Characterization of glucagon receptors in Golgi fractions of fetal rat liver

The present study was designed to determine if Golgi fractions from fetal rat liver contain glucagon receptors and to characterize the properties of such receptors. Purification patterns of liver plasma membranes and Golgi fractions from fetal and adult rats were similar, as verified by morphological and biochemical approaches. Glucagon binding was greater in plasma membranes of adult than fetal rats, while in Golgi fractions glucagon binding was similar in both groups. The modifications in in glucagon binding reflect changes in glucagon receptors. Glucagon association and glucagon receptor inactivation by liver membranes were similar in the two groups of animals, while glucagon degradation was lower in fetal than in adult rats.     

Lipid Composition of Plasma Membranes and Endomembranes Prepared from Roots of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) : Effects of Salt

Membrane fractions enriched in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), tonoplast and Golgi membranes (TG) and plasma membranes (PM) were prepared from barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv CM 72) roots and the lipid compositions of the three fractions were analyzed and compared. Plants were grown in an aerated nutrient solution with or without 100 millimolar NaCl. Each membrane fraction had a characteristic lipid composition. The mole per cent of the individual phospholipids, glycolipids, and sterols in each fraction was not altered when roots were grown in 100 millimolar NaCl. The ER had the highest percentages of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine of the three fractions (7 and 45 mole per cent, respectively, of the total lipid). The TG contained the highest percentage of glycosylceramide (13 mole per cent). The PM had the highest percentage of phosphatidylserine (3 mole per cent) and nearly equal percentages of phosphatidylethanolamine (15 mole per cent and phosphatidylcholine (18 mole per cent). The most abundant sterols in membranes prepared from barley roots were stigmasterol (10 mole per cent), sitosterol (50 mole per cent), and 24ζ-methylcholesterol (40 mole per cent of the total sterol). Salt-treated plants contained a slightly higher percentage of stigmasterol than controls. The percentage of stigmasterol increased with age and a simple cause and effect relationship between salt treatment and sterol composition was not observed.     

Preparation of liver microsomes with high recovery of endoplasmic reticulum and a low grade of contamination

A modified procedure for preparing the microsomal fraction from rat liver was developed with the aim of increasing the recovery without increasing the degree of contamination. 87% of the membranes of the microsomal fraction isolated from the first mitochondrial (10 000 X g) supernatant originates from the endoplasmic reticulum, representing a 35% yield. By gentle resuspension of the 10 000 X g pellet followed by differential centrifugation a second crop of microsomes can be prepared which, together with the first crop, gives a 55% total recovery of microsomal markers. 87% of the protein in this second crop also originates from the endoplasmic reticulum and this fraction has properties similar to those of the first crop. Contaminating membranes include Golgi membranes (0.6% of the total protein), mitochondria (2.5%), lysosomes (5%) and plasma membranes (5%). Collecting further crops increases the contamination. Subfractionation studies revealed almost identical distributions of ribosome-rich, ribosome-poor and smooth membranes in the two crops of microsomal fractions. The results obtained after treatment of the animals with phenobarbital or methylcholantrene were similar to those obtained with control animals; but in the case of methylcholantrene treatment the second crop represents a larger portion of the total membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Isolation of plasma membranes and Golgi apparatus from a single chicken liver homogenate

Chicken liver plasma membranes, minimally contaminated with Golgi apparatus-derived vesicles, were prepared from a low-speed (400 g) pellet by means of flotation in isotonic Percoll solution, followed by a hypotonic wash and flotation in a discontinuous sucrose gradient. Based on the analysis of suitable marker enzymes, alkaline phosphatase and alkaline phosphodiesterase, two plasma membrane fractions were isolated with enrichments, depending on the equilibrium density and marker of 28-97 and with a total yield of 4-5%. Golgi apparatus fractions were prepared by flotation of microsomes, obtained from the same homogenate as the low-speed pellet, in a discontinuous sucrose gradient. The trans-Golgi marker galactosyltransferase was 27-fold enriched in a fraction of intermediate density (d=1.077-1.116 g/ml). Approximately 12% of galactosyltransferase was recovered in the membranes equilibrating d=1.031-1.148 g/ml. Contamination with plasma membrane fragments was low in the light (d=1.031-1.077 g/ml) and intermediate density Golgi vesicles. The isolation of purified plasma membranes and Golgi vesicles from one liver homogenate will enable future studies on receptor cycling between these cell organelles.     

