Vitamin D-mediated alterations in the topography of intestinal brush border proteins: effect of papain on hydrolase release and calcium uptake.

The effect of vitamin D status on the topography of intestinal cell membranes was studied in isolated brush borders, as well as their purified membranes, by limited proteolysis. Addition of papain to brush borders isolated from vitamin D3-treated and deficient chicks resulted in a differential solubilization of leucine aminopeptidase, maltase, and sucrase activities (114, 195, and 79%, respectively, of appropriate control levels) but not alkaline phosphatase activity. In comparison, proteolysis of purified membranes exhibited vitamin D3- and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25(OH)2D3]-dependent differences in release of all four marker hydrolases monitored. Calcium uptake studies revealed that preincubation with papain yielded vesicles with a calcium content that was 125% of corresponding native vesicles, in preparations from vitamin D3-treated, as well as deficient birds. Membrane vesicles prepared from 1,25(OH)2D3-treated chicks initially accumulated calcium to a greater extent than those from rachitic birds, but thereafter exhibited a decline in calcium content to basal levels. Preincubation with papain, however, abolished this loss of calcium. The combined results indicate that vitamin D mediates alterations in brush border protein topography and raise the possibility that this action of the seco-steroid might be involved in calcium absorption. However, if vitamin D-stimulated calcium transport across the brush border is dependent on a protein carrier, the molecular entity is not sensitive to inactivation by papain.