The role of cytosolic proteins in the intracellular transport of haem in rat liver. A dual-label approach.

After consecutive injections of delta-amino[3H]- and -[14C]-laevulinic acid, the incorporation of the two labels into haem associated with different subfractions of the liver was determined. Marked differences in the 14C/3H ratios were observed between haem associated loosely and tightly with microsomes and mitochondria and haem associated with three subfractions of the cytosol obtained by gel filtration. The effect of changing the amounts of delta-aminolaevulinic acid injected and of changing the interval between injections and killing of the animal on the ratios of labels in the haem of each subfraction was studied. The results are discussed in terms of the flow of haem from the mitochondria to other parts of the cell via putative cytosolic carrier proteins.