Plasma membrane reregionalization in cultured mouse hepatocytes.

The cytochemical localization of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) activity and the autoradiographic distribution of glucagon receptors were examined in the plasma membrane of cultured mouse hepatocytes. After 24 hours of culture, ALPase activity was exclusively localized on the plasma membrane in areas of cell-cell contact, and glucagon receptors were more numerous in the plasma membrane at the periphery of re-formed cell trabeculae. These results indicate that plasma membrane regionalization of hepatocytes, lost by cell isolation, reappeared during culture. The cells maintained this plasma membrane regionalization until 48 hours of culture. By 72 hours of culture, however, ALPase activity was seen on the external surface of all regions of plasma membrane, and the glucagon receptors decreased markedly in number and became scattered in all regions of plasma membrane. Thus, the re-formed plasma membrane regionalization disappeared in the cells by 72 hours of culture.