Liver fatty acid binding protein is the mitosis-associated polypeptide target of a carcinogen in rat hepatocytes

Hepatocytes in normal rat liver were found previously to contain a cytoplasmic 14,000-dalton polypeptide (p14) that is associated with mitosis and is the principal early covalent target of activated metabolites of the carcinogen N-2-fluorenylacetamide (2-acetylaminofluorene). The level of immunohistochemically detected p14 was low when growth activity of hepatocytes was low, was markedly elevated during mitosis in normal and regenerating livers, but was very high throughout interphase during proliferation of hyperplastic and malignant hepatocytes induced in rat liver by a carcinogen (N-2-fluorenylacetamide or 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene). We report here that p14 is the liver fatty acid binding protein. The nucleotide sequence of p14 cDNA clones, isolated by screening a rat liver cDNA library in bacteriophage lambda gt11 using p14 antiserum, was completely identical to part of the sequence reported for liver fatty acid binding protein. Furthermore, the two proteins shared the following properties: size of mRNA, amino acid composition, molecular size according to NaDodSO4 gel electrophoresis, and electrophoretic mobilities in a Triton X-100/acetic acid/urea gel. Their pI values overlapped in 2-dimensional isoelectric focusing/NaDodSO4 gel electrophoresis and showed the same response to delipidation. Either polypeptide reacted with and blocked the antiserum raised against the other polypeptide. The two polypeptides bound oleic acid similarly. Finally, identical elevations of cytoplasmic immunostain were detected specifically in mitotic hepatocytes with either antiserum. The collected findings are suggestive that liver fatty acid binding protein may carry ligands that promote hepatocyte division and may transport certain activated chemical carcinogens.