Folate transport by prawn hepatopancreas brush-border membrane vesicles

The transport system of folic acid (Pte-Glu) by brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) isolated from prawn (Penaeus japonicus) hepatopancreas, was studied by measuring the uptake of Pte-Glu. This uptake was found to have two components, intravesicular transport and membrane binding. Membrane binding was not affected by the presence of a transmembrane pH-gradient at a short incubation period. However, a transmembrane pH-gradient increased membrane binding at 60 min. The transport of Pte-Glu appeared to be carrier-mediated, was stimulated by an inwardly proton gradient (pH 5.5 outside, 7.4 inside) and was unaffected by a sodium-gradient. The relationship between pH gradient-driven Pte-Glu uptake and medium Pte-Glu concentration followed saturating Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Eadie-Hofstee representation of the pH gradient-driven Pte-Glu uptake indicated a single transport system with a Km of 0.37 microM and Vmax of 1.06 pmol/mg protein/15 s. These findings indicate that BBMV isolated from prawn hepatopancreas possesses a Pte-Glu transport system similar to that described in mammalian intestine.