Recovery of function in Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants with temperature-sensitive defects in vacuolar acidification.

After 4 h at 41 degrees C, B3853 and M311, temperature-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary cell End1 and End2 mutants, respectively, are pleiotropically defective in endocytosis and trans-Golgi network-associated activities (Roff, C. F., R. Fuchs, I. Mellman, and A. R. Robbins. 1986. J. Cell Biol. 103:2283-2297). We have measured recovery of function after return to the permissive temperature. Based on return of normal transferrin-mediated Fe uptake and sensitivity to diphtheria toxin both mutants had restored endosomal function at 10 h; based on delivery of endocytosed lysosomal enzymes to lysosomes and normal sensitivity to modeccin both had functional late endocytic organelles at 10-12 h; and based on retention of newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes and sialylation of secreted glycoproteins both had functional trans-Golgi network at 6 h. At 10 h, M311 had recovered almost all of its ability to endocytose lysosomal enzymes; B3853 required 30 h to recover fully its ability to endocytose lysosomal enzymes. Slow recovery of mannose 6-phosphate-dependent uptake in B3853 reflected altered trafficking of cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptors. Although B3853 had normal amounts of receptor at 6-8 h, it had greatly diminished amounts of receptor at the cell surface. Altered trafficking was also suggested by the finding that B3853 rapidly degraded receptor that had been present before the shift to the nonpermissive temperature.