Accumulation of Golgi-processed secretory proteins in an organelle of high density upon reduction of ATP concentration in rat hepatocytes.

We have previously shown that when rat hepatocytes are incubated with 4 mM azide, which reduces the intracellular ATP concentration to about 30% of its normal level, secretory proteins are reversibly arrested within the cell. Analysis of haptoglobin after 150 min of azide incubation shows that its carbohydrates have been processed by Golgi enzymes (Persson, R., Ahlström, E., and Fries, E. (1988) J. Cell Biol. 107, 2503-2510). Here, we have further characterized the site of arrest. Subcellular fractionation by density gradient centrifugation showed that albumin and haptoglobin fractionated like a marker for the endoplasmic reticulum. Localization of albumin by immunoelectron microscopy showed, however, that it occurred in flattened cisternae and that the endoplasmic reticulum was devoid of the protein. A possible explanation for these results is that the azide treatment blocks transport through the Golgi complex, leading to an accumulation of secretory proteins in a pre- or early Golgi compartment of high density. This compartment could contain sufficient amounts of Golgi enzymes to carry out the observed carbohydrate processing upon prolonged incubation or possibly acquire them as an effect of the azide treatment.