Isolation of basolateral and brush-border membranes from the rabbit kidney cortex. Vesicle integrity and membrane sidedness of the basolateral fraction

Temperature adaptation of biological membranes: differential homoeoviscous responses in brush-border and basolateral membranes of carp intestinal mucosa

The effects of temperature acclimation of carp upon the hydrocarbon order of intestinal membranes has been determined. A fractionation technique has been developed for the simultaneous purification of brush-border and basolateral membrane fractions from the intestinal mucosa. The specific activity of alkaline phosphatase in the brush-border fraction was enhanced 6.4-fold over that of the initial homogenate, whilst the (Na(+)-K+)-stimulated ATPase was enhanced 5.8-fold in the basolateral fraction. The specific activities of NADPH-cytochrome-c reductase, succinate-cytochrome-c reductase and acid phosphatase were not increased in these two fractions. Membrane hydrocarbon order in membranes from 10 and 30 degrees C-acclimated carp has been compared by measuring the steady-state fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene over a range of temperatures. In the brush-border fraction, polarization was identical in both cold- and warm-acclimated groups, whilst large differences were observed in the basolateral fraction sufficient to offset approx. 75% of the temperature-induced ordering effects of cold. The fatty acid composition of the major phosphoglyceride fractions in the brush-border fraction was also largely unaffected by thermal acclimation, whilst the basolateral fraction showed significant increases in the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the cold. It is concluded that whilst the basolateral membrane of intestinal mucosa displays a large homoeoviscous response that correlates with a shift in lipid composition, the brush-border membrane does not. These findings are consistent with evidence of functional adaptations of the basolateral membrane during thermal acclimation (Gibson, J.S., Ellory, J.C. and Cossins, A.R. (1985) J. Exp. Biol. 114, 355-364).

Water permeabilities and salt reflection coefficients of luminal, basolateral and intracellular membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit kidney proximal tubule

The mechanisms of water transport across the rabbit renal proximal convoluted tubule were approached by measuring osmotic permeabilities and solute reflection coefficients of the brush-border and the basolateral membranes. Plasma and intracellular membrane vesicles were isolated from rabbit renal cortex by centrifugation on a Percoll gradient. Three major turbidity bands were obtained: a fraction of purified basolateral membranes (BLMV), the two others being brush-border (BBMV) and endoplasmic reticulum (ERMV) membrane vesicles. The osmotic permeability (Pf) of the three types of vesicle was measured using stop-flow techniques and their geometry was determined by quasi-elastic light scattering. Pf was equal to 123 +/- 8 microns/s (n = 10) for BBMV, 166 +/- 10 microns/s (n = 10) for BLMV and 156 +/- 9 microns/s (n = 4) for ERMV (T = 26 degrees C). A transcellular water permeability, per unit of apical surface area, of 71 microns/s was calculated considering that the luminal and the basolateral membranes act as two conductances in series. This value is in close agreement, after appropriate normalizations, with previously reported transepithelial water permeabilities obtained using in vitro microperfusion techniques thus supporting the hypothesis of a predominantly transcellular route for water flow across rabbit proximal convoluted tubule. The addition of 0.4 mM HgCl2, a sulfhydryl reagent, decreased Pf about 60% in three types of membrane providing evidence for the existence of proteic pathways. NaCl and KCl reflection coefficients were measured and found to be close to one for plasma and intracellular membranes suggesting that the water channels are not shared by salts.

Characterization of sodium-dependent and sodium-independent nucleoside transport systems in rabbit brush-border and basolateral plasma-membrane vesicles from the renal outer cortex

