Isolation and partial characterization of plasma membranes from the livers of control and Streptococcus pneumoniae-infected rats

Abstract

Plasma membranes were isolated from the livers of control and Streptococcus pneumoniae-infected rats. This work, therefore, represents the first isolation of plasma membranes from infected actron microscopy and by the use of enzyme markers for microsomes (glucose-6-phosphatase), mitochondria (glutamate and malate dehydrogenases), and lysosomes (acid phosphatase). Plasma membranes from infected cells banded at the same sucrose density as plasma membranes from uninfected cells. Moreover, equivalent amounts of plasma membranes could be isolated from control and infected rat livers. There were, however, significant alterations in the enzyme complement of the plasma membrane after infection. 5'-Nucleotidase activity was significantly decreased, whereas alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly increased. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that only the Vmax and not the Km of these two enzymes was changed, suggesting that the altered affinity of the enzymes for substrate was not the mechanism responsible for the observed alterations. No change in the mitochondrial enzyme markers was observed after infection, but the specific activity of microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase decreased significantly. Possible explanations for the observed alterations are discussed.