Synthesis and migration of proteins and glycoproteins in juxtaglomerular cells of sodium-deficient rats. An ultrastructural radioautographic study.

Sections of juxtaglomerular cells from sodium-deficient rats were subjected to radioautography after a single intravenous injection of L-tyrosine-3,5 3H or of L-fucose 3H to identify the sites of synthesis and to follow the migration of newly-formed proteins and glycoproteins. As early as 2 min after injection of L-tyrosine 3H, the label was highest in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), suggesting that cisternal ribosomes are sites of protein synthesis. By 60 min, much of the label had migrated from the RER to the Golgi complex. Some radioactivity was already present over specific granules by 2 min but a peak was reached at 4 h. The label over myofilaments was evident at all time intervals, indicating a certain incorporation of tyrosine into their contractile and/or structural proteins. The label over the cell surface peaked at 4 h. After injection of L-fucose 3H, there was an early and important relative specific radioactivity in the Golgi complex at 5 min with a peak at 20 min and a decrease thereafter. The label increased slightly but steadily in secretory granules and cell surface to reach maxima at 4 h. A low level of radioactivity was recorded in mitochondria at all time intervals. After injection of both fucose 3H and tyrosine 3H, the label was detected at relatively low levels in the cytosol. These results suggest that renin, as the major secretory glycoprotein of juxtaglomerular cells, is synthetized in the RER, packaged in the Golgi complex and found relatively rapidly in newly-formed secretory granules. Part of the fucose and tyrosine labels is also associated with the thick cell coat of these cells.