Analysis of neutral amino acid transport systems in the small intestine: a study of brush border membrane vesicles.

Transport of L-proline, L-leucine and L-cysteine was studied in brush border membrane vesicles prepared from guinea pig ileum. Concentrative transport of L-proline, L-leucine and L-cysteine was obtained in the presence of an Na+ gradient from, outside to inside of the vesicles, which indicated contribution of either system A (alanine-preferring) or system ASC (alanine-, serine- and cysteine-preferring) to the transport. When Na+ was replaced by Li+, L-leucine and L-cysteine maintained the same concentrative transport. However, the concentrative transport of L-proline was markedly decreased by Li+ -for-Na+ substitution. Strong exchange properties of L-leucine transport via system L (leucine-preferring) was observed with brush border membrane vesicles, in which preloaded L-methionine could be exchanged with labeled L-leucine added outside the vesicles. These results suggest that the small intestine of the guinea pig possesses classical neutral amino acid transport systems such as systems A, ASC and L.