Intestinal membrane calcium-binding protein. Vitamin D-dependent membrane component of the intestinal calcium transport mechanism.

A particulate fraction of rat intestinal mucosal homogenates, termed the "calcium-binding complex," contains three vitamin D-dependent activities: calcium binding of high affinity, calcium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase, and p-nitrophenylphosphatase. These particulate activities vary concordantly with intestinal calcium transport, suggesting that they represent membrane components of the translocation mechanism. The particulate was solubilized with 1-butanol and the activities were resolved partially by gel filtration and by DEAE-cellulose and spheroidal hydroxyl-apatite column chromatography. The Ca-binding activity was separated from the enzymes and isolated as a protein of molecular weight approximately 200,000, as estimated by gel filtration in 0.1% Triton X-100. The membrane protein, named IMCal (intestinal membrane calcium-binding protein), was dissociated with sodium dodecyl sulfate to yield a monomer of molecular weight 20,500 which is clearly distinguishable from the soluble calcium-binding protein (molecular weight 11,500) of rat mucosa. The apparent dissociation constants of Ca2+ of IMCal and of the soluble calcium-binding protein were estimated as 0.37 microM and 2.25 microM, respectively. The vitamin D-dependent activities of the calcium-binding complex are present in isolated intestinal microvillus membranes and may mediate the translocation of calcium from the intestinal lumen to the cytosol.