Protein-disulfide isomerase- and protein thiol-dependent dehydroascorbate reduction and ascorbate accumulation in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum.

The transport and intraluminal reduction of dehydroascorbate was investigated in microsomal vesicles from various tissues. The highest rates of transport and intraluminal isotope accumulation (using radiolabeled compound and a rapid filtration technique) were found in hepatic microsomes. These microsomes contain the highest amount of protein-disulfide isomerase, which is known to have a dehydroascorbate reductase activity. The steady-state level of intraluminal isotope accumulation was more than 2-fold higher in hepatic microsomes prepared from spontaneously diabetic BioBreeding/Worcester rats and was very low in fetal hepatic microsomes although the initial rate of transport was not changed. In these microsomes, the amount of protein-disulfide isomerase was similar, but the availability of protein thiols was different and correlated with dehydroascorbate uptake. The increased isotope accumulation was accompanied by a higher rate of dehydroascorbate reduction and increased protein thiol oxidation in microsomes from diabetic animals. The results suggest that both the activity of protein-disulfide isomerase and the availability of protein thiols as reducing equivalents can play a crucial role in the accumulation of ascorbate in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. These findings also support the fact that dehydroascorbate can act as an oxidant in the protein-disulfide isomerase-catalyzed protein disulfide formation.