Defective cystine exodus from isolated lysosome-rich fractions of cystinotic leucocytes.

Exposure of intact leucocytes to 0.25 m~ ~-~~Scystine dimethyl ester resulted in intralysosomal ester hydrolysis and free cystine accumulation in the isolated lysosome-rich granular fractions of normal, heterozygous, and cystinotic cells. Loaded normal and cystinotic granular fractions were incubated in 0.25 m~ sucrose, 10 m~ 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-piperazineethanesulfonic acid, pH 7.0, at 37 “C under conditions in which lysosomal integrity, assessed by latency ofhexosaminidase, was substantially preserved. Serial aliquots were washed and treated with 10 m~ N-ethylmaleimide, and 35Scystine and 3SScysteine-N-ethyImaleimide were analyzed by high voltage electrophoresis. Half-times for 36Scystine loss from loaded cystinotic granular fractions (80.8 min f 10.7 S.E., N = 12) were much slower than normal (26.1 f 1.4, N = 13), with heterozygous intermediate (43.5 f 3.1, N = 8) (all p < 0.01). In contrast, for 35Scysteine disposal, mean cystinotic TIf2 was 18.3 min f 0.9, heterozygous 16.9 zk 0.5, and normal 14.1 * 0.7. The rate of disposal of t3H] tryptophan from cystinotic granular fractions loaded with ~-~Htryptophan methyl ester (mean TlIz = 28.9 min) did not differ from normal (mean TlIz = 25.6 min). Similarly, ~-[~I€Jmethionine exodus from cystinotic granular fractions (mean = 17.5 min) was indistinguishable from normal (mean Tr,z = 17.2 min). Loading with unlabeled cystine dimethyl ester and serial assay of granular fraction cystine verified that cystinotic granular fractions fail to dispose of cystine. Under appropriate conditions, loss of cystine from normal granular fractions was quantitatively accounted for by cystine recovered in the medium. We conclude that isolated cystinotic lysosomes demonstrate a pronounced, selective defect in the exodus of cystine, but not of the other amino acids examined.