Uptake and subcellular distribution of injected transferrin in rat liver

Radioactively labelled transferrin was injected into rats intravenously and its uptake and subcellular distribution in the liver was investigated. The amount of radioactivity in the liver remained constant from 10 min after injection. It was not influenced by asialoglycoproteins. The radioactive label was identified as asialotransferrin. After subcellular fractionation by differential and zonal sucrose density-gradient centrifugation the label was enriched in a low-density endocytic compartment showing fluorescence quenching of acridine orange and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive ATPase activity. The data fit into a model of continuous transferrin-receptor-mediated recycling through the hepatocyte's endocytic compartment.     

Heterogeneous distribution of glutamine synthetase during rat liver development

Two days before birth, immunohistochemical detection of glutamine synthetase already reveals a heterogeneous distribution pattern related to the vascular architecture of the liver. Only a small number of hepatocytes in the vicinity of the efferent venules show relatively high staining intensity. Before that age, only megakaryocytes show intense staining, while liver parenchyma is only faintly stained. The developmental profile of glutamine synthetase activity shows two periods of increasing enzyme activity: one in the perinatal period and one in the second and third postnatal week. Both periods are correlated with high levels of circulating corticosteroid hormones. Although the relative number of intensely stained hepatocytes increases during the first rise in enzyme activity, the second rise is correlated with a decreasing number of glutamine synthetase-positive hepatocytes which, however, show a considerable increase in staining intensity. Carbamoylphosphate synthetase shows a homogeneous distribution pattern in the perinatal period. Conditions that lead during development to a relatively high level of glutamine synthetase expression in the pericentral compartment apparently originate before the appearance of conditions that lead to a relatively high level of carbamoylphosphate synthetase gene expression in the periportal compartment. Our results indicate that downstream localization of glutamine synthetase in liver acinus is essential from the perinatal period onwards, whereas reciprocal distribution of glutamine synthetase and carbamoylphosphate synthetase gene expression (that is found in adult rat liver) is not.     

The subcellular distribution and properties of aldehyde dehydrogenases in rat liver

1. Kinetic experiments suggested the possible existence of at least two different NAD(+)-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenases in rat liver. Distribution studies showed that one enzyme, designated enzyme I, was exclusively localized in the mitochondria and that another enzyme, designated enzyme II, was localized in both the mitochondria and the microsomal fraction. 2. A NADP(+)-dependent enzyme was also found in the mitochondria and the microsomal fraction and it is suggested that this enzyme is identical with enzyme II. 3. The K(m) for acetaldehyde was apparently less than 10mum for enzyme I and 0.9-1.7mm for enzyme II. The K(m) for NAD(+) was similar for both enzymes (20-30mum). The K(m) for NADP(+) was 2-3mm and for acetaldehyde 0.5-0.7mm for the NADP(+)-dependent activity. 4. The NAD(+)-dependent enzymes show pH optima between 9 and 10. The highest activity was found in pyrophosphate buffer for both enzymes. In phosphate buffer there was a striking difference in activity between the two enzymes. Compared with the activity in pyrophosphate buffer, the activity of enzyme II was uninfluenced, whereas the activity of enzyme I was very low. 5. The results are compared with those of earlier investigations on the distribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase and with the results from purified enzymes from different sources.     

The subcellular distribution of rat liver serine-pyruvate aminotransferase.

1. The subcellular distribution of L-serine-pyruvate aminotransferase activity in rat liver was investigated. About 80% was recovered from cell-free homogenates in a 'total-particles' fraction and the remainder in the cytosol. 2. Subfractionation of the particles by differential sedimentation and on sucrose density gradients showed a distribution for serine-pyruvate aminotransferase activity closely matching that observed for mitochondrial marker enzymes. 3. A study of the solubilization of enzymes from combined subcellular particles by digitonin at various concentrations also indicated a common subcellular location for serine-pyruvate aminotransferase and established mitochondrial enzymes. 4. The increase in liver serine-pyruvate amino-transferase activity induced by glucagon injection was accounted for as an increased mitochondrial activity.     