The transport of uridine into rabbit renal outer-cortical brush-border and basolateral membrane vesicles was compared at 22 degrees C. Uridine was taken up into an osmotically active space in the absence of metabolism for both types of membrane vesicles. Uridine influx by brush-border membrane vesicles was stimulated by Na+, and in the presence of inwardly directed gradients of Na+ a transient overshoot phenomenon was observed, indicating active transport. Kinetic analysis of the saturable Na+-dependent component of uridine flux indicated that it was consistent with Michaelis-Menten kinetics (Km 12 +/- 3 microM, Vmax. 3.9 +/- 0.9 pmol/s per mg of protein). The sodium:uridine coupling stoichiometry was found to be consistent with 1:1 and involved the net transfer of positive charge. In contrast, uridine influx by basolateral membrane vesicles was not dependent on the cation present and was inhibited by nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR). NBMPR-sensitive uridine transport was saturable (Km 137 +/- 20 microM, Vmax. 5.2 +/- 0.6 pmol/s per mg of protein). Inhibition of uridine flux by NBMPR was associated with high-affinity binding of NBMPR to the basolateral membrane (Kd 0.74 +/- 0.46 nM). Binding of NBMPR to these sites was competitively blocked by adenosine and uridine. These results indicate that uridine crosses the brush-border surface of rabbit proximal renal tubule cells by Na+-dependent pathways, but permeates the basolateral surface by NBMPR-sensitive facilitated-diffusion carriers.

Selective membrane toxicity of aminoglycoside antibiotics in membrane vesicles isolated from proximal renal tubules of the rat

A considerable body of evidence suggests that the nephrotoxic potential of aminoglycoside antibiotics may be associated with the degree of membrane binding and subsequent membrane damage in the renal tubules. In this study, we isolated functional basolateral and luminal membrane vesicles from rat renal cortex, incubated each membrane type in the presence of 1 mM concentrations of either neomycin, netilmicin, gentamicin, hydroxygentamicin, or amikacin, and monitored the activities of the marker enzymes alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lambda-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (luminal) or ouabain-sensitive Na+,K+-ATPase (basolateral) to determine if there were any selective drug-related alterations of enzyme activities. While none of the five aminoglycosides had any substantive effect upon enzyme activities of luminal vesicles, all five drugs inhibited the basolateral marker enzyme. Neomycin produced the greatest inhibition, hydroxygentamicin and amikacin the least, and gentamicin and netilmicin were intermediate in the inhibition of the enzyme. These results are in accordance with the known relative nephrotoxicity of these same drugs and indicate the usefulness of isolated renal membrane vesicles for in vitro toxicological studies of novel aminoglycosides.

Reconstitution of an inwardly rectifying potassium channel from the basolateral membranes of Necturus enterocytes into planar lipid bilayers

Basolateral membrane vesicles from Necturus enterocytes, highly (greater than 20-fold) enriched in Na+,K+-ATPase, were reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers. The principal channel activity observed is selective for K+ over Na+ and Cl-. This K+ channel is blocked by Ba2+ and Leiurus quinquestriatus venom but is not affected by Ca2+ over the range of 10(-3) to less than 10(-7) M and is not inhibited by charybdotoxin. L. quinquestriatus venom also markedly reduces the conductance of the basolateral membrane of intact villus cells of Necturus small intestine. The open-time probability (Po) of the channel displays a voltage-dependence characteristic of an "inward rectifier"; i.e., the channel inactivates when the basolateral membrane is depolarized and Po increases with increasing hyperpolarization of that barrier. Assuming that similar properties prevail under physiological conditions, this characteristic could provide, in part, an explanation for the parallelism between Na+-pump and K+-leak activities of the basolateral membrane observed in this epithelium. Thus, an increase in rheogenic Na+-pump activity at the basolateral membrane would hyperpolarize that barrier and, in turn, increase the open time of this K+ channel.

Potential involvement of renal transport mechanisms in nephrotoxicity

Among the various physiological factors involved in the development of a nephrotoxic insult, certain renal transport systems may be important. The movement of exogenous organic anions and cations from the blood to the tubular fluid is well recognized. The anion transport system, which has been extensively characterized for the transport of p-aminohippuric acid, may have particular relevance. The nephrotoxic effect of citrinin, certain cephalosporin antibiotics and cysteine conjugates in rats and in isolated renal cells can be blocked by probenecid, a drug known to block the organic anion transporter competitively. The reduction in toxic response is correlated with the renal and cellular content of the nephrotoxic chemical.

