title: Adaptive regulation of ascorbate transport in osteoblastic cells.
abstract: Osteoblasts possess a concentrative L-ascorbate (vitamin C) uptake mechanism involving a Na(+)-dependent ascorbate transporter located in the plasma membrane. The transporter is specific for ascorbate and stereoselective for L-ascorbate over D-isoascorbate. The present study examined the effects of ascorbate supplementation and deprivation on the activity of this transport system. L-ascorbate transport activity was determined by measuring uptake of the vitamin by ROS 17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells during 1 minute incubations with 5 microM L-[14C]ascorbate. The initial rate of L-[14C]ascorbate uptake by ROS 17/2.8 cells grown for 18 h in L-ascorbate-replete medium was 89 +/- 8 nmol/g protein per minute. Following removal of L-ascorbate from the growth medium, the initial rate of uptake increased within 6 h to 126 +/- 13 nmol/g protein per minute. Conversely, the initial rate of uptake by cells grown in ascorbate-free medium decreased following the addition of L-ascorbate, but not D-isoascorbate, to the medium. The effect of ascorbate pretreatment was specific for ascorbate transport in that preincubation of cultures with L-ascorbate did not affect uptake of 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Kinetic analysis revealed that modulation of ascorbate transport arose from changes in the apparent maximum rate of transport (Vmax) without changes in the affinity of the transport system for L-ascorbate. These experiments are the first to show that ascorbate transport by osteoblastic cells responds to vitamin C deprivation and supplementation. Adaptation of transport activity to substrate availability may play an important role in the physiological regulation of intracellular ascorbate levels.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid