Active transport of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid in freshly prepared rat hepatocytes

The transport of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid in freshly prepared rat liver cells was saturable and exhibited a K_t of 13.9 × 10^?3M and a_max of 28.6 umoles/ml intracellular fluid/30 min. The system required the presence of sodium and was sensitive to ouabain. Anaerobiosis, 2,4-dinitrophenol and low temperature suppressed the uptake of the amino acid. Efflux studies also indicated that the majority of the intracellular amino acid was rapidly exchangeable and therefore probably present in the cell water in a free state. It is suggested that alpha-aminoisobutyric acid is transported into isolated rat hepatocytes by an active carrier system.