Effect of gold thioglucose on subcellular selenium distribution in rat liver and kidney

Biological Trace Element Research - Reported are the subcellular distributions of selenium (Se), gold, glutathione peroxidase, and enzyme markers for nuclei, mitochondria, lysosomes, and soluble...     

Effect of endogenous corticosterone on the determination of dexamethasone receptor levels in rat liver cytosol

The effect of endogenous corticosterone on the quantitative measurement of dexamethasone receptors in liver cytosols from developing rats has been studied. Liver cytosols from adrenalectomized rats were preincubated with increasing concentrations of nonlabeled corticosterone and the levels of detectable dexamethasone receptors were subsequently determined either directly or after removal of unbound corticosterone. Corticosterone concentrations of 50 nM or lower had no significant effect on the specific binding of labeled dexamethasone. Higher concentrations of corticosterone resulted in under-estimation of dexamethasone receptor levels. The mean levels of endogenous corticosterone in liver cytosols from 19.5- to 21.5- day fetuses, 22-day fetuses, 6-day-old immature rats and adult rats were 27.40, 11.91, 0.81 and 4.05 nM, respectively. It is concluded that variations in the levels of circulating corticosterone in the rat under normal physiological conditions have no significant effect on the quantitative measurement of total (occupied and unoccupied) receptor sites for dexamethasone in liver cytosol. This is supported by the finding that prior treatment of liver cytosols, from rats at different stages of development, with charcoal to remove unbound steroids has no effect on the amount of detectable dexamethasone receptors.     

The effect of thyroidectomy on the subcellular Mg distribution in rat liver

The subcellular distribution of Mg²⁺ in livers of normal and thyroparathyroidectomized rats has been studied. Significant increases in Mg²⁺ are found in the mitochondrial fractions of thyroparathyroidectomized rats accompanied by a decrease in the Ca²⁺ content. In the microsomal fractions no significant modifications of both ions were detected. Propylthiouracil administration reproduced the ionic alterations found after surgical thyroidectomy and a triiodothyronine replacement therapy to thyroidectomized rats resulted in a reversion of the Mg²⁺ content back to normal levels. The possible participation of the parathyroid in the above mentioned phenomena could be excluded in the present work.     

Thymidine kinase of rat liver. Activation by phospholipase C and subcellular distribution in the liver

1. The thymidine kinase activity of rat liver is greatly enhanced on addition of phospholipase C to the assay mixture. 2. Most of the thymidine kinase activity of the liver is recovered in the mitochondrial and in the impure ;nuclear' fractions. No activity was detected in purified nuclei prepared in high-density sucrose. 3. A substantial thymidine kinase activity could be detected, with the aid of phospholipase C, in all rat tissues examined.     

Differential association and distribution of acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterases within rat liver subcellular organelles

Rat liver cholinesterases were found to share properties and characteristics with those expressed in cholinergic tissues. The distribution and presence of different molecular forms of cholinesterases in different subcellular organelles of rat liver were studied. The rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus were enriched in the G4 molecular form of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (relative to the G2 molecular form), while the inverse was found in the plasma membrane. The interaction of these molecular forms of AChE with the Golgi membrane was studied in detail. Approximately one-half of the G4 form was free within the lumen while the remainder was an intrinsic membrane protein; all the G2 molecular form was anchored to the membrane via phosphatidylinositol. Only the G1 and G2 molecular forms of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) were found in the above subcellular organelles; both molecular forms were soluble within the lumen of Golgi vesicles. These results indicate that rat liver expresses several molecular forms of AChE which have multiple interactions with membranes and that liver is unlikely to be the source of the G4 form of BuChE present in high concentration in the plasma.     

