Possible interference between tissue-non-specific alkaline phosphatase with an Arg54 → Cys substitution and a counterpart with an Asp277 → Ala substitution found in a compound heterozygote associated with severe hypophosphatasia

Tissue-non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) with an Arg(54), CYS (R54C) or an Asp(277)--> Ala (D277A) substitution was found in a patient with hypophosphatasia [Henthorn, Raducha, Fedde, Lafferty and Whyte (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 9924-9928]. To examine effects of these missense mutations on properties of TNSALP, the TNSALP mutants were expressed ectopically in COS-1 cells. The wild-type TNSALP was synthesized as a 66-kDa endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H)-sensitive form, and processed to an 80-kDa mature form, which is anchored to the plasma membrane via glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). Although the mutant proteins were found to be modified by GPI, digestion with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, cell-surface biotinylation and immunofluorescence observation demonstrated that the cell-surface appearance of TNSALP (R54C) and TNSALP (D277A) was either almost totally or partially retarded respectively. The 66-kDa Endo H-sensitive band was the only form, and was rapidly degraded in the cells expressing TNSALP (R54C). In contrast with cells expressing TNSALP (R54C), where alkaline phosphatase activity was negligible, significant enzyme activity was detected and, furthermore, the 80-kDa mature form appeared on the surface of the cells expressing TNSALP (D277A). Analysis by sedimentation on sucrose gradients showed that a considerable fraction of newly synthesized TNSALP (R54C) and TNSALP (D277A) formed large aggregates, indicating improper folding and incorrect oligomerization of the mutant enzymes. When co-expressed with TNSALP (R54C), the level of the 80-kDa mature form of TNSALP (D277A) was decreased dramatically, with a concomitant reduction in enzyme activity in the co-transfected cell. These findings suggest that TNSALP (R54C) interferes with folding and assembly of TNSALP (D277A) in trans when expressed in the same cell, thus probably explaining why a compound heterozygote for these mutant alleles developed severe hypophosphatasia.