Tissue distribution and vitamin D dependence of IMCAL in the rat

Integral membrane calcium-binding protein (IMCAL) is a vitamin D-dependent integral membrane protein that binds calcium with relatively high affinity (J. Biol. Chem. 225: 10834-10840, 1980). Specific immunoassays for IMCAL utilizing rabbit polyclonal and mouse monoclonal antibodies were developed and applied to studies of its tissue distribution and regulation by vitamin D3 and dietary calcium in the rat. The results indicate that vitamin D-dependent, cross-reactive protein is present in small intestinal mucosa, cecal mucosa, bone, kidney, brain, testis, heart, lung, spleen, and skin. Rats maintained on a low- (0.02%) compared with & high- (2.0%) calcium diet had significantly higher content of IMCAL in duodenal mucosa, cecal mucosa, bone, kidney, brain, testis, and heart. Treatment of rats on the high-calcium diet with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 increased the IMCAL content of the duodenal mucosa, cecal mucosa, and kidney. The widespread tissue distribution of vitamin D-dependent IMCAL, its close correlation in intestinal mucosa with the calcium transport mechanism, and its occurrence in isolated preparations of enterocyte plasma membranes (microvillus and basolateral membranes) suggest that the protein is involved in the regulation of calcium flux in a number of cell types.