Binding of calcium ions to the isolated asialo-glycoprotein receptor. Implications for receptor function in suspended hepatocytes.

The binding of calcium ions by the isolated asialoglycoprotein receptor of hepatocytes and the inter-relationship between the calcium ion concentration and receptor function have been studied. The isolated receptor binds calcium ions only in the presence of asialoglycoprotein. The asialo-glycoprotein receptor complex binds 4 calcium ions; the binding exhibits marked positive cooperativity, and the association constant at half-saturation of the binding sites was of the order of 10*5) M-1 as determined from a Hill plot. The isolated receptor was almost saturated at a calcium ion concentration of 0.1 mM. The binding capacity of isolated hepatocytes for asialo-glycoproteins increased, however, even when the calcium concentration was increased above this level. This may be explained by the exposure of increasing numbers of functional receptors on the surface of the cell with increasing membrane potential, and this explanation is supported by analogous observations in the presence of 5 mM La3+.