B-type cytochromes in plasma membranes isolated from rat liver, in comparison with those of endomembranes

Fractions of plasma membranes, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and nuclear envelope were isolated from rat liver and were characterized by electron microsocpe and biochemical methods. The purity of the fractions was controlled by morphometry and by marker enzyme activities. Amounts of cytochromes b5, P-450, and P-420 were measured, as well as the NADPH- and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activities. The pigments of the microsomal electron transport system were found in all membrane fractions in relatively high amounts, thus excluding an origin by microsomal contamination. Purified preparations of plasma membrane and Golgi apparatus contained approximately 30% of the cytochrome b5 and cytochrome P-450 + P-420 found in ER membranes. Plasma membranes were also characterized by a high ratio of P-420/450. Degradation of cytochromes P-450 and P-420 was relatively rapid in all fractions, except in the ER. Cytochrome b5 extracted from plasma membranes was spectrophotometrically and enzymatically indistinguishable from ER cytochrome b5. However, immunnlogical characterization with rabbit antibodies against the trypsin-resistant core of microsomal cytochrome b5 showed the presence of at least two types of cytochrome b5 in ER membranes, in contrast to the plasma membranes in which only one of these components was detected. This immunological differentiation also demonstrates that the plasma membrane-bound cytochrome b5 is endogenous to this membrane and does not reflect contamination by ER elements. We conclude that cytochromes b5, P-450, and P-420 are not confined only to ER and nuclear membranes but also occur in signficant amounts in Golgi apparatus and plasma membranes. The findings are discussed in relation to observations of similar redox components in Golgi apparatus, secretory vesicles, and plasma membranes of other cells.     

Subcellular distribution of bile acids, bile salts, and taurocholate binding sites in rat liver

We have quantitated bile acids and their conjugates in rat liver using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Over 95% of the hepatic bile acid pool in rat liver homogenates is present as taurocholate and tauromuricholate. Although over 60% of the bile acid pool is recovered in the supernatant, evidence is presented suggesting that taurocholate redistributes among the subcellular fractions during their isolation. Taurocholate (TC) binding to purified subcellular fractions from rat liver was determined by using equilibrium dialysis in a TC concentration range from 0.1 to 100 microM. This is well below the critical micellar concentration of taurocholate (3 mM). All of the fractions investigated exhibited low-affinity binding with dissociation constants from 80 to 240 microM as did membrane lipid vesicles. Therefore, low-affinity binding appears referable to taurocholate nonspecifically partitioning into the lipid bilayer. High-affinity binding is present in plasma membranes, Golgi, and cell supernatant. The high-affinity binding sites in Golgi have a mean dissociation constant (A1) of 1.0 microM and bind 0.15 nmol of TC/mg of protein. Similarly, the high-affinity binding sites of plasma membrane have an A1 of 1.3 microM and bind 0.15 nmol of TC/mg of protein. For cell supernatant, the A1 was 4.8 microM, and 0.35 nmol of TC was bound per mg of protein. Mitochondria, smooth and rough microsomes, and Golgi liposomes showed no detectable amounts of high-affinity binding. These results are compatible with a role for the Golgi complex, cytoplasmic component(s), and plasma membranes in transhepatic bile acid transport.     

