A CAVEOLAR COMPLEX BETWEEN THE CATIONIC AMINO-ACID TRANSPORTER-1 AND ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE MAY EXPLAIN THE ARGININE PARADOX

Citation
Kk. Mcdonald et al., A CAVEOLAR COMPLEX BETWEEN THE CATIONIC AMINO-ACID TRANSPORTER-1 AND ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE MAY EXPLAIN THE ARGININE PARADOX, The Journal of biological chemistry, 272(50), 1997, pp. 31213-31216
Citations number
51
ISSN journal
00219258
Volume
272
Issue
50
Year of publication
1997
Pages
31213 - 31216
Database
ISI
SICI code
0021-9258(1997)272:50<31213:ACCBTC>2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
Immunohistochemistry of porcine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PA EC) with antibodies specific for caveolin, endothelial nitric-oxide sy nthase (eNOS), and the arginine transporter (CAT1) demonstrates that a ll of these proteins co-localize in plasma membrane caveolae. When inc ubated with solubilized PAEC plasma membrane proteins, eNOS-specific a ntibody immunoprecipitates CAT1-mediated arginine transport. These res ults document the existence of a caveolar complex between CAT1 and eNO S in PAEC that provides a mechanism for the directed delivery of subst rate arginine to eNOS. Direct transfer of extracellular arginine to me mbrane-bound eNOS accounts for the ''arginine paradox'' and explains w hy caveolar localization of eNOS is required for optimal nitric oxide production by endothelial cells.