The localization in rat liver of alkaline phosphodiesterase to a discrete organelle implicated in ligand internalization.

The subcellular distribution of alkaline phosphodiesterase and NADH pyrophosphatase, two activities thought to be expressed by the same enzyme, was investigated. Although the two activities share a localization to a low-density vesicular membrane (equilibrium density = 1.12 g.cm-3), little NADH pyrophosphatase activity, in contrast to alkaline phosphodiesterase, was found in plasma membrane (equilibrium density = 1.18 g.cm-3), as reflected by the distribution of 5'nucleotidase. The binding and uptake of 125I-labelled insulin in perfused rat liver was also investigated. This ligand was found to bind to sinusoidal plasma membrane at 4 degrees C, but was rapidly internalized at 37 degrees C to the low-density membrane, which is rich in alkaline phosphodiesterase and NADH pyrophosphatase. These vesicular membranes were shown to belong to none of the enzymatically characterized subcellular bodies, and it is proposed that they represent discrete organelles participating in the subcellular processing of receptor-ligand complexes.