Mannosylation of endogenous and exogenous phosphatidic acid by liver microsomal membranes. Formation of phosphatidylmannose

Hamster liver post-nuclear membranes catalyze the transfer of mannose from GDP-mannose to endogenous dolichyl phosphate and to a second major endogenous acidic lipid. This mannolipid was believed to be synthesized from endogenous retinyl phosphate and was tentatively identified as retinyl phosphate mannose (Ret-P-Man) (De Luca, L.M., Brugh, M.R., Silverman-Jones, C.S. and Shidoji Y. (1982) Biochem. J. 208, 159-170). To characterize this endogenous mannolipid in more detail, we isolated and purified the mannolipid from incubations containing hamster liver membranes and GDP-[¹⁴C]mannose and compared its properties to those of authentic Ret-P-Man. We found that the endogenous mannolipid was separable from authentic Ret-P-Man on a Mono Q anion exchange column, did not exhibit the absorbance spectrum characteristic of a retinol moiety, and was stable to mild acid under conditions which cleave authentic Ret-P-Man. The endogenous mannolipid was sensitive to mild base hydrolysis and mannose was released from the mannolipid by snake venom phosphodiesterase digestion. These properites were consistent with the endogenous acceptor being phosphatidic acid. Addition of exogenous phosphatidic acid, but not phospholipids with a head group blocking the phosphate moiety, to incubations containing hamster liver membranes and GDP-[¹⁴C]mannose resulted in the synthesis of a mannolipid with chromatographic and physical propterties identical to the endogenous mannolipid. A double-labeled mannolipid was synthesized in incubations containing hamster liver membranes, GDP-[¹⁴C]mannose, and [³H]phosphatidic acid. Mannosyl transfer to exogenous phosphatidic acid was saturable with increasing concentrations of phosphatidic acid and GDP-mannose and specific for glycosyl transfer from GDP-mannose. Class E Thy-1-negative mutant mouse lymphoma cell membranes, which are defective in dolichyl phosphate mannose synthesis, also fail to transfer mannose from GDP-mannose to exogenous phosphatidic acid or retinyl phosphate. Amphomycin, an inhibitor of dolichyl phosphate mannose synthesis, blocked mannosyl transfer to the endogenous lipid, and to exogenous retinyl phosphate and phosphatidic acid. We conclude that the same mannosyltransferase responsible for dolichyl phosphate mannose synthesis can also utilize in vitro exogenous retinyl phosphate and phosphatidic acid as well as endogenous phosphatidic acid as mannosyl acceptors.