Characterization of glucagon receptors in Golgi fractions of rat liver: evidence for receptors that are uncoupled from adenylyl cyclase

Glucagon receptors have been identified and characterized in intermediate (Gi) and heavy (Gh) Golgi fractions from rat liver. At saturation, plasma membranes bound 3500 fmol of hormone/mg of membrane protein, while Gi and Gh bound 24 and 60 fmol of 125I-glucagon/mg of protein, respectively. Half-maximal saturation of binding to plasma membranes, Gi, and Gh occurred at approximately 4, 10, and 20 nM 125I-glucagon, respectively. Trichloroacetic acid precipitation of intact, but not degraded, glucagon was used to correct binding isotherms for hormone degradation. After such correction, half-maximal saturation of binding to plasma membranes, Gi, and Gh was observed in the presence of approximately 2, 7, and 14 nM hormone, respectively. After 90 min of dissociation in the absence of guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP), 86% of 125I-glucagon remained bound to plasma membranes, whereas only 42% remained bound to Golgi membranes. GTP significantly increased the fraction of 125I-glucagon released from plasma membranes but only slightly augmented the dissociation of hormone from Golgi fractions. 125I-Glucagon/receptor complexes solubilized from plasma membranes fractionated by gel filtration as high molecular weight (Kav = 0.16), GTP-sensitive complexes and lower molecular weight (Kav = 0.46), GTP-insensitive complexes. 125I-Glucagon complexes solubilized from Golgi membranes fractionated almost exclusively as the lower molecular weight species. The lower affinity of Golgi than plasma membrane receptors for hormone, the ability of glucagon to stimulate plasma membrane, but not Golgi membrane, adenylyl cyclase, and the near absence of high molecular weight, GTP-sensitive complexes in solubilized Golgi membranes demonstrate that plasma membrane contamination of Golgi fractions cannot account for the 125I-glucagon binding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Sphingomyelin synthesis in rat liver occurs predominantly at the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi apparatus

The intracellular site of sphingomyelin (SM) synthesis was examined in subcellular fractions from rat liver using a radioactive ceramide analog N-([1-14C]hexanoyl)-D-erythro-sphingosine. This lipid readily transferred from a complex with bovine serum albumin to liver fractions without disrupting the membranes, and was metabolized to radioactive SM. To prevent degradation of the newly synthesized SM to ceramide, all experiments were performed in the presence of EDTA to minimize neutral sphingomyelinase activity and at neutral pH to minimize acid sphingomyelinase activity. An intact Golgi apparatus fraction gave an 85-98-fold enrichment of SM synthesis and a 58-83-fold enrichment of galactosyltransferase activity. Controlled trypsin digestion demonstrated that SM synthesis was localized to the lumen of intact Golgi apparatus vesicles. Although small amounts of SM synthesis were detected in plasma membrane and rough microsome fractions, after accounting for contamination by Golgi apparatus membranes, their combined activity contributed less than 13% of the total SM synthesis in rat liver. Subfractions of the Golgi apparatus were obtained and characterized by immunoblotting and biochemical assays using cis/medial (mannosidase II) and trans (sialyltransferase and galactosyltransferase) Golgi apparatus markers. The specific activity of SM synthesis was highest in enriched cis and medial fractions but far lower in a trans fraction. We conclude that SM synthesis in rat liver occurs predominantly in the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi apparatus and not at the plasma membrane or endoplasmic reticulum as has been previously suggested.     

Intracellular localization of N-formyl chemotactic receptor and Mg dependent ATPase in human granulocytes

