Insulin binding and processing by H4IIEC3 hepatoma cells: ultrastructural and biochemical evidence for a unique route of internalization and processing.

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Biochemical and ultrastructural studies of insulin binding and cellular processing by cultured H4IIEC3 hepatoma cells were performed. Insulin binding and intracellular accumulation were rapid and after 30 min at 37 degrees C, 65% of the total cell-associated 125I-insulin was in an acid-stable compartment. Chloroquine had no significant effect on the amount of total cell-associated insulin or the percentage of insulin in the acid-stable compartment or cell-associated insulin degradation under those conditions, but after 60-min incubations, it slightly decreased the rate of dissociation of internalized hormone. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that monomeric ferritin-insulin (Fm-I) initially bound to single or paired receptors on microvilli. Within 5 min occupied insulin receptors microaggregated and migrated to the intervillous cell surface. During the next 5-10 min occupied receptors aggregated into large clusters on the plasma membrane. Large amounts of insulin were internalized by macropinocytosis and the majority of internalized Fm-I was found in phagosomes. Less than 10% of the membrane-bound insulin was associated with pinocytotic invaginations or coated pits and less than 5% of the total cell-associated insulin was found in lysosomes. Chloroquine had no detectable effect on the amount of Fm-I or its distribution among the intracellular organelles. These studies demonstrated that, compared to previous studies with rat adipocytes or 3T3-L1 adipocytes, insulin interalization and intracellular processing in this hepatoma cell were unique. These differences provide further evidence that insulin binding and processing may be controlled by cell-specific mechanisms and that substantial heterogeneity exists in pathways previously presumed to be similar for all cell types.