Identification of a hepatic plasma membrane glutathione S-transferase activated by N-ethylmaleimide.

Rat liver plasma membranes exhibit membrane-bound glutathione S-transferase activity. The specific activity in isolated canalicular membranes was 83 +/- 8 mU/mg protein and 50 +/- 3 mU/mg protein in the sinusoidal membranes. Whereas microsomal and outer mitochondrial glutathione S-transferases were stimulated seven and four-fold with N-ethylmaleimide, respectively, the plasma membrane activity was activated two-fold. Western blot analysis, using an antibody against the microsomal glutathione S-transferase, shows the presence of a 17 kDa protein in canalicular and sinusoidal membrane fractions. The antibody reaction was about three-fold higher in the canalicular compared to the sinusoidal membrane fraction. These data support the conclusion that the plasma membrane glutathione S-transferase is closely related to the microsomal and outer mitochondrial membrane enzyme.