Characteristics of iron release from isolated heavy and light endosomes.

1. Endosomes were isolated from K 562 cells after 3 min after the endocytosis of a single cohort of transferrin molecules. 2. The change in 125I/59Fe ratio of heavy and light endosomes, relative to that of the transferrin used and 59Fe from light endosomes. 3. Incubation of heavy and light endosomes with PBS or PIH showed equal ATP specific iron release from both heavy and light endosomes, but in the presence of a NADH/NAD+ redox couple iron release from light endosomes was reduced. 4. Incubation of heavy and light endosomes with PIH and NEM did not completely abolish ATP specific iron release from heavy and light endosomes.