Rat epididymal luminal fluid acid beta-D-galactosidase optimally hydrolyses glycoprotein substrate at neutral pH

Several glycosidases, purified and characterized from mammalian tissues, have been shown to be optimally active under acidic conditions when p-nitrophenyl (PNP) or 4-methylumbelliferyl glycosides are used as substrates. Although high levels of the glycosidases are present in the epididymal lumen, their physiological role remains uncertain. To be functional, the glycosidases are expected to be enzymatically active at or near the physiological pH of luminal fluid. In this report, we demonstrate that the rat epididymal luminal fluid beta-D-galactosidase, optimally active toward PNP beta-D-galactoside at pH 3.5, shows maximum activity towards a glycoprotein substrate ([Gal-3H]fetuin) at neutral pH. Several lines of evidence, including immunoprecipitation studies using antibody to the acid beta-D-galactosidase, and substrate competition studies, indicate that PNP galactosidase and [3H]Gal galactosidase activities are caused by a single enzyme, and that the two substrates are probably cleaved by the same catalytic site(s). Competition studies with various disaccharides indicate that this enzyme is capable of cleaving a variety of galactose linkages found in both O- and N-linked oligosaccharides. Molecular-sieve column chromatography of the beta-D-galactosidase of luminal fluid under several conditions of buffer and pH show that, whereas the enzyme eluted as a tetramer (apparent M(r) 320,000) under acidic conditions (pH 3.5-4.3), only dimers and monomers (apparent M(r) 180,000 and 92,000 respectively) were observed in neutral conditions (pH 6.8). This aggregation/dissociation phenomenon is reversible. These studies indicate that beta-D-galactosidase is present in the luminal fluid in dissociated forms, and is therefore optimally active towards glycoprotein substrates at physiological pH. The potential role of the enzyme in modification of sperm surface glycoproteins is discussed.