Cellular binding sites for insulin in rat liver.

A study of the sites of insulin binding in subcellular fractions of rat liver is reported. A method for the isolation of liver plasma membranes, which permits one to follow quantitatively the distribution of all the parameters of interest, was modified and applied to the study of the cellular topography of insulin binding. The insulin binding capacity did not follow closely the enzyme marker (5'-nucleotidase) for plasma membranes when differential centrifugation schemes were used, and the divergence from this marker was more prominent when separations were performed on discontinous sucrose gradients. A significant amount of insulin binding capacity was always present in fractions with higher density than those containing the majority of 5'-nycleotidase. Results of studies on linear sucrose gradients have disclosed in some of the purified membrane fractions small but consistent differences in density of the insulin binding, and plasma membrane particles. It is suggested that there may be several types of intracellular membranes to which insulin can bind besides the plasma membranes.