase alleles identified by starch gel electrophoresis. In addition, because placental alkaline phosphatase is frequently re-expressed in neoplasms, we examined tissue from ovarian, testicular, and endometrial tumors and from BeWo choriocarcinoma cells in culture. The Pst I-DNA digestion patterns from these cells and tissues were identical to those seen in the normal ovary and term placentae. The consistent reproducible digestion patterns seen in DNA from normal and tumor tissue indicate that a major gene rearrangement is not the basis for the ectopic expression of placental alkaline phosphatase in neoplasia.     

Products of two common alleles at the locus for human placental alkaline phosphatase differ by seven amino acids.

Amino-terminal amino acid sequences (42 residues) were determined for the products of the three common alleles at the human placental alkaline phosphatase [orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1] gene locus. The sequences differ at position 3, which is proline in types 1 and 2 but is leucine in type 3. cDNA libraries were constructed in phage lambda gt11 and used to isolate clones covering the coding regions of types 1 and 3 cDNAs. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of the types 1 and 3 proteins showed 7 differences out of 513 amino acids, each due to a single base substitution. cDNA sequence comparisons showed three silent substitutions in the coding regions and three base differences in the greater than 1 kilobase pairs of 3' untranslated sequences.     

Cloning and characterization of a cDNA coding for mouse placental alkaline phosphatase.

Mouse alkaline phosphatase [ALP; orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1] was partially purified from placenta. Data obtained by immunoblotting analysis suggested that the primary structure of this enzyme has a much greater homology to that of human and bovine liver ALPs than to the human placental isozyme. Therefore, a full-length cDNA encoding human liver-type ALP was used as a probe to isolate the mouse placental ALP cDNA. The cloned mouse cDNA is 2459 base pairs long and is composed of an open reading frame encoding a 524-amino acid polypeptide that contains a putative signal peptide of 17 amino acids. Homology at the amino acid level of the mouse placental ALP is 90% to the human liver isozyme but only 55% to the human placental counterpart. RNA blot hybridization results indicate that the mouse placental ALP is encoded by a gene identical to the gene expressed in mouse liver, kidney, and teratocarcinoma stem cells. This gene is therefore evolutionarily highly conserved in mouse and human.     

Placental alkaline phosphatase in nonmalignant human cervix.

At least three loci determine human alkaline phosphatases [orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum), EC 3.1.3.1]: one coding for the placental form of the enzyme; at least one coding for the intestinal forms; and at least one for the liver, bone, and kidney forms. It is generally believed that the locus determining the placental form is, in the normal individual, expressed only in placenta. However, ectopic or aberrant expression of this locus occurs in certain malignancies of other tissues and in cell lines, such as HeLa, derived from malignancies. We have examined by thermostability, inhibition, and immunologic studies the alkaline phosphatases in endocervix, cervical mucus, and endometrium from nonpregnant women with no evidence of malignancy. It was found that on the average about 18% of the alkaline phosphatase activity in endocervix and in cervical mucus is placental in type, the remainder being of the liver/bone/kidney type. The quantity of the placental enzyme is, however, low and amounts to only about 0.5% of the amount in normal term placenta. In endometrium all the alkaline phosphatase activity was of the liver/bone/kidney type. Thus the placental alkaline phosphatase locus is expressed in nonmalignant endocervix. The result is of some significance in connection with the widely held view that the expression of placental alkaline phosphatase in certain malignancies (including cervical malignancy) is due to derepression of a locus for a fetal enzyme protein normally repressed in adult tissues.     

Developmental change in human intestinal alkaline phosphatase.

Starch gel electrophoresis and inhibition studies with L-phenylalanine, L-homoarginine, L-leucine, L-leucylglycylglycine, and L-phenylalanylglycylglycine were carried out on a series of human alkaline phosphatases [orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (alkaline optimum); EC 3.1.3.1] derived from fetal and adult liver, kidney, bone, and intestine. No differences between adult and fetal liver, kidney, or bone alkaline phosphatases were observed by either electrophoretic or inhibition studies. However, the fetal intestinal enzyme could be clearly distinguished from the adult intestinal enzyme by its greater anodal electrophoretic mobility and its retardation after treatment with neuraminidase. Even after extensive neuraminidase treatment, its anodal mobility was still slightly greater than that of adult intestinal alkaline phosphatase. Fetal and adult intestinal enzymes showed the same inhibition profiles with the series of inhibitors both before and after treatment with neuraminidase. A survey of intestinal samples from fetuses and premature infants of various gestational ages indicated that the changeover from the synthesis of fetal to adult intestinal enzyme begins at about 28-32 weeks of gestation. The difference between the fetal and adult forms of intestinal alkaline phosphatase may represent the expression of different gene loci or a difference in post-translational modification.     

Selectivity of the cleavage/attachment site of phosphatidylinositol-glycan-anchored membrane proteins determined by site-specific mutagenesis at Asp-484 of placental alkaline phosphatase.

