Distinctive inhibition of the lysosomal targeting of lysozyme and cathepsin D by drugs affecting pH gradients and protein kinase C.

Morphological and biochemical evidence indicates that in several cell types, lysozyme is found in both lysosomes and the medium. Here we report that in calcitriol-treated human promonocytes U937, in which approx. two-thirds of the synthesized lysozyme is secreted, most of the intracellular lysozyme co-localizes with cathepsin D in lysosomal organelles. In the presence of NH4Cl the lysosomal targeting of procathepsin D, but not that of lysozyme, is inhibited. In the presence of 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (4 beta-PMA; 'TPA'), the lysosomal packaging of lysozyme is almost completely inhibited, while that of procathepsin D is only partially so. However, the inhibition of the lysosomal targeting of procathepsin D by NH4Cl and 4 beta-PMA is additive. The targeting of lysozyme is partially inhibited in the presence of R-59022, an inhibitor of diacylglycerol kinase, whereas it is not affected by 4 alpha-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, an isomer of 4 beta-PMA that does not activate protein kinase C. It is concluded that in U937 cells both carbohydrate-dependent and -independent recognition contributes to the lysosomal targeting of soluble proteins. We suggest that the carbohydrate-independent traffic of proteins to lysosomal compartments is controlled by a signalling pathway involving protein kinase C.