Cultured hepatocytes bind and internalize bovine serum amine oxidase-gold complexes

Cultured hepatocytes express binding sites for bovine serum amine oxidase on their membrane surfaces as evaluated at the electron microscopic level by using enzyme-gold complexes. Hepatocytes show binding sites as small clusters of gold granules, not bound in a specialized region of the plasma membrane. The binding competition of enzyme-gold ligand to cells was achieved by preincubation with uncoupled bovine serum amine oxidase. In addition, N-acetyl-galactosamine, N-acetyl-glucosamine and Mannose, at the final concentration of 80 mM, partially inhibit the binding.