Thiol-proteindisulfide-oxidoreductase (proteindisulfide isomerase): a new plasma membrane constituent of mature human B lymphocytes.

The thiol-proteindisulfide-oxidoreductase (TPO, EC 1.8.4.2., proteindisulfide isomerase, EC 5.3.4.1.) is known as an cytoplasmatic enzyme, and is thought to be involved in the post-translational folding of disulfide containing proteins. Using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies the authors were able to prove that this enzyme or an unknown homologous protein is localized also to the plasma membrane of B lymphocytes. In peripheral blood from healthy donors 11% of the mononuclear cells (PBMNC) expressed this surface antigen whereas in PBMNC of patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia 76% of the MNC were positive. This value correlates well with the known B-cell markers CD19 and CD20. However, this antigen is different from all known clustered B-cell markers. Immunoprecipitation analysis of PHA-stimulated PBMNC and of cells from patients suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia revealed a membrane protein with the same molecular weight (61 kDa) as the TPO. These data suggest that this enzyme is present not only in the cytoplasm but also on the surface of B cells and that it is possibly involved in the regulation of the SH-SS status of the cell membrane proteins of B lymphocytes.