Renal plasma membrane receptors for certain modified serum albumins. Evidence for participation of a heparin receptor.

Binding of formaldehyde-treated (f-alb), reduced-carboxymethylated (ac-alb) or reduced-acetamidated (am-alb) bovine serum albumins to purified rat renal plasma membranes was studied. Radioiodinated f-alb or ac-alb bound to kidney membranes while am-alb neither bound significantly nor competed with f-alb binding to kidney membranes. The binding was specific, saturable and heat- and proteinase-sensitive. Competition studies showed that f-alb and ac-alb sites may be the same on these membranes. To determine the role played by charge in binding, competition experiments with polyanions were performed. Polyanions such as nucleic acid or glycosaminoglycans were effective competitors of f-alb binding to cell membranes. Heparin was especially inhibitory, being several-fold more so than chondroitin sulphate. Completely reduced and carboxymethylated albumin was a better competitor than its partially modified counterpart. Furthermore, f-alb was a significant competitor of [35S]heparin binding to kidney membranes. Also, partially purified heparin receptor demonstrated specific binding of 125I-f-alb. These data suggest that a heparin receptor is responsible for binding and internalization of intravenously injected f-alb. A Scatchard plot revealed two classes of receptors with dissociation constants of 3.2 X 10(-6) M and 4.7 X 10(-5) M.