Biosynthesis of albumin via a precursor protein in Morris hepatoma 5123tc

The mechanism of albumin biosynthesis was studied in Morris hepatoma 5123tc in vivo and in hepatoma cell suspensions obtained by solubilizing the intercellular matrix with collagenase and hyaluronidase. In the in vivo experiments, L-[-14C]leucine was injected i.v. into rats bearing hepatomas in the muscles of both hind legs. After 14 min, tumors were removed and homogenized. A protein fraction quantitatively precipitable with antialbumin was isolated from the homogenate by acetone fractionation and precipitation with antiserum against serum albumin. This protein fraction was not homogeneous. With the use of 3 consecutive chromatographies on diethylaminoethyl cellulose, a very highly radioactive albumin-like protein could be separated from a large amount of only slightly radioactive albumin. In hepatoma cell suspensions incubated with L-[1-14C]leucine followed by a chase with excess nonradioactive L-leucine, radioactivity was incorporated first into the albumin-like protein and transferred thereafter into albumin, suggesting that albumin was synthesized via the albuminlike protein as precursor. In vivo, 1.8% of newly synthesized hepatoma protein was albumin or its precursor, compared with 1.2% in cell suspensions.