Cystine transport in purified rat liver lysosomes

Amino acid efflux from highly purified rat liver lysosomes exposed to the methyl ester derivatives of leucine, methionine, tyrosine and cystine was examined. The lysosomal efflux of leucine, methionine and tyrosine was unaffected by the presence of MgATP, whereas cystine efflux was stimulated by MgATP. Exposure of lysosomes to 2 mM-MgATP resulted in lysosomal acidification and a 0.5 pH unit increase in the lysosomal pH gradient through the action of a proton-pumping ATPase. Cystine efflux was also stimulated when the lysosomal proton gradient was increased through changes in buffer pH. Decreasing the lysosomal proton gradient with ionophores resulted in diminished cystine efflux. Bivalent cations had no effect on the lysosomal efflux of leucine, methionine and tyrosine. However, cystine efflux was stimulated by the presence of bivalent cations even when the lysosomal proton gradient was minimized. Cation-stimulated cystine efflux was inhibited by the presence of the calcium ionophore A23187, which altered the lysosomal membrane potential. Cystine efflux from lysosomes appears to be uniquely dependent on pH gradients and cation concentrations.