Kinetic analysis of transcellular passage of the cobalamin-transcobalamin complex in Caco-2 monolayers

Mol Biol Cell. 2019 Feb 15;30(4):467-477. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E18-09-0571. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Abstract

We suggest a novel kinetic approach to quantifying receptor-ligand interactions via the cellular transport and/or accumulation of the ligand. The system of cobalamin (Cbl, vitamin B12) transport was used as a model, because Cbl is an obligatory cofactor, taken up by animal cells with the help of a transport protein and a membrane receptor. Bovine transcobalamin (bTC) stimulated the cellular accumulation and transcytosis of radioactive [57Co]Cbl in polarized monolayers of Caco-2 cells. The bovine protein was much more efficient than human TC. The transport was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the unlabeled bTC-Cbl complex, the ligand-free bTC, and the receptor-associated protein (RAP). This inhibition pattern implied the presence of a megalin-like receptor. Quantitative assessment of kinetic records by the suggested method revealed the apparent concentration of receptors in vitro (≈15 nM), as well as the dissociation constants of bTC-Cbl ( Kd = 13 nM) and RAP ( Kd = 1.3 nM). The data were used to estimate the effective luminal concentrations of TC-specific receptors in kidneys (3.8 µM) and intestine (50 nM), the tissues resembling polarized Caco-2 cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Transport
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cattle
  • Cobalt Radioisotopes
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Ligands
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
  • Transcobalamins / metabolism*
  • Vitamin B 12 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cobalt Radioisotopes
  • Ligands
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Transcobalamins
  • Cobalt-57
  • Vitamin B 12