Monoclonal antibodies as probes for the transmembrane structure of neutral endopeptidase 24.11 ('enkephalinase')

The neutral endopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.11) ('enkephalinase') is a membrane-bound metalloendopeptidase that is present in large amounts in the microvilli of the kidney proximal tubules. By immunizing mice with purified rabbit kidney brush-border membranes, we have obtained four different monoclonal antibodies that recognize this enzyme in dot-blot and Western-blot assays and can be used for immunoprecipitation of neutral endopeptidase from crude kidney solubilizates. One of these monoclonal antibodies (2B12) allows the labeling of proximal tubule cells with colloidal gold particles. This monoclonal antibody also binds to native brush-border membrane vesicles (which are mostly in the right-side-out configuration) and recognizes an epitope which is destroyed after reduction and alkylation of the protein. By contrast, all three other monoclonal antibodies (21G10, 23B11 and 22E2) compete for another epitope of neutral endopeptidase that is not exposed at the extracytoplasmic surface either in intact cells or in sealed brush-border vesicles. Permeabilization of the vesicles with digitonin, however, restores the full binding activity. Binding of these antibodies is not altered by prior reduction and alkylation of the protein. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that the 2B12 monoclonal antibody binds a conformational epitope located on the ectodomain of the enzyme, whereas the three others (21G10, 23B11 and 22E2) bind to a common or to overlapping epitopes located on the cytosolic domain. These results also demonstrate unambiguously the transmembrane nature of neutral endopeptidase.

Role of the sodium pump and the background K+ channel in passive K+(Rb+) uptake by isolated cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles

A simple procedure was developed for the isolation of a sarcolemma-enriched membrane preparation from homogenates of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) heart. Crude microsomes obtained by differential centrifugation were fractionated in Hypaque density gradients. The fraction enriched in surface membrane markers consisted of 87% tightly sealed vesicles. The uptake of 86Rb+ by the preparation was measured in the presence of an opposing K+ gradient using a rapid ion exchange technique. At low extravesicular Rb+ concentrations, at least 50% of the uptake was blocked by addition of 1 mM ouabain to the assay medium. Orthovanadate (50 microM), ADP (2.5 mM) or Mg (1 mM) were also partial inhibitors of Rb+ uptake under these conditions, and produced a complete block of Rb+ influx in the presence of 1 mM ouabain. When 86Rb+ was used as a tracer of extravesicular K+ (Rb+0 less than or equal to 40 microM, K+0 = 0.1-5 mM) a distinct uptake pathway emerged, as detected by its inhibition by 1 mM Ba2+ (K0.5 = 20 microM). At a constant internal K+ concentration (K+in = 50 mM), the magnitude of the Ba2+-sensitive K+ uptake was found to depend on K+0 in a manner that closely resembles the K+ concentration dependence of the background K+ conductance (IK1) observed electrophysiologically in intact cardiac cells. We conclude that K+ permeates passively this preparation through two distinct pathways, the sodium pump and a system identifiable as the background potassium channel.

Ouabain-insensitive active sodium transport in rat jejunum: evidence from ATPase activities, Na uptake by basolateral membrane vesicles and in vitro transintestinal transport

The basolateral membrane of the jejunal enterocyte of the rat was separated by self-orienting Percoll-gradient centrifugation and further purified from brush border contamination. Pellets were analysed for Mg-, Na- and (Na,K)-ATPase activities. The uptake of 0.02 M NaCl was also followed by the rapid micro-filtration technique. Transintestinal transport of fluid and electrolytes, and cell water, Na and K were determined in the in vitro everted and incubated jejunum. There is ouabain-insensitive Na-ATPase in addition to the well-known (Na,K)-ATPase in the basolateral membrane. These are differently inhibited by furosemide and ethacrynate. Na uptake by osmotically active basolateral membrane vesicles is enhanced by ATP and a further enhancement is obtained if there is intravesicular K. The ATP effect is inhibited differently by strophanthidin, furosemide and ethacrynate. In the everted sac preparation, transintestinal transport of Na and fluid still occurs when the Na/K pump is totally inhibited by ouabain. These experimental results suggest that there is also a ouabain-insensitive Na pump, different from the Na/K pump, in the basolateral membrane.

