Lipid bilayer dynamics in plasma and coated vesicle membranes from bovine adrenal cortex. Evidence of two types of coated vesicle involved in the LDL receptor traffic.

Pure coated vesicles have been prepared from the bovine adrenal cortex and two homogeneous populations have been separated, one of large diameter (100 nm) and one of small diameter (70 nm). The chemical composition in lipids and proteins of coated vesicles has been compared with that of partially purified plasma membranes and evidences a higher protein/lipid ratio and a higher concentration in phosphatidylethanolamine and unsaturated fatty acids. Evaluation of the lateral diffusion of pyrene in the lipid bilayer of coated vesicles as compared to uncoated vesicles evidences a slowing-down effect of clathrin. Measurements of lipids' rotational diffusion by time-resolved fluorescence indicate a decrease in the order parameter of the lipids in the coated vesicles due to clathrin. A hypothesis is proposed for a possible role of the clathrin coat in the concerted motion of lipids and proteins toward coated pits and in the mechanism of formation of coated vesicles. Separation of the large from the small coated vesicles made it possible to reveal different protein components in the two types of vesicle by electrophoresis and autoradiograms of the [gamma-32P]adenosine triphosphate- (ATP-) treated vesicles. Visualisation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor by ligand blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques indicates an increased low-density lipoprotein receptor binding capacity in small coated vesicles as compared to large ones and plasma membranes.