Biochemical characterization of [3H]tryptamine binding sites from rat brain.

Rat brain membranes were treated with different protein modifying reagents, all of which were able to reduce [3H]tryptamine binding. However, inactivation by N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide only was counteracted by coincubation with tryptamine. Thus, the [3H]tryptamine binding molecule is a membrane protein with an essential sulfhydryl group at the binding site. After incubation of digitonin-solubilized membranes with seven different lectins, no precipitation of [3H]tryptamine binding sites was observed. On concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography, no [3H]tryptamine binding activity was found to be specifically bound. Therefore, the [3H]tryptamine binding protein appears to be devoid of lectin binding carbohydrate residues.