Many proteins are now known to be anchored to the plasma membrane by a phosphatidylinositol-glycan (PI-G) moiety that is attached to their COOH termini. Placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) has been used as a model for investigating mechanisms involved in the COOH-terminal processing of PI-G-tailed proteins. The COOH-terminal domain of pre-pro-PLAP provides a signal for processing during which a largely hydrophobic 29-residue COOH-terminal peptide is removed, and the PI-G moiety is added to the newly exposed Asp-484 terminus. This cleavage/attachment site was subjected to an almost saturation mutagenesis, and the enzymatic activities, COOH-terminal processing, and cellular localizations of the various mutant PLAP forms were determined. Substitution of Asp-484 by glycine, alanine, cysteine, asparagine, or serine (category I) resulted in PI-G-tailed and enzymatically active proteins. However, not all category I mutant proteins were PI-G tailed to the same extent. Pre-pro-PLAP with other substituents at position 484 (threonine, proline, methionine, valine, leucine, tyrosine, tryptophan, lysine, glutamic acid, and glutamine; category II) were expressed, as well as the category I amino acids, but there was little or no processing to the PI-G-tailed form, and this latter group exhibited very low enzyme activity. The bulk of the PLAP protein produced by category II mutants and some produced by category I mutants were sequestered within the cell, apparently in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Most likely, certain amino acids at residue 484 are preferred because they yield better substrates for the putative "transamidating" enzyme. In transfected COS cells, at least, posttranslational PI-G-tail processing does not go to completion even for preferred substrates. Apparently PI-G tailing is a requisite for transport from the ER and for PLAP enzyme activity. Proteins that are not transamidated are apparently retained in the ER in an inactive conformation.     

Trypanosoma cruzi: modification of alkaline phosphatase activity induced by trypomastigotes in cultured human placental villi

Human term placental villi cultured "in vitro" were maintained with bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma cruzi during various periods of time. Two different concentrations of the parasite were employed. Controls contained no T. cruzi. The alkaline phosphatase activity was determined in placental villi by electron microscopy and its specific activity in the culture medium by biochemical methods. Results showed that the hemoflagellate produces a significant decrease in enzyme activity as shown by both ultracytochemical and specific activity studies and this activity was lower in cultures with high doses of parasites. The above results indicate that the reduction in enzyme activity coincides with the time of penetration and proliferation of T. cruzi in mammalian cells. These changes may represent an interaction between human trophoblast and T. cruzi.     

Liver plasma membrane: the source of high molecular weight alkaline phosphatase in human serum

This study presents biochemical, histochemical, morphological and immunological evidence that part of the high molecular weight alkaline phosphatase observed in the serum of patients with liver disease and particularly in cases of intrahepatic cholestasis or focal-, extrahepatic obstruction originates from the liver plasma membrane. The high molecular weight protein alkaline phosphatase complex contains several plasma membrane enzymes and behaves like a plasma membrane fragment after isopycnic density gradient ultracentrifugation in sucrose, cesium chloride and metrizamide. Electron microscopic examination revealed a triple-layered vesicle which retained alkaline phosphatase activity. Incubation of human liver cells with anti-serum against purified high molecular weight multienzyme complex resulted in fixation of antibodies on the plasma membrane as shown by positive plasma membrane fluorescence. These plasma membrane fragments in the serum are not of biliary origin.     

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase.

In summary, LAP is an intriguing enzyme and its control is related to pituitary-adrenal function. A review of the changes in LAP activity which occur in some physiological conditions and in disease states has been presented. The function of LAP, however, is unknown. Table I summarizes those conditions in which the LAP is consistently altered enough so to help in the diagnosis of the disorder. Of prime importance is the differentiation of CML from a leukemoid reaction or agnogenic myeloid metaplasia with a leukocytosis. However, in no instance is the LAP value alone diagnostic of any disease. It remains a laboratory test to be utilized in conjunction with all other available clinical data.     

Conversion of placental alkaline phosphatase from a phosphatidylinositol-glycan-anchored protein to an integral transmembrane protein.

Placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) is normally anchored to the plasma membrane of cells by a phosphatidylinositol-glycan anchor after removal of a carboxyl-terminal peptide from the nascent enzyme. To investigate the signals required for this processing we constructed a chimeric cDNA. The latter was designed to code for a truncated precursor form of PLAP, containing the phosphatidylinositol-glycan attachment site but incapable of any form of membrane attachment, fused to a carboxyl-terminal peptide of vesicular stomatis virus glycoprotein. Expression of the PLAP-vesicular stomatis virus glycoprotein chimeric cDNA in transfected COS cells produced an enzymatically active protein that was attached to the plasma membrane, with the PLAP domain on the outer surface. Assays for the presence of phosphatidylinositol-glycan attachment proved negative, whereas an antibody assay confirmed the presence of the vesicular stomatis virus glycoprotein carboxyl-terminal peptide, leading to the conclusion that the truncated PLAP is attached to the cells by the membrane-spanning domain of the vesicular stomatis virus glycoprotein. In light of previous findings on carboxyl-terminal requirements of PLAP these studies suggest that an essential signal for correct sorting between transmembrane insertion and phosphatidylinositol-glycan attachment resides in the cytoplasmic domain.     

Cloning and sequencing of human intestinal alkaline phosphatase cDNA.

Partial protein sequence data obtained on intestinal alkaline phosphatase indicated a high degree of homology with the reported sequence of the placental isoenzyme. Accordingly, placental alkaline phosphatase cDNA was cloned and used as a probe to clone intestinal alkaline phosphatase cDNA. The latter is somewhat larger (3.1 kilobases) than the cDNA for the placental isozyme (2.8 kilobases). Although the 3' untranslated regions are quite different, there is almost 90% homology in the translated regions of the two isozymes. There are, however, significant differences at their amino and carboxyl termini and a substitution of an alanine in intestinal alkaline phosphatase for a glycine in the active site of the placental isozyme.