Renal tubular vasopressin receptors downregulated by dehydration

Receptors for arginine vasopressin (AVP) were characterized in tubular epithelial basolateral membranes (BL membranes) prepared from the kidneys of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Association of [3H]AVP was rapid, reversible, and specific. Saturation studies revealed a single class of saturable binding sites with a maximal binding (Bmax) of 184 +/- 15 fmol/mg protein and a KD of 0.61 +/- 0.04 nM. IC50S for AVP, lysine vasopressin, and oxytocin were 0.74 nM, 9.7 nM, and greater than 1 microM, respectively. The V2 receptor antagonist was more than 3,700 times as effective in displacing [3H]AVP than was the V1 antagonist. To investigate the physiological regulation of vasopressin receptors, the effects of elevated levels of circulating AVP on receptor characteristics were studied. Seventy-two-hour water deprivation significantly elevated plasma osmolality and caused an 11.5-fold increase in plasma [AVP]. Scatchard analysis revealed a 38% decrease in the number of AVP receptors on the BL membranes from dehydrated animals. The high-affinity binding sites on the BL membranes fit the pharmacological profile for adenylate cyclase-linked vasopressin receptors (V2), which mediate the antidiuretic action of the hormone. We conclude that physiologically elevated levels of AVP can downregulate vasopressin receptors in the kidney.

Characterization of adrenergic receptors on proximal tubular basolateral membranes

Alpha adrenergic receptors are identified on basolateral plasma membranes derived from proximal tubular epithelial cells. The density of alpha 2 receptors was over two-fold greater than alpha 1 receptors. The basolateral membranes were devoid of beta receptors. These results support previous demonstrations of alpha adrenergic receptors in rat renal cortex and concur with studies which suggest a limited presence of beta receptors on rat proximal tubules.

Evidence for imidazoline binding sites in basolateral membranes from rabbit kidney

[3H]-RX 781094 and [3H]-rauwolscine, two potent alpha 2-adrenergic antagonists, were used to characterize alpha 2 receptor in basolateral membranes from rabbit kidney. However, the following findings suggest that the imidazoline [3H]-RX 781094 binds to an heterogeneous population of binding sites: 1) dissociation plot was biphasic with a fast and slow component, 2) in saturation experiments, [3H]-RX 781094 labels 3.5 more binding sites than [3H]-rauwolscine (p less than 0.02), 3) competition studies showed that molecules with imidazoline structure completely inhibited the [3H] RX 781094 binding; in contrast, only 25% of binding was affected by non-imidazoline alpha 2 adrenergic compounds. These results suggest that in basolateral membranes from rabbit kidney, [3H] RX781094 labels alpha 2 adrenergic and non-adrenergic receptors which might be imidazoline-preferring binding sites.

Characterization of the reactions of platinum antitumor agents with biologic and nonbiologic sulfur-containing nucleophiles

Substitution reactions with biologic nucleophiles appear to govern the antitumor and toxic properties of platinum complexes. In this paper we have characterized the reactions of several platinum antitumor agents with sulfur-containing amino acids, peptides, proteins, and nonbiologic nucleophiles. The rate constants for the reactions of trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (trans-DDP), cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (DDP), diammine (1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II) (CBDCA) and cis-diisopropylamine-cis-dichloro-trans-dihydroxy platinum(IV) (CHIP) with cysteine (Cys), methionine (Met), and glutathione (GSH) were determined at 37 degrees. A reactivity ratio of 1:1.5:22:6500 was determined for the reaction of GSH with CHIP, CBDCA, DDP, and trans-DDP respectively. The rate constant for the binding of DDP to DNA, 7.4 X 10(-5) sec-1, decreased to 5.9 X 10(-5) sec-1 and 1.7 X 10(-5) sec-1 in the presence of 0.5 and 5 mM GSH respectively. The products formed in the reaction of GSH with trans-DDP, DDP, and CBDCA were also examined. Under conditions of high platinum concentration (2-3 mM), CBDCA and DDP form large molecular weight species with GSH as indicated by 1H-NMR and ultrafiltration experiments. The complex [Pt(GSH)2 X 3H2O]n was isolated from the reaction of 3 mM DDP with 6 mM GSH. The product formed in the reaction of 3 mM trans-DDP with 6 mM GSH was not macromolecular in nature, and 1H-NMR spectra revealed that platinum was bound to the Cys sulfhydryl group. Rate constants were determined for the reactions of these platinum complexes with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) and thiosulfate, two agents known to reduce platinum-mediated nephrotoxicity. DDTC, but not thiosulfate, was shown to rapidly chelate platinum from [Pt(GSH)2 X 3H2O]n. The effects of DDP, CBDCA, and CHIP on the sulfhydryl-dependent rat renal proximal tubule membrane enzymes alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and the Na+/K+- and Mg2+-adenosine-5'-triphosphatases (ATPases) were also investigated in vitro. The ability of platinum complexes to inhibit these enzymes parallels their reactivity with other nucleophiles. DDTC and thiourea were shown to restore activity to platinum-inhibited enzymes. Chloride ion was found to reduce platinum-mediated enzyme inhibition in an unpredictable manner, the greatest effect being observed with LAP and GGTP and the least with the ATPases. None of these renal enzymes was directly inhibited by DDP in vivo.

