Temperature dependence of endocytosis mediated by the asialoglycoprotein receptor in isolated rat hepatocytes. Evidence for two potentially rate-limiting steps.

The rate of endocytosis of cell surface-bound [3H]-asialo-orosomucoid was determined as a function of temperature. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were allowed to bind [3H]asialo-orosomucoid at 4 degrees C, washed to remove nonbound ligand, and internalization was then assessed by the resistance of cell-associated radioactivity to release by the Ca2+ chelator EDTA. At 10 degrees C or below, endocytosis is negligible. Above 10 degrees C, the rate of endocytosis is proportional to temperature but the increase of the rate of endocytosis with increasing temperature changes sharply at about 20 degrees C. From 10-20 degrees C, the apparent activation energy for endocytosis, calculated from an Arrhenius plot, is 45.9 kcal/mol and the temperature coefficient, Q10, is 15.6. However, between 20 and 41 degrees C, the calculated activation energy is 17.0 kcal/mol and the Q10 is 2.6. Although the rate of endocytosis of previously bound [3H]asialo-orosomucoid is very dependent on the temperature, the final extent of endocytosis is essentially temperature-independent between 14 and 37 degrees C. The results suggest that there are at least two steps in the overall process of endocytosis mediated by the asialoglycoprotein receptor on isolated hepatocytes which can be potentially rate-limiting, one at 10 degrees C and another at approximately 20 degrees C.