Subcellular distribution and movement of 5'-nucleotidase in rat cells.

1. Cell-surface 5'-nucleotidase was assayed by incubating whole-cell suspensions with 5'[3H]-AMP in iso-osmotic buffer and measuring [3H]adenosine production. The activity of cell-surface 5'-nucleotidase in hepatocytes, adipocytes and lymphocytes isolated from the rat was 15.0, 0.5 and 0.8pmol/min per cell at 37 degrees C respectively. 2. Disruption of the cells by vigorous mechanical homogenization or detergent treatment exposed additional 5'-nucleotidase activity, which represented 52%, 25% and 21% of the total activity in the three cell types respectively. This increase in 5'-nucleotidase activity which occurred when the cells were homogenized was due to a second pool of 5'-nucleotidase within the cell, rather than activation of the cell-surface enzyme. 3. In hepatocytes the intracellular 5'-nucleotidase activity was membrane-bound, indistinguishable from cell-surface 5'-nucleotidase in its inhibition by rabbit anti-(rat liver 5'-nucleotidase) serum and its kinetics with AMP, and was located on the extracytoplasmic face of vesicles within the cell. 4. The cell-surface 5'-nucleotidase of rat hepatocytes was rapidly inhibited when rabbit anti-(rat liver 5'-nucleotidase) serum or concanavalin A was added to the medium at 37 degrees C. Incubation with antiserum for 5 min at 37 degrees C inhibited 83 +/- 3% of the cell-surface enzyme. 5. Incubation of hepatocytes with exogenous antiserum or concanavalin A for 30 min at 37 degrees C resulted in over 50% inhibition of the intracellular enzyme. This inhibition was not prevented by disruption of the cytoskeleton or by ATP depletion. 6. Incubation of hepatocytes with exogenous antiserum or concanavalin A for up to 2h at 0 degrees C caused little or no inhibition of the intracellular enzyme, but over 75% inhibition of the cell-surface enzyme. 7. When surface-inhibited hepatocytes were washed and resuspended in buffer at 37 degrees C, 5'-nucleotidase was observed to redistribute from the intracellular pool to the cell surface.