Human plasma R-type vitamin B12-binding proteins. II. The role of transcobalamin I, transcobalamin III, and the normal granulocyte vitamin B12-binding protein in the plasma transport of vitamin B12.

The normal human granulocyte vitamin B12-binding protein, transcobalamin I, and transcobalamin III, have been labeled with 125I-labeled N-succinimidyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate and utilized for plasma clearance studies performed with rabbits. Both moieties of 125I-labeled granulocyte vitamin B12-binding protein-[57Co]vitamin B12 were cleared rapidly from the plasma (is less than 90% by 5 min) by the liver. After 30 min, the bulk of the 125I reappeared in the plasma in small molecular weight (less than 1000) form and was rapidly excreted in the urine. After 60 min the bulk of the [57Co]vitamin B12 reappeared in the plasma bound to rabbit transcobalamin II and was subsequently taken up by a variety of tissues. Approximately 15% of the 125I-labeled granulocyte vitamin B12-binding protein-[57Co-a1vitamin B12 was excreted intact into the bile during the period from 10 to 80 min after injection. The hepatic uptake of the protein-vitamin B12 complex was blocked by the prior injection of desialyzed fetuin but not by native fetuin. Similar results were obtained with 125I-labeled transcobalamin III-[57Co]vitamin B12. Approximately 90% of both moieties of 125I-labeled transcobalamin I-[57Co]vitamin B12 had prolonged plasma survivals similar to that of 125I-labeled bovine serum albumin. After treatment with neuraminadase, both moieties of the 125I-labeled transcobalamin I-[57Co]vitamin B12 complex were cleared rapidly from the plasma by the liver in a manner that was indistinguishable from that observed in the case of untreated granulocyte vitamin B12-binding protein and transcobalamin III. These observations indicate that desialyzed transcobalamin I and the native forms of the granulocyte vitamin B12-binding protein and transcobalamin III are cleared from plasma by the mechanism elucidated by Ashwell and Morell (Ashwell, G., and Morell A. G. (1974) Adv. Enzymol. 41, 99-128) that is capable of clearing a wide variety of asialoglycoproteins. These observations have implications concerning the function of the human R-type vitamin B12-binding proteins, the nature of the enterohepatic circulation of vitamin B12, the biological significance of the mechanism described by Ashwell and Morell, and the etiology of the increased plasma concentration of human R-type protein that occurs frequently in chronic myelogenous leukemia and occasionally in hepatocellular carcinoma and other solid tumors.