The folate receptor works in tandem with a probenecid-sensitive carrier in MA104 cells in vitro

Previous studies have defined a novel route of internalization for the essential vitamin 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in MA104 cells that begins with binding of the vitamin to the membrane receptor for folate. One of the critical steps in the pathway is the passage of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate through the membrane into the cytoplasm. Utilizing both probenecid and low temperature as selective inhibitors, we have successfully blocked transmembrane movement of the vitamin into the cytoplasm without affecting binding to the receptor or the internalization of the vitamin-receptor complex, which suggests that passage is through an anion carrier. This anion carrier, which mediates inward movement of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate after it dissociates from the receptor, also appears to mediate the efflux of folylmonoglutamate, but not folylpolyglutamate, when the concentration of the former in the cytoplasm is sufficiently high. Since we also found that the synthesis of folylpolyglutamates is regulated in these cells, most likely the intracellular concentration of the vitamin is controlled by regulating the flux of folylmonoglutamate through this carrier.