Membrane transfer of alpha-tocopherol. Influence of soluble alpha-tocopherol-binding factors from the liver, lung, heart, and brain of the rat.

The pH of liver supernatant was lowered from 7.4 to 5.1, which removed 23% of the soluble protein and 97% of the lipid-soluble phosphate, increased the total ..cap alpha..-tocopherol transfer activity 1.3-fold and the specific activity of the transfer rate 1.6-fold. This transfer activity was proportional to time up to 4 min and to protein concentrations up to 0.1 mg/ml. Fractionation of the pH 5.1-treated liver supernatant by gel filtration produced a single peak of ..cap alpha..-tocopherol transfer activity of M/sub r/ = 34,000 and a single peak of ..cap alpha..-tocopherol-binding activity which was coincident with the transfer activity. The transfer rate of this peak of activity was 316 pmol/min/mg of protein, a 9-fold purification over the original untreated supernatant. This ..cap alpha..-tocopherol transfer rate was reduced by 83 and 96% following pronase digestion or heat treatment (80/sup 0/C) of the soluble fraction, respectively, while trypsin digestion reduced the transfer rate only 18% and phospholipase C digestion had no effect. Untreated liver supernatant possessed the peak of binding activity of M/sub r/ = 34,000 and a high molecular weight binding fraction that eluted at the void volume. Heart and brain supernatants also possessed an ..cap alpha..-tocopherol-binding fraction that eluted atmore » the void volume, while lung supernatant lacked binding activity.« less