Human granulocytes were disrupted by nitrogen cavitation and the lysates fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation at 83 000 × g for 20 min (rate zonal) or 3.5 h (isopycnic). The distribution of marker enzymes allowed the identification of the following subcellular components: plasma membrane, Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, azurophil granules, specific granules, mitochondria and cytosol. Examination of the gradient fractions by electron microscopy confirmed the biochemical marker analysis. The protocol permitted isolation of vesicles highly enriched in either plasma membrane or Golgi (galactosyl transferase) activities. Absolute plasma membrane yields of 40–60% were achieved with a 20–70-fold increase in specific activity of surface marker over the cells. Plasma membrane sedimented to an average density of 1.14 g·cm⁻³. Galactosyl transferase activity was bimodal in distribution. The denser peak cosedimanted with specific granules (g9 = 1.19). The lighter peak sedimented to unique position at an average density of 1.11, was enriched 18-fold over the low speed supernatant, and contained structures resembling Golgi. N-Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe binding and Mg²⁺ -ATPase activities cosedimented with the plasma membrane as well as specific granule and/or high density galactosyl transferase fractions. These findings suggest that Mg²⁺ -ATPase and N-formyl chemotactic peptide receptor activities may be localized in an internal pool of membranes as well as in the plasma membrane and that Golgi may have been a contaminant of previous granulocyte plasma membrane or specific granule preparations.     

Intracellular localization of N-formyl chemotactic receptor and Mg2+ dependent ATPase in human granulocytes

Human granulocytes were disrupted by nitrogen cavitation and the lysates fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation at 83 000 × g for 20 min (rate zonal) or 3.5 h (isopycnic). The distribution of marker enzymes allowed the identification of the following subcellular components: plasma membrane, Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, azurophil granules, specific granules, mitochondria and cytosol. Examination of the gradient fractions by electron microscopy confirmed the biochemical marker analysis. The protocol permitted isolation of vesicles highly enriched in either plasma membrane or Golgi (galactosyl transferase) activities. Absolute plasma membrane yields of 40–60% were achieved with a 20–70-fold increase in specific activity of surface marker over the cells. Plasma membrane sedimented to an average density of 1.14 g·cm^?3. Galactosyl transferase activity was bimodal in distribution. The denser peak cosedimanted with specific granules (g9 = 1.19). The lighter peak sedimented to unique position at an average density of 1.11, was enriched 18-fold over the low speed supernatant, and contained structures resembling Golgi. N-Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe binding and Mg²⁺ -ATPase activities cosedimented with the plasma membrane as well as specific granule and/or high density galactosyl transferase fractions. These findings suggest that Mg²⁺ -ATPase and N-formyl chemotactic peptide receptor activities may be localized in an internal pool of membranes as well as in the plasma membrane and that Golgi may have been a contaminant of previous granulocyte plasma membrane or specific granule preparations.     

Presence of adenylate cyclase activity in Golgi and other fractions from rat liver. II. Cytochemical localization within Golgi and ER membranes

The presence of adenylate cyclase (AC) in liver Golgi and microsomal fractions from ethanol-treated rats was tested cytochemically using 5'- adenylyl imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP) lead phosphate method. Parallel biochemical assays showed that rat liver Golgi AC was only partially inhibited by lead: in the presence of 1 mM Pb++ 80% of the enzyme was preserved, while when 2 mM Pb++ was used 25% remained. No cAMP was formed when the AMP-PNP medium was incubated in the presence of 1 or 2 mM Pb++ but in the absence of cell fractions, indicating that at these concentrations Pb++ does not cause the nonenzymatic hydrolysis of AMP- PNP. Therefore, the reaction product observed by cytochemical localization is not due to the nonenzymatic hydrolysis of AMP-PNP by Pb++. In Golgi subfractions, lead phosphate reaction product was widely distributed among Golgi elements: it was seen in association with the majority of the very low density lipoprotein-filled secretory droplets which predominated in the two lightest Golgi fractions (GF1 and GF2) as well as within the majority of the cisternae found in the heaviest Golgi fraction (GF3). In the latter, reaction product was heaviest along the dilated peripheral rims of the cisternae. In all cases, the reaction product was localized to the outside or cytoplasmic face of the Golgi membranes. When microsomes were incubated cytochemically for AC, deposits were found on the cytoplasmic surface of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, but none were observed on rough ER membranes. The results confirm the biochemical data reported previously indicating the presence of AC in Golgi and smooth microsomal fractions from rat liver and further demonstrate that the activity is indeed indigenous to Golgi elements and not due to plasma membrane contaminants. They also indicate that AC is widely distributed among Golgi and smooth ER elements. Thus, AC is not restricted in its distribution to plasma membranes as usually assumed.     

