Measurement of delta pH and membrane potential in secretory vesicles isolated from bovine pituitary intermediate lobe.

Pro-opiomelanocortin (ACTH/endorphin prohormone) is processed within the secretory vesicles of pituitary intermediate lobe cells to alpha-melanotropin and beta-endorphin. In order to learn more about the microenvironment in which processing occurs, a method was developed to purify large quantities of bovine intermediate lobe secretory vesicles (ILSV) using isoosmolar metrizamide-sucrose gradients. Analysis of alpha-melanotropin and marker enzymes revealed that the gradients provided a 94-fold purification of secretory vesicles with respect to lysosomes and a 15-fold purification with respect to mitochondria. Pro-opiomelanocortin-converting enzyme activity in the ILSVs was assayed and found to be maximally active around pH 5. From measuring the delta pH across the intact ILSV membrane using 9-aminoacridine fluorescence quenching, the internal pH of ILSVs was determined to be less than 5.6, consistent with the operating pH range of the converting enzyme activity. The pH gradient of the ILSVs collapsed in the presence of ammonium sulfate or by using a combination of nigericin and K+, when the external medium pH was 7. Using the voltage-sensitive dye, oxanol VI, Mg2+ ATP was shown to cause a marked change in the ILSV membrane potential with the inside being positive which was reversed by the proton ionophore carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone. Thus, the ILSVs appear to have a Mg2+ ATP-dependent electrogenic proton-translocating system.