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide regulation of rabbit renal adenylate cyclase activity in vitro

1. The effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) upon adenylate cyclase activity was determined in purified cortical basolateral membranes and in glomeruli and tubular elements obtained from rabbit kidney. 2. In purified basolateral membranes prepared from cortex, 1 microM-VIP consistently stimulated adenylate cyclase activity above basal levels (1.55 +/- 0.09-fold (mean +/- S.E. of mean), n = 10 animals). Half-maximal stimulation was observed at 17 +/- 11 nM-VIP (S.D., n = 9). 3. Related peptides, e.g. secretin, glucagon, gastric inhibitory peptide, human pancreatic growth hormone releasing factor, and peptide having N-terminal histidine and C-terminal isoleucine amide (PHI), were without effect or gave lower stimulations of adenylate cyclase activity when tested at 1 microM. 4. Significant VIP degradation was observed under the assay conditions used but this did not substantially alter the response or selectivity to VIP. 5. In separate preparations of isolated glomeruli and proximal tubules addition of 1 microM-VIP resulted in a 3.3 +/- 1.1-fold (S.D., n = 3) and 2.2 +/- 1.0-fold (S.D., n = 3) stimulation (respectively) of adenylate cyclase activity. 6. In isolated medullary tubule suspensions, isolated by collagenase-hyaluronidase digestion of outer (red) medulla, and in thick ascending-limb-enriched preparations prepared by Percoll density gradient fractionation, 1 microM-VIP significantly increased adenylate cyclase activity by 2.4 +/- 0.6-fold (S.D., n = 3) and 2.1 +/- 0.7-fold (S.D., n = 3) respectively. 7. A possible role for VIP in the regulation of renal function in the rabbit is discussed in relation to the occurrence of VIP stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in several renal cellular elements.

Biochemical effects of gentamicin on rat kidney cortex. I. Analytical subfractionation of control tissue

As a first step in studies of the molecular mechanism(s) underlying gentamicin toxicity, rat kidney cortex has been subfractionated using differential centrifugation. An analytical, rather than preparative approach was used. DNA was used as a marker for the nuclei, cytochrome oxidase for mitochondria, acid phosphatase for lysosomes, catalase for peroxisomes, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase for the endoplasmic reticulum, p-nitrophenyl-alpha-mannosidase (at pH 5.5) for the Golgi apparatus, AMPase for the plasma membrane in general, and alkaline phosphatase for the brush border, and lactate dehydrogenase for the cytosol. In addition, electron microscopy was performed on the subfractions obtained. The distributions of subcellular markers obtained here for the rat kidney cortex closely resemble the corresponding distributions reported for rat liver. This procedure can now be used to look for biochemical and/or toxic changes which might be reflected in an altered distribution pattern for marker enzymes.

Sodium transport in basolateral membrane vesicles from rat enterocytes

Basolateral membranes purified from rat jejunal enterocytes and enriched 14 times in (Na, K)-ATPase, are present as unsealed and right side out (RSO) or inside out (IO) vesicles in the ratio 2:2:1, as determined by detergent activation of ATPase activity. Entrance of 1 mM Na into basolateral membrane vesicles was measured in the presence and in the absence of 5 mM ATP by a rapid filtration technique, under different experimental conditions. Carrier-mediated Na transport across the basolateral membrane can be trans-stimulated and cis-inhibited by K and further stimulated by ATP (activation of the Na pump). The ATP effect can be suppressed by vanadate and strophanthidin and enhanced by bleomycin (19% increase), which positively also acts on (Na, K)-ATPase activity (16% increase). In addition to the Na pump this study demonstrates the existence of a carrier-mediated Na transport trans-stimulated by K. There appears to be no cotransport of Na-K.

