Retinoid modulation of cell-free membrane transfer between endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus

Cell-free transfer of radiolabeled membrane proteins from part-rough, part-smooth transitional elements of the endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi apparatus immobilized to nitrocellulose in the presence of nucleoside triphosphate, an ATP-regenerating system and a cytosol fraction was promoted by retinol. At an optimum concentration of 1 microgram/ml, the rate and amount of transfer was approximately doubled over 1 to 2 h of incubation in the cell-free system. The transition vesicles induced to form in the cell-free system were concentrated by preparative free-flow electrophoresis in order to study separately the steps of vesicle formation from transitional endoplasmic reticulum and the steps of vesicle fusion with Golgi apparatus. The retinol effect was on vesicle formation as evidenced by an approx. 2-fold increase in transition vesicle numbers, as determined by electron microscope morphometry, and amount from protein determinations on the isolated fractions enriched in transition vesicles. The retinol response in the complete transfer could be eliminated by addition of concentrated cytosol, including cytosol depleted of retinol. An interaction of retinol with some component of the vesicle formation process, possibly involving guanine nucleotides, is indicated.