Transverse topology of glucose-6-phosphatase in rat hepatic endoplasmic reticulum.

Antibodies raised against purified components of glucose-6-phosphatase were used to study the transmembrane orientation of the complex. Measurements of glucose-6-phosphatase activities and immunoblot analysis of sealed microsomes and detergent-solubilized microsomes after treatment with proteases suggested that most of the catalytic subunit resides within the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. In contrast, other components of glucose-6-phosphatase are accessible to the cytoplasm. Treatment of the partially purified glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme with glycopeptide N-glycosidase indicated that the catalytic subunit of the enzyme was a glycoprotein.