Quantitative assay and subcellular distribution of enzymes acting on dolichyl phosphate in rat liver

To establish on a quantitative basis the subcellular distribution of the enzymes that glycosylate dolichyl phosphate in rat liver, preliminary kinetic studies on the transfer of mannose, glucose, and N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate from the respective (14)C- labeled nucleotide sugars to exogenous dolichyl phosphate were conducted in liver microsomes. Mannosyltransferase, glucosyltransferase, and, to a lesser extent, N- acetylglucosamine-phosphotransferase were found to be very unstable at 37 degrees C in the presence of Triton X-100, which was nevertheless required to disperse the membranes and the lipid acceptor in the aqueous reaction medium. The enzymes became fairly stable in the range of 10-17 degrees C and the reactions then proceeded at a constant velocity for at least 15 min. Conditions under which the reaction products are formed in amount proportional to that of microsomes added are described. For N- acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase it was necessary to supplement the incubation medium with microsomal lipids. Subsequently, liver homogenates were fractionated by differential centrifugation, and the microsome fraction, which contained the bulk of the enzymes glycosylating dolichyl phosphate, was analyzed by isopycnic centrifugation in a sucrose gradient without any previous treatment, or after addition of digitonin. The centrifugation behavior of these enzymes was compared to that of a number of reference enzymes for the endoplasmic reticulum, the golgi complex, the plasma membranes, and mitochondria. It was very simily to that of enzymes of the endoplasmic reticulum, especially glucose-6-phosphatase. Subcellular preparations enriched in golgi complex elements, plasma membranes, outer membranes of mitochondira, or mitoplasts showed for the transferases acting on dolichyl phosphate relative activities similar to that of glucose- 6-phosphatase. It is concluded that glycosylations of dolichyl phosphate into mannose, glucose, and N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate derivatives is restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum in liver cells, and that the enzymes involved are similarly active in the smooth and in the rough elements.     

Subcellular distribution of the mannan-binding protein and its endogenous inhibitors in rat liver

The subcellular distribution of the mannan-binding protein from rat liver, a lectin specific for mannose and N-acetylglucosamine, was studied. Approximately 75% of the binding activity of the homogenate was recovered in microsomes, approximately 76% of which was accounted for by rough microsomes. Rough microsomes had the highest specific activity of binding, followed by the Golgi apparatus and smooth microsomes, whereas plasma membranes, lysosomes, mitochondria, and the soluble fraction had little or no binding activity. A topographical survey indicated that the binding protein was localized exclusively on the cisternal surface of microsomal vesicles. Thus, the binding protein of microsomal vesicles was protected from protease digestion and was released from the vesicles by mild detergent treatment. Competitive inhibitors, which presumably represent endogenous ligands of the binding protein, were found among subcellular fractions. More than 50% of the inhibitory activity of the homogenate was recovered in rough microsomes, while the highest specific activity of inhibition was found in lysosomes. The K_i values estimated for rough microsomes and lysosomes were 25.9 and 8.67 μg/ml, respectively. The distribution profiles of inhibitors were correlated roughly with those of the binding protein, resulting in masking of the binding activity in organelles up to the level of 86%. On the basis of the known localization and topology of the binding protein and endogenous inhibitors (ligands), possible physiological functions of the binding protein relevant to the transport of biosynthetic intermediates of glycoproteins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus and from the Golgi apparatus to lysosomes were discussed.     

Methionyl aminopeptidase from rat liver: distribution of the membrane-bound subcellular enzyme

The selective distribution of methionyl aminopeptidase (MAP) among rat liver mitochondria (heavy and light) and microsomes is reported. Several properties of MAP from the three subcellular fractions showed that the enzyme is a typical aminopeptidase able to remove N-terminal methionine from oligopeptides and methionyl-2-naphthylamide but not from Met-Ala-Ser. MAP is a membrane-bound enzyme sensitive to SH-group oxidants and inhibitable by L-methionine but not by usual arylaminopeptidase inhibitors. It is suggested that, MAP may play an important role during protein synthesis in rat liver.Abbreviations AANA Aminoacyl-2-Naphthylamides (MetNA, AlaNA, etc...) - AApNA Aminoacyl-pNitroanilides (MetpNA, AlapNA, etc...) - AANH₂ L-Aminoacylamides (MetNH₂, AlaNH₂, etc...) - APase Acid Phosphatase - BSA Bovine Serum Albumin - DEAF Diethylaminoethyl - EDTA Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid - GDH Glutamate Dehydrogenase - MLBK Methionyl-Lysyl-Bradykinin (Met-Lys-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-Phe-Arg) - MAP Methionyl Aminopeptidase - pOHMB Sodium p-Hydroxymercuribenzoate - SDS Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate - SRA Specific Relative Activity     

