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The catalytic domain of the vacuolar proton ATPase is composed of a hexamer of three A subunits and three B subunits. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a cDNA isoform of subunit B, HO57, from an osteoclastoma cDNA library. HO57 is represented by three species of mRNA of 1.6, 2.6 and 2.8 kb and is expressed at low levels in a range of human tissues, but at significantly higher levels in brain, kidney and osteoclastoma, and is probably an ubiquitously expressed isoform. In contrast, the kidney-specific isoform has an mRNA of 2 kb and is specifically expressed at high levels only in kidney and, at a lower level, in placenta. Thus the HO57 isoform is integral to the vacuolar ATPase found in the general secretory system of all cells as well as in vacuolar-ATPase-rich sources such as neurones and osteoclasts, whereas both the kidney-specific isoform and HO57 are highly expressed in the kidney. Furthermore, we show by in situ hybridization that HO57 is the only isoform that is exclusively and highly expressed by osteoclasts.

Alteration in cell surface carbohydrates, and in particular cell surface sialylation, have been known to occur during oncogenic transformation. To examine the basis for such changes, we have transformed the rat fibroblast cell line FR3T3 with the oncogenes c-Ha-ras EJ, v-mycOK10, v-src, polyoma virus middle T or the transforming bovine papilloma virus 1 (BPV1), and measured the sialytransferase activities of cellular lysates. We found that, in contrast to all other oncogenes examined, c-Ha-ras induced a striking increase in beta-galactoside alpha-2,6-sialytransferase (Gal alpha-2,6-ST) activity in FR3T3 cells. This increase in Gal alpha-2,6-ST activity resulted in the increased expression of cell surface alpha-2,6-linked sialic acid on cell surface glycoconjugates, as determined by cell staining with fluorescein-labelled Sambucus nigra agglutinin. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence experiments revealed that the increase in Gal alpha-2,6-ST activity was due to an elevation of expression of the enzyme. Moreover, Northern analysis suggested that the increased expression of this enzyme was the result of an increase in the steady-state mRNA level of the Gal alpha-2,6-ST gene. These results support the notion that alterations seen in cell surface glycoconjugates during oncogenic transformation can be the result of altered expression of glycosyltransferases.