Microsomal glucosidases of rat liver. Partial purification and inhibition by disaccharides.

Further work on microsomal glucosidases of rat liver has confirmed that at least two enzymes are involved in the removal of glucose from the glucose-containing oligosaccharide. One acts on the oligosaccharide containing three glucose residues and another on the oligosaccharide which has one or two glucoses. The glucosidase which acts on (Glc)2(Man)9(GlcNAc)2 could be purified with a Concanavalin-A--Sepharose column following by electrofocusing. This purified preparation was active on the oligosaccharide containing one or two glucoses. Heat inactivation and inhibition by disaccharides was parallel for both activities. Inhibition of the glucosidase active on (Glc)3(Man)9(GlcNAC)2 was obtained with kojibiose which has an alpha 1-2 linkage, while the glucosidase acting on (Glc)1-2(Man)9-(GlcNAc)2 was inhibited by nigerose (alpha 1-3 linkage), maltose (alpha 1-4 linkage) and glucose at a higher concentration. None of the beta anomers inhibited. These results are consistent with an alpha configuration of the three glucoses of the dolichyl-diphosphate-linked oligosaccharide. Kojibiose was found to inhibit glucosidase action not only on the free oligosaccharide but also on protein-bound one.