Receptor mediated and fluid phase pathways for internalization of the ER Hsp90 chaperone GRP94 in murine macrophages

Immunization of mice with GRP94, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Hsp90, elicits cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to chaperone-bound, source cell-derived peptides. Elicitation of a CTL response requires that GRP94-associated peptides be transferred onto major histocompatability complex (MHC) class I molecules, a process that is postulated to accompany GRP94 internalization by antigen presenting cells, such as macrophages (Mphi) and dendritic cells (DC). In studies of GRP94 uptake in elicited Mphi, we report that Mphi display specific cell surface binding of GRP94, and that surface-bound GRP94 can be internalized via receptor mediated endocytosis. GRP94 internalized by this pathway co-localized predominately with transferrin-positive early endosomes. At time periods of up to 20 minutes, little trafficking of GRP94 to the lysosomal compartment was observed. When GRP94 was present in the medium, and thus accessible to both receptor-mediated and fluid phase internalization pathways, internalization was modestly inhibited in the presence of yeast mannan, a competitive inhibitor of mannose/fucose receptor activity, and substantially inhibited by dimethylamiloride, an inhibitor of macropinocytosis. GRP94 internalized via macropinocytosis did not display prominent co-staining with the lysosomal marker LAMP-2. These data identify multiple pathways of GRP94 internalization and indicate that receptor-dependent uptake of GRP94 is not dependent upon its high mannose oligosaccharide moiety. Most significantly, these data demonstrate the existence of cell surface receptor(s), apparently unique to antigen presenting cells, that function in the binding and internalization of the ER chaperone GRP94.