Acyl-CoA-independent esterification of retinol bound to cellular retinol-binding protein (type II) by microsomes from rat small intestine

Cellular retinol-binding protein (type II) (CRBP(II)), a newly described retinol-binding protein, is present in the small intestinal absorptive cell at high levels. Retinol (vitamin A alcohol) presented as a complex with CRBP(II) was found here to be esterified by microsomal preparations from rat small intestinal mucosa. The esterification observed utilized an endogenous acyl donor(s) and produced retinyl esters containing linoleate, oleate, palmitate, and stearate in a proportion quite similar to that previously reported for retinyl esters in lymph and isolated chylomicrons of rat. No dependence on endogenous or exogenous acyl-CoA could be demonstrated. The apparent Km for retinol-CRBP(II) in the reaction with endogenous acyl donor was 2.4 × 10(-7) M. Retinol presented as a complex with CRBP(II) was esterified more than retinol presented as a complex with cellular retinol-binding protein or retinol-binding protein, two other proteins known to bind retinol in vivo, but about the same as retinol presented bound to bovine serum albumin or beta-lactoglobulin. The ability of protein-bound retinol to be esterified was related to accessibility of the hydroxyl group, as judged by the ability of alcohol dehydrogenase to oxidize the bound retinol. However, whereas retinol bound to CRBP(II) was unavailable for esterification in any acyl-CoA-dependent reaction, retinol bound to bovine serum albumin was rapidly esterified in a reaction utilizing exogenous acyl-CoA. The results suggest that one of the functions of CRBP(II) is to accept retinol after it is absorbed or generated from carotenes in the small intestine and present it to the appropriate esterifying enzyme.