Uptake of aminoglycoside antibiotics into brush-border membrane vesicles and inhibition of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity of basolateral membrane

The effects of aminoglycoside antibiotics on plasma membranes were studied using rat renal basolateral and brush-border membrane vesicles. 3',4'-Dideoxykanamycin was bound to the basolateral membrane and brush-border membrane vesicles. They had a single class of binding sites with nearly the same constant, and the basolateral membrane vesicles had more binding sites than those of the brush-border membrane. Dideoxykanamycin B was transported into the intravesicular space of brush-border membrane vesicles, but not into that of basolateral membrane vesicles. The (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity of the plasma membrane fraction prepared from the kidney of rat administered with dideoxykanamycin B intravenously decreased significantly. Aminoglycoside antibiotics entrapped in the basolateral membrane vesicles inhibited (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity, but those added to the basolateral membrane vesicles externally failed to do so. The activity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was non-competitively inhibited by gentamicin. It is thus concluded that aminoglycoside antibiotics are taken up into the renal proximal tubular cells across the brush-border membrane and inhibit the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity of basolateral membrane. This inhibition may possibly disrupt the balance of cellular electrolytes, leading to a cellular dysfunction, and consequently to the development of aminoglycoside antibiotics' nephrotoxicity.

Inside-out basolateral plasma membrane vesicles from rat kidney proximal tubular cells

A method for preparation of highly purified basolateral plasma membranes from rat kidney proximal tubular cells is reported. These membranes were assayed for the presence of vesicles as well as for their orientation. (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity and [3H]ouabain binding studies with membranes treated with or without SDS revealed that the preparation consisted of almost 100% vesicles. The percentage of inside-out vesicles was found to be approx. 70%. This percentage was determined measuring the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity in K+-loaded vesicles and in membranes treated with or without trypsin and SDS. These membranes represent a very efficient tool to assay the correlation between active transport and ATPase activities in basolateral plasma membranes from rat kidney proximal tubular cells.

Biotin uptake mechanisms in brush-border and basolateral membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit kidney cortex

Biotin transport was studied using brush-border and basolateral membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit kidney cortex. An inwardly directed Na+ gradient stimulated biotin uptake into brush-border membrane vesicles and a transient accumulation of the anion against its concentration gradient was observed. In contrast, uptake of biotin by basolateral membrane vesicles was found to be Na+-gradient insensitive. Generation of a negative intravesicular potential by valinomycin-induced K+ diffusion potentials or by the presence of Na+ salts of anions of different permeabilities enhanced biotin uptake by brush-border membrane vesicles, suggesting an electrogenic mechanism. The Na+ gradient-dependent uptake of biotin into brush-border membrane vesicles was saturable with an apparent Km of 28 microM. The Na+-dependent uptake of tracer biotin was significantly inhibited by 50 microM biotin, and thioctic acid but not by 50 microM L-lactate, D-glucose, or succinate. Finally, the existence in both types of membrane vesicles of a H+/biotin- cotransport system could not be demonstrated. These results are consistent with a model for biotin reabsorption in which the Na+/biotin- cotransporter in luminal membranes provides the driving force for uphill transport of this vitamin.

Biosynthesis of intestinal microvillar proteins. Evidence for an intracellular sorting taking place in, or shortly after, exit from the Golgi complex

Pig small intestinal mucosal explants, labelled with [35S]-methionine, were fractionated into Mg2+-precipitated (intracellular and basolateral) and microvillar membranes, and the orientation of newly synthesized aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) in vesicles from the two fractions was studied by its accessibility to proteolytic cleavage. The mature polypeptide of Mr 166 000 from the latter fraction was cleaved by trypsin, proteinase K and papain, consistent with an extracellular location of the enzyme at its site of function. In contrast, both the mature form and the transient form of Mr 140 000 from the Mg2+-precipitated fraction were equally well protected from proteolytic cleavage (in the absence of Triton X-100). This indicates that the basolateral plasma membrane is unlikely to be involved in the post-Golgi transport of newly synthesized aminopeptidase N and suggests instead a direct delivery of the enzyme to the apical plasma membrane. A crude membrane preparation from labelled explants was used in immunoelectrophoretic purification of membranes to determine at what stage during intracellular transport newly synthesized microvillar enzymes are sorted, i.e., accumulated in areas of the membrane from where other proteins are excluded. The transient form of aminopeptidase N was only moderately enriched by immunopurification, using antibodies against different microvillar enzymes, but the mature form was enriched approximately 30-fold from explants, labelled for 30 min. This suggests that for microvillar enzymes, the aspects of sorting studied take place in, or shortly after exit from, the Golgi complex.

