High affinity binding of 125I-angiotensin II to rat glomerular basement membranes.

125I-angiotensin II (AII) specifically bound to rat glomerular basement membrane (GBM). The kinetics of binding were similar to those obtained with the total glomeruli. The apparent dissociation constant was close to 50 pM with both preparations. The number of sites related to the amount of protein was two times greater with GBM than with total glomeruli. Since the amount of GBM protein extracted from a given amount of glomerular protein was about 10%, it was possible to estimate the share of the GBM binding sites for AII as representing 20% of the total number present in the entire glomerulus. Binding studies at equilibrium as a function of 125I-AII concentration and competitive binding experiments suggested either multiplicity of the binding sites or cooperativity in the binding reaction. Degradation of 125I-AII in the presence of GBM was slight and did not increase with time. The difference in the degrees of degradation of 125I-AII was too small to account for the observed difference in binding when the results obtained with GBM and isolated glomeruli preparations were compared. 125I-AII binding to GBM was increased after treatment of these membranes with collagenase, slightly diminished with neuraminidase, and almost completely abolished with trypsin suggesting the proteic nature of the receptor. 125I-AII binding to GBM was diminished after incubation of GBM with anti-GBM antibodies as a result of a decrease in the number of binding sites. 125I-AII binding was even more diminished in preparations of glomeruli isolated from rats passively immunized with anti-GBM antibodies when compared with glomeruli from control animals. This resulted from both smaller affinity for AII and decrease in the number of the binding sites. The present data provides evidence for specific binding sites for AII localized on GBM. This is noteworthy since receptors for polypeptide hormones are currently observed on the surface of cell membranes. These findings also suggest a new physiological role for AII which might involve modification of GBM permeability.