Acute in vivo stimulation of low-Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity by insulin in rat-liver Golgi fractions

A low-Km phosphodiesterase activity, which is acutely stimulated by insulin in vivo, has been identified in plasma membranes and Golgi fractions prepared from rat liver homogenates in isotonic sucrose. Within seconds after insulin injection (25 micrograms/100 g body weight) cAMP phosphodiesterase activity increases by 30-60% in Golgi fractions and by 25% in plasma membranes; activity in crude particulate and microsomal fractions is unaffected. The increase in activity is short-lived in the light and intermediate Golgi fractions, but persists for at least 10 min in the heavy Golgi fraction. It precedes the translocation of insulin and insulin receptors to these fractions, which is maximal at 5 min. The doses of insulin required for half-maximal and maximal activation are, respectively, 7.5 micrograms/100 g and 25 micrograms/100 g body weight. Golgi-associated cAMP phosphodiesterase activity shows non-linear kinetics; a high-affinity component (Vmax, 13 pmol min-1 mg protein-1; Km, 0.35 microM) is detectable. Insulin treatment increases the Vmax 60-70%, but does not affect the Km. Unlike the low-Km cAMP phosphodiesterase associated with crude particulate fractions, the Golgi-associated activity is not easily extractable by solutions of low or high ionic strength. On analytical sucrose density gradients, low-Km cAMP phosphodiesterase associated with the total particulate fraction equilibrates at lower densities than endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomal markers, but at a higher densities than plasma membrane, Golgi markers and insulin receptors. Insulin treatment increases the specific activity of the enzyme by 20-60% at densities below 1.12 g cm-3, and by 20-40% in the density interval 1.23-1.25 g cm-3. Such treatment also causes a slight, but significant shift in the distribution of phosphodiesterase towards lower densities. It is suggested that Golgi elements or physically similar subcellular structures are a major site of localization of insulin-sensitive cAMP phosphodiesterase in rat liver. However, internalization of the insulin-receptor complex is probably not required for enzyme activation.     

Localization of fatty acid hydroperoxide cleavage activity in membranes of cucumber fruit

The subcellular localization of the fatty acid hydroperoxide cleavage enzyme from cucumber fruit has been studied. Activity from the flesh tissue has been located in 3 fractions; plasma and Golgi membranes and endoplasmic reticulum, at equilibrium densities on sucrose gradients of 1.17, 1.15 and 1.12 g/cm³ respectively. Enzymatic activity and electron microscopy studies were carried out to identify plasma and Golgi membranes. Little activity was associated with microbodies (1.23), plastids (1.21) and mitochondria (1:19 g/cm³). However, chloroplasts isolated from the peel of the cucumber fruit contained a large amount of hydroperoxide cleavage activity.     

Distribution of adenylate cyclase among membrane fractions of rat liver.

Adenylate cyclase activity was detected in plasma membranes, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum from rat liver. Adenylate cyclase activities of purified membranes were determined biochemically by two methods. In one, the synthesis of radioactive cyclic AMP from ATalpha32P was monitored. In the other, the synthesis of cyclic AMP was quantitiated using a protein which specifically binds cyclic AMP. The enzyme activity was responsive to activation by both glucagon and sodium fluoride although differences in degree of activation were noted comparing plasma membrane, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum. Cytochemical studies, using both whole tissue and purified cell fractions and conducted in parallel, confirmed the biochemical results. Deposition of lead phosphate, enhanced by glucagon and NaF with samples incubated with appropriate substrates, was not restricted to plasma membranes of hepatocytes but was present in intracellular membranes as well. Adenylate cyclase of rat hepatocytes appears more widely distributed among internal membranes than previously recognized.     

