Identification of a novel sodium-dependent fructose transport activity in the hepatopancreas of the Atlantic lobster Homarus americanus.

[(3)H]Fructose and [(3)H]glucose transport were determined in brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV), basolateral membrane vesicles (BLMV) and isolated cells (E, R, F, B) of H. americanus (Atlantic lobster) hepatopancreas. Glucose transport in BBMV was equilibrative in the absence of sodium and concentrative in the presence of sodium. Sodium-dependent glucose transport by BBMV was not inhibited by a tenfold molar excess of fructose. Glucose transport by BLMV was equilibrative and sodium independent. Fructose uptake by BBMV and BLMV was equilibrative in the absence of sodium and concentrative in the presence of sodium. This enhancement was not affected by a tenfold molar excess of glucose in the presence of sodium. E-, F- and B-cells showed sodium-dependent uptake of fructose, while R-cells did not. Sodium-dependent fructose uptake by E-cells was not inhibited by a tenfold molar excess of glucose or mannose. Western blot analysis of BBMV, BLMV and E-, R-, F- and B-cells using rabbit polyclonal antibodies directed against epitopes of mammalian GLUT2, GLUT5, SGLT1 and SGLT4 indicated the presence of cross-reacting lobster proteins. Sequence alignment of the mammalian proteins with translated, lobster expressed sequence tags also indicated significant identity between species. Comparison of fructose and glucose uptake in the absence and presence of sodium by BBMV, BLMV and isolated cells indicated the presence of a distinct sodium-dependent transport activity for each sugar in the Atlantic lobster.