Evidence for a folic acid binding protein in human cell membrane

Cell membranes were prepared by sucrose discontinuous gradient from human liver and human peripheral leukocytes and erythrocytes and from circulating leukocytes from patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL) and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). The membrane preparations from liver and from leukemic leukocytes were shown to bind tritiated folic acid. The membranes from normal leukocytes and erythrocytes did not show this binding capacity. The membrane preparation from liver and CGL leukocytes showed two peaks of binding eluting with proteins from Sephadex G-200. However, protein extracts of these membrane preparations showed only a single peak for labelled folic acid, eluting near but just after albumin. The binding capacity of the membranes for folic acid was partially inhibited by reduced folate analogues. It is concluded that the liver plasma cell membrane and the membranes of myeloblasts in AML and circulating leukocytes in CGL contain a binding protein for folic acid which may be concerned in the transport of folates into these cells.