ON THE THICKNESS OF THE UNIT MEMBRANE

Peak-to-peak distances between two dense lines of the unit membranes of cell organelles were measured on electron micrographs. These distances were compared with corresponding measurements on the plasma membrane and assigned a percentage value. The comparison between organelle and plasma membrane was always carried out with the same negative, in order to exclude as far as possible errors due to differences in focus or other causes. It was revealed by this study that the membranous structures of the cell can be classified into two groups, one thicker and one thinner. Unit membranes of the thicker group (synaptic vesicles, vesicles and capsules of multivesicular bodies, Golgi vesicles) were not significantly different in thickness from the plasma membrane. Unit membranes of the thinner group (mitochondria, nuclear membranes, Golgi lamellae, endoplasmic reticulum), however, were between 85 and 90 per cent of the thickness of the plasma membrane.     

Presence of adenylate cyclase activity in Golgi and other fractions from rat liver. I. Biochemical determination

The distribution of adenylate cyclase (AC) in Golgi and other cell fractions from rat liver was studied using the Golgi isolation procedure of Ehrenreich et al. In liver homogenate the AC activity was found to decay with time, but addition of 1 mM EGTA reduced the rate of enzyme loss. The incorporation of 1 mM EGTA into the sucrose medium used in the initial two centrifugal steps of the Golgi isolation method stabilized the enzyme activity throughout the entire procedure and resulted in good enzyme recovery. In such preparations, AC activity was demonstrated to be associated not only with plasma membranes but also with Golgi membranes and smooth microsomal membranes as well. Furthermore, under the conditions used, enzyme activity was also associated with the 105,000 g x 90 min supernatant fraction. The specific activity of the liver homogenate was found to be 2.9 pmol-mg protein-1-min-1, the nonsedimentabel and microsomal activity was of the same order of magnitude, but the Golgi and plasma membrane activities were much higher. The specific activity of plasma membrane AC was 29 pmol-mg proten-1-min-1. The Golgi activity varied in the three fractions, with the highest activity (14 pmol) in GF1 lowest activity (1.8) in GF2, and intermediate activity (5.5) in GF3, when the Golgi activity was corrected for the presence of content protein, the activity in GF1 became much higher (9 x) than that of the plasma membrane while the activities in GF2 and GF3 were comparable to that of plasma membrane. In all locations studied, the AC was sensitive to NaF stimulation, especially the enzyme associated with Golgi membranes. The activities in plasma and microsomal membranes were stimulated by glucagon, whereas the Golgi and nonsedimentable AC were not.     

Fractionation of suspension cultures of wild carrot and kinetics of membrane labeling

Summary Wild carrot (Daucus carota L.) cells, grown in suspension culture, were labeled with radioactive precursors and fractionated into constituent membranes to be analyzed for specific radioactivity. Results show rapid incorporation of [³H] leucine into endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-, Golgi apparatus-, and plasma membrane/tonoplast-enriched fractions. The time lag between incorporation into ER and its appearance in Golgi apparatus or plasma membrane/tonoplast were less than 5 minutes. With an average time of 3–4 minutes for cisternal formation estimated from studies with monensin, and an average of 5 cisternae per dictyosome (total transit time of 15–20 minutes), it was not possible to account for early incorporation of radioactivity into plasma membranes by passage of proteins from ER to plasma membrane via the Golgi apparatus. To account for the findings, it would appear that at least some proteins were delivered to the plasma membrane via the first membranes that exited (i.e., mature face vesicles) from the Golgi apparatus post-pulse and that some of these proteins had been translated and inserted into membranes at or near the mature face of the Golgi apparatus.     

