Mannosyltransferase activity in calf pancreas microsomes. Formation of 14C-labeled lipid-linked oligosaccharides from GDP-D-[14C]mannose and pancreatic dolichyl beta-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate.

Calf pancreas microsomes incorporated radioactive D-mannose from GDP-D-[14C]mannose into lipid-bound oligosaccharides extracted with chloroform/methanol/water (10/10/2.5, v/v). Several products, which probably differed in the size of the oligosaccharide moiety, were labeled. These could be partially resolved by thin layer chromatography and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The labeled lipid-bound oligosaccharides were retained on DEAE-cellulose more strongly than synthetic dolichyl alpha-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate. They were stable to mild alkali, but labile to acid and hot alkali. Acid treatment yielded a neutral 14C-labeled oligosaccharide fraction which was estimated by gel filtration to have a minimum of 8 monosaccharide residues. Hot alkali treatment yielded a mixture of neutral and acidic 14C-labeled oligosaccharides which could be transformed into neutral products by alkaline phosphatase. The D-[14C]mannose residues were alpha-linked at the nonreducing terminus of the oligosaccharides since they could be removed completely with alpha-mannosidase. Most of the D-[14C]mannose-labeled oligosaccharides were retained on concanavalin A Sepharose and eluted with methyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside. Pancreatic dolichyl beta-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate incubated with calf pancreas microsomes in the presence of sodium taurocholate was efficiently utilized as donor of alpha-D-mannosyl residues in lipid-bound oligosaccharides. The products formed from dolichyl beta-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate were identical with those formed from GDP-D-[14C]mannose, and evidence was obtained to show that the dolichyl beta-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate was serving as donor without prior conversion to GDP-D-[14C]mannose. Transfer of mannose from dolichyl beta-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate to lipid-bound oligosaccharides took place at a pH optimum of 7.3, whereas transfer to the precipitate containing glycoproteins was greatest at pH 6.0 in Tris/maleate buffer. The addition of divalent cation was not required, but low concentrations of EDTA were extremely inhibitory. The carbohydrate composition of the lipid-bound oligosaccharides of microsomal membranes was investigated by gas-liquid chromatography and by reduction with sodium borotritide. A heterogeneous mixture of oligosaccharides containing N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, D-mannose, and D-glucose varying in proportions from approximately 1/2.5/0.5 to 1/5/1.5 was obtained with glucosamine at the reducing end. Acid treatment of the lipid-bound oligosaccharide fraction yielded dolichyl pyrophosphate, suggesting that at least some of the oligosaccharides were linked to dolichol through a pyrophosphate group.