Renal cortical brush-border and basolateral membranes: cholesterol and phospholipid composition and relative turnover

A new procedure for the rapid isolation of renal cortical brush-border and basolateral membranes from the same homogenate is described. Brush-border membranes isolated using Mg2+-EGTA precipitation were enriched 18-fold for leucine aminopeptidase and had a recovery of 32.5%. Basolateral membrane fractions were isolated using a discontinuous sucrose gradient and showed an enrichment of 10.7-fold and recovery of 12.8% using (Na+,K+)-ATPase as a marker enzyme. Lipid analysis using two-dimensional TLC separation of phospholipids and gas liquid chromatography for cholesterol showed marked differences in the lipid composition of the brush-border and basolateral membranes. The brush-border membrane had increased sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine, ethanolamine plasmalogens, and an increased cholesterol-to-phospholipid and sphingomyelin-to-phosphatidylcholine ratio compared to the basolateral membrane. The relative turnover of total membrane and individual phospholipid species using a double isotope ratio method was carried out. Phospholipids were labeled with either phosphorus 32 and 33 or acetate (3H, 1-14C). The relative turnover of phospholipid species and cholesterol differed strikingly. Phosphatidylcholine showed a high turnover, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol had intermediate values and sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine and cholesterol had low relative turnover rates. The order of phospholipid class relative turnover was independent of the labeled precursor used. The brush-border membrane had a significantly reduced relative turnover rate for total membrane phospholipids, sphingomyelin and cholesterol compared to the basolateral membrane. These data show marked differences in the lipid composition and relative turnover rates of the phospholipid species of the brush-border and basolateral membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody specific for the 94,000 dalton enkephalin-degrading peptidase from rabbit kidney brush border

We have prepared a monoclonal antibody specific for a major 94,000 dalton protein from the brush border membrane of rabbit kidney cortex. The monoclonal antibody was used for the immunoaffinity purification of this protein after solubilization of brush border membranes with octylglucoside. The 94,000 dalton protein is a peptidase capable of cleaving the Gly3-Phe4 bond of methionine-enkephalin. Identification of this peptidase as a previously described 94,000 dalton enkephalinase of kidney cortex was confirmed by its sensitivity to EDTA and inhibitors such as thiorphan and phosphoramidon.

The basolateral membrane of rat enterocyte: its purification from brush border contamination

Basolateral membranes obtained by self-orienting Percoll-gradient centrifugation were treated with 5 mM CaCl2 to minimize the cross-contamination by brush border membranes. From marker enzyme-specific activities it was calculated that in this preparation the basolateral/brush border membrane ratio was 22.6. A low L-glucose permeability across basolateral membrane vesicles together with ATP-dependent sodium uptake was observed.

Prostaglandin E2 transport in rabbit renal basolateral membrane vesicles

We examined the mechanism of prostaglandin E2 transport in rabbit renal basolateral membrane vesicles which were predominantly oriented right-side-out. In the presence of an inwardly directed H+ gradient, the initial rate of uptake was markedly accelerated and the influx of prostaglandin E2 resulted in a transient accumulation (overshoot) above the equilibrium value. Both H+-independent and H+-stimulated prostaglandin E2 uptake were shown to be insensitive to valinomycin-induced K+ diffusion potentials. Intravesicular probenecid inhibited the pH gradient-stimulated uptake of prostaglandin E2 but did not affect the pH-stimulated uptake of thiocyanate and acetate which enter membranes via ionic and nonionic diffusion, respectively. Finally, the existence of a Na+ cotransport or of a K+ antiport pathway for prostaglandin E2 could not be demonstrated. Thus, these data demonstrate the presence of an electrically neutral H+-prostaglandin E2 cotransport or OH- -prostaglandin E2 antiport mechanism in the basolateral membrane of the rabbit proximal tubule.