High affinity binding, endocytosis, and degradation of conformationally modified albumins. Potential role of gp30 and gp18 as novel scavenger receptors.

Scavenger receptors interact with a variety of modified proteins, mediate their endocytosis and degradation, and may play an important role in protein catabolism and pathogenic processes such as atherosclerosis, aging, and diabetes. Many scavenger receptors have been detected kinetically but few such binding proteins have actually been identified. Recently, we found that two membrane-associated proteins, gp30 and gp18, interact more avidly with albumins conformationally modified by chemical means or by surface adsorption to colloidal gold particles than with native albumin. In this study, we show that gp30 and gp18 behave similarly to other known scavenger receptors. Competition studies indicate a similar ligand binding profile to other known scavenger receptors. Polyanionic molecules (dextran sulfate, fucoidan, polyglutamic acid, polyinosinic acid, heparin) and modified albumins such as formaldehyde-treated or maleylated albumin (Mal-bovine serum albumin) competed with albumin conjugated to colloidal gold particles (A-Au) for the blotting of gp30 and gp18. A-Au and Mal-bovine serum albumin bound cultured endothelial cells with high affinity. Modified and native albumins were each internalized, but only modified albumins were then released degraded. Inhibition studies revealed that only the same molecules that were effective in blocking A-Au blotting of gp30 and gp18, also inhibited A-Au degradation. Addition of the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine resulted in more than 70% inhibition of degradation. Differential processing of A-Au by cultured smooth muscle and endothelial cells along with fibroblasts was observed in a manner consistent with gp30 and gp18 expression. Cumulatively, these results suggest that gp30 and gp18 may mediate the high affinity binding, endocytosis, and degradation of conformationally modified albumins but not native albumin.