A ubiquitous 64-kDa protein is a component of a chloride channel of plasma and intracellular membranes.

Chloride channels are present in the plasma and intracellular membranes of most cells. Previously, using the ligand indanyloxyacetic acid (IAA), we purified four major proteins from bovine kidney cortex membrane vesicles. These proteins gave rise to chloride channel activity when reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. Two of these proteins (97 and 27 kDa) were found to be drug-binding proteins by N-terminal sequence analysis. Antibodies raised to the 64-kDa protein stained only this protein on immunoblots, and only this protein was present after purification on an immunoaffinity column. In addition, these same antibodies were able to deplete IAA-94 inhibitable chloride channel activity from solubilized kidney membranes. Of fractions obtained from the gel filtration of solubilized kidney membranes, only those containing this 64-kDa protein exhibited measurable chloride channel activity. Immunoblots of a variety of species and cell types, both epithelial and nonepithelial, revealed that this protein is ubiquitous and highly conserved. Immunocytochemistry in CFPAC-1 cells revealed staining for this protein on the apical plasma membrane and in the membranes of intracellular organelles. These results demonstrate that the integral membrane protein p64 is a component of chloride channels present in both epithelial plasma membrane and the membranes of intracellular organelles.