Redistribution of cell surface transferrin receptors prior to their concentration in coated pits as revealed by immunoferritin labels.

Immunocytochemistry has been used to study distribution of cell surface transferrin receptors in erythroid, leukemic (K562) cells. The cells were fixed and labelled with monoclonal (OKT-9) anti-transferrin receptor antibodies; the antibody-labelled receptors were then detected by either immunofluorescein- or immunoferritin-antimouse-antibody conjugates. Typically, the immunoferritin labels were distributed diffusely at the non-coated regions of the cell surface as well as concentrated in the clathrin-coated pits. To examine further this pattern of distribution, cells were labelled at 0 degrees C and then warmed to 37 degrees C for zero to 30 min prior to fixation. The majority of the immunoferritin labels were initially dispersed in small groups at the non-coated regions of the cell surface (mean = 6 immunoferritin labels/cluster), but larger groups were common subsequent to incubation at 37 degrees C (mean = 13 immunoferritin labels/cluster). However, the size of immunoferritin labels in the coated pits was unchanged (mean = 12 immunoferritin labels/pit). Immunoferritin labels were typical in coated and uncoated vesicles 1 min after warming to 37 degrees C, but common in endosomes, multivesicular bodies and lysosomes by 30 min. It appears that single cell-surface receptors form large aggregates prior to their concentration in coated pits. Coated vesicles, uncoated vesicles, and endosomal vacuoles may together form the non-lysosomal compartment where the internalized receptors might be dissociated from the ligands (antibodies).