Disialoganglioside GDla of rat brain subcellular particles during development.

The increase observed in the amount of the disialoganglioside GDlof the rat cerebrum during development between 21 and 81 days of age accounted for nearly 40% of the overall increase in total ganglioside in the tissue during the same period. Subcellular fractionation showed the microsomal fraction to contribute by far the most towards this increase in Cerebral ganglioside GDla. It is suggested that microsomal ganglioside GDla may serve as a marker for dendritic arborization in the rat cerebrum.     

Thymidine kinase in rat liver during development

1. The activity of thymidine kinase in rat liver supernatant decreased with development to a value in the adult that was 1% of that in the 17-day foetus. 2. The foetal enzyme was more stable than the adult to gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 at 0 degrees . 3. The greater stability of the foetal enzyme to incubation at 45 degrees was attributable to the presence of higher concentrations of nucleotides in foetal liver supernatant. 4. The K(m) values for foetal and adult enzymes were approx. 2.5mum- and 2.1mum-thymidine respectively. 5. The foetal enzyme was more sensitive to inhibition by thymidine triphosphate. 6. The decline in enzyme activity during the neonatal period was correlated with a shift in the enzyme properties from the foetal to the adult type, and may reflect the decrease in the proportion of haemopoietic tissue in the liver.     

A quantitative study of the subcellular distribution of aspartate aminotransferase isozymes in rat liver

• 1.1. Between 15 and 19% of the aspartate aminotransferase activity of rat liver is of cytosolic origin; the remainder is localised entirely in the mitochondria.
• 2.2. Mitochondria do not contain detectable levels of the cytosolic isozyme or vice versa.
• 3.3. In solutions of low ionic strength, damaged mitochondria release only small amounts of aspartate aminotransferase. but the enzyme is released quantitatively by exposure to high concentrations of salt.

     

Changes in subcellular distribution of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in regenerating and in developing rat liver

Distribution of the activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in homogenates of rat liver generating after partial hepatectomy and during development are reported. In the stages of rapid growth of liver remaining after partial hepatectomy, and increased activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in the supernatant fractions is accompanied by a decreased activity in the crude nuclear fractions. Prior to birth, in the liver of the developing rat, all activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase is in the supernatant fraction. After birth, activity in the crude nuclear fraction increases rapidly, reaching adult values by the end of weaning.     

Changes in the intracellular accumulation and distribution of metallothionein in rat liver and kidney during postnatal development

Metallothionein (MT) bound to zinc and copper was detected in high concentration in fetal and newborn rat livers by a cadmium saturation method. The levels of both hepatic zinc and MT remained high for the first 14 days after birth and decreased to adult levels by 24 days of age. There was a direct linear relationship between hepatic metallothionein and zinc concentrations during the first 31 days after birth. The ratio of MT to zinc levels also decreased with age suggesting a rapid degradation of MT during postnatal development. Immunohistochemical localization of MT by peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique, using a specific antibody to MT, showed intense intranuclear staining for MT in fetal and newborn rat liver which persisted until Day 9. The nuclear MT staining decreased with age; at 11 days it was equal both in nucleus and cytoplasm and at 14 days, MT was localized mainly in the cytoplasm, similar to adult rat liver pattern. The intranuclear localization of MT in neonates could be considered as a typical fetal-neonatal morphological pattern and its subsequent presence in the cytoplasm, an adult pattern.