Stimulus-associated protein in gastric parietal cell detected using antimelittin antibody

The bee venom polypeptide melittin binds to and inhibits the gastric hydrogen-potassium-adenosinetriphosphatase (H⁺-K⁺-ATPase). A search for parietal cell proteins with a melittin-like structure was carried out. A 67- kDa (doublet) protein, which reacted with a polyclonal antimelittin antibody, was found in purified rabbit parietal cells. The protein exhibited reversible stimulus-dependent redistribution from cytosol to (total) membranes. It was also found to be associated with H⁺-K⁺-ATPase-containing membranes when isolated from the gastric mucosae of rabbits treated with histamine, but not with cimetidine. The presence of the protein correlated with the ability of the membrane preparations to exhibit ionophore-independent HCl accumulation, a characteristic of gastric membranes from histamine-stimulated animals. The 67-kDa melittin-like protein may play a role in the functional changes in the gastric parietal cell that are involved in stimulation of HCl secretion.