Post-translational suppression of expression of intestinal brush border enzymes by fructose

The two major dietary sugars, fructose and sucrose, were found to suppress effectively the biosynthetic renewal of brush border enzymes in the gut. When studied in cultured explants of pig small intestine mucosa, 10-50 mM concentrations of fructose completely prevented the expression of mature aminopeptidase N and severely reduced that of sucrase-isomaltase. The instantly occurring and reversible suppressive effect manifested itself as a leupeptin-sensitive degradation of newly synthesized brush border enzymes. The likely mechanism of action of the dietary sugar is by causing an abnormal cotranslational glycosylation that in turn triggers a rapid proteolytic breakdown. Our findings suggest that renewal of digestive brush border enzymes is transiently suppressed during intake of fructose- or sucrose-rich meals.