Cultured Ito cells of rat liver express the alpha 2-macroglobulin gene.

Ito cells were isolated from rat liver and kept in culture for up to 13 days. The capability of the Ito cells to synthesize a2-macroglobulin was analyzed at different times after isolation and by pulse-chase experiments. Newly synthesized a2-macroglobulin was determined by immunoprecipitation followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate/ polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. a2-Macroglobulin synthesis was hardly detectable in Ito cells and their media 3 days after plating. However, 5 - 11 days after the isolation of the cells, increasing amounts of a2-macroglobulin were synthesized. The results of pulse-chase experiments performed on day 7 showed that radioactively labeled a2-macroglob…