Loading of lipophorin particles with phospholipids at the midgut of Rhodnius prolixus

32P-Labelled midguts (32P-midguts) of Rhodnius prolixus females were incubated in the presence of nonradioactive purified lipophorin and the release of radioactivity to the medium was analysed. The radioactivity found in the medium was associated with lipophorin phospholipids. When the 32P-midguts were incubated in the absence of lipophorin, no 32P-phospholipids were found in the medium. Comparative analysis by thin-layer chromatography of 32P-phospholipids derived from metabolically labelled 32P-midgut or lipophorin particles after incubation with 32P-midgut showed some differences, revealing a possible selectivity in the process of phospholipids transfer. The transfer of phospholipids to lipophorin was linear with time up to 45 min, was saturable with respect to the concentration of lipophorin, and was half-maximal at about 5 mg/ml. The binding of 32P-lipophorin to the midgut at 0 degrees C reached the equilibrium at about 1 h of incubation. The binding of 32P-lipophorin was inhibited by an excess of nonradioactive lipophorin, which suggests a specific receptor for lipophorin. The capacity of midguts and fat bodies to transfer phospholipids to lipophorin varied during the days following the meal. When lipophorin enzymatically depleted of phospholipids by treatment with phospholipase A2 was incubated with 32P-midguts, the same amount of phospholipids was transferred, indicating a net gain of phospholipids by the particle.