GOLGI FRACTIONS PREPARED FROM RAT LIVER HOMOGENATES : I. Isolation Procedure and Morphological Characterization

In devising a new procedure for the isolation of Golgi fractions from rat liver homogenates, we have taken advantage of the overloading with very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles that occurs in the Golgi elements of hepatocytes ~90 min after ethanol is administered (0.6 g/100 g body weight) by stomach tube to the animals. The VLDLs act as morphological markers as well as density modifiers of these elements. The starting preparation is a total microsomal fraction prepared from liver homogenized (1:5) in 0.25 M sucrose. This fraction is resuspended in 1.15 M sucrose and loaded at the bottom of a discontinuous sucrose density gradient. Centrifugation at ~13 x 10⁶ g·min yields by flotation three Golgi fractions of density >1.041 and <1.173. The light and intermediate fractions consist essentially of VLDL-loaded Golgi vacuoles and cisternae. Nearly empty, often collapsed, Golgi cisternae are the main component of the heavy fraction. A procedure which subjects the Golgi fractions to hypotonic shock and shearing in a French press at pH 8.5 allows the extraction of the content of the Golgi elements and the subsequent isolation of their membranes by differential centrifugation.     

Modulation of prolactin binding sites in vitro by membrane fluidizers. IV. Differential effects on plasma membrane and Golgi fractions of male prostate and female liver in the rat

In vitro treatment of crude particulate fractions of male rat ventral prostate and female rat liver with membrane fluidizers (aliphatic alcohols) has been previously reported by us to increase prolactin (PRL) receptor levels, presumably by unmasking cryptic prolactin receptors. The objective of this study was to determine if similar in vitro treatment of purified plasma membrane- and Golgi-rich fractions of male rat prostate and female rat liver with ethanol produced differential effects on prolactin binding in these two subcellular fractions. The degree of fluidization was monitored by a fluorescence polarization method using 1,6-diphenylhexatriene. 125I-PRL specific binding to Golgi-rich fractions of male ventral prostate and female liver was approximately 4-fold higher than that observed in plasma membrane-rich fractions. The microviscosity parameter, inversely related to lipid fluidity, was consistently lower in Golgi-rich fractions than that in plasma membrane-rich fractions in both prostate and liver. In vitro ethanol treatment of prostatic and hepatic plasma membrane fractions produced a dose-related increase and then decline in prolactin binding and a maximal (60-75%) increase in prolactin binding was observed at 4.8% and 2.0% ethanol in prostatic and hepatic membranes, respectively. This in vitro treatment also produced a significant increase in apparent lipid fluidity of plasma membrane-rich fractions of prostate gland and liver. However, similar in vitro ethanol treatment of Golgi fractions of both prostate gland and liver exhibited little increase in prolactin binding without changing microviscosity. Our observations are consistent with the direct relationship between membrane fluidity and prolactin receptor levels. The changes in prostatic and hepatic plasma membrane fractions following in vitro ethanol treatment suggest that prolactin receptors located on the plasma membranes may be modulated (via membrane lipid microviscosity changes) in vivo to a greater extent by various physiological agents than those located within the Golgi fraction.     

Isolation of plasma membranes from corn roots by sucrose density gradient centrifugation: an anomalous effect of ficoll

An investigation was conducted into the isolation of plasma membrane vesicles from primary roots of corn (Zea mays L., WF9 × M14) by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Identification of plasma membranes in cell fractions was by specific staining with the periodic-chromic-phosphotungstic acid procedure. Plasma membrane vesicles were rich in K⁺-stimulated ATPase activity at pH 6.5, and equilibrated in linear gradients of sucrose at a peak density of about 1.165 g/cc. It was necessary to remove mitochondria (equilibrium density of 1.18 g/cc) from the homogenate before density gradient centrifugation to minimize mitochondrial contamination of the plasma membrane fraction. Endoplasmic reticulum (NADH-cytochrome c reductase) and Golgi apparatus (latent IDPase) had equilibrium densities in sucrose of about 1.10 g/cc and 1.12 to 1.15 g/cc, respectively. A correlation (r = 0.975) was observed between K⁺-stimulated ATPase activity at pH 6.5 and the content of plasma membranes in various cell fractions. ATPase activity at pH 9 and cytochrome c oxidase activity were also correlated.