title: Determination of the intracellular distribution and pool sizes of apolipoprotein B in rabbit liver.
abstract: We have investigated the intracellular distribution of apolipoprotein B (apo B) in rabbit liver by immunoblotting, radioimmunoassay (r.i.a.) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (e.l.i.s.a.). Apo B100 was detected in total microsomes, rough microsomes, smooth microsomes, trans-enriched Golgi and cis-enriched Golgi and membrane and cisternal-content subfractions prepared from these fractions. There was also evidence of degradation of apo B100 in the Golgi membrane fractions. The amount of apo B in the subcellular fractions detected by competitive r.i.a. or e.l.i.s.a. ranged from 1.5 micrograms/mg of protein in the rough endoplasmic reticulum to 13 micrograms/mg of protein in the trans-Golgi fraction. Using internal standards (NADPH-cytochrome c reductase for the endoplasmic reticulum and galactosyltransferase for the Golgi membranes) it was calculated that all the apo B of liver is recovered within the secretory compartment, with 63% of the total apo B in the endoplasmic reticulum and the remainder in the Golgi. When the subcellular fractions were separated into membranes and cisternal contents, 60%, 50%, 60% and 30% of the total apo B was recovered in the membrane of the rough microsomes, smooth microsomes, cis-Golgi and trans-Golgi respectively. Using competitive e.l.i.s.a. we found that the membrane-bound form of the apo B was exposed at the cytosolic surface of the intact subcellular fractions. These observations are consistent with a model for assembly of very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) in which newly synthesized apo B is incorporated into a membrane-bound pool and a lumenal pool. The membrane-bound pool not used for VLDL assembly may be degraded, possibly in the Golgi region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, U.K.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Groot
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gherardi
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bowyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000378:metabolism*; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004705:Endocytosis; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL