Degradation of endogenous protein by rabbit pulmonary macrophages

Pulmonary macrophages were preincubated for 1 or 20 h with L-[U-14C]phenylalanine and the degradation of labeled proteins studied by reincubating these cells in the presence of 4 mM L-phenylalanine and measuring rates of [14C]phenylalanine released from the cells into the medium. We found that proteins prelabeled in 1 or 20 h were degraded 8.0 and 3.0%.h-1, respectively. Decreases in cell viability reduced the rate of protein degradation. Lack of exogenous glucose slowed the rate of degradation of proteins labeled in 1 h, but not of those labeled in 20 h. Varying amino acids in the medium from normal to 5 times normal rabbit plasma levels had no effect on the degradation of either group of proteins. Rates of degradation of both fast and slowly turning over proteins were inhibited during phagocytosis of polystyrene latex particles by about 62 and 33%, respectively. The time course of the changes in protein degradation suggests they are related to intracellular events in the phagocytic process, rather than particle attachment or uptake.