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Abstract

Peptide transport in purified rabbit intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles has been studied using a potential-sensitive fluorescent dye, di-S-C₃(5). Transport of dipeptides is accompanied by an increase in the fluorescence of the dye in the presence and absence of Na⁺, indicating electrogenic, Na⁺-independent peptide transport. Dipeptides containing d-amino acids also increase the fluorescence, showing that these peptides too possess significant affinity for the peptide transport system. β-Alanylglycylglycine and prolylglycylglycine, very much like the dipeptides, increase the fluorescence even in the absence of Na⁺ which demonstrates the Na⁺-independent, electrogenic transport of tripeptides. However, concentrations needed for half-maximal fluorescence changes are higher for tripeptides than for dipeptides suggesting different affinities for the carriers. The studies, in addition, provide evidence for the existence of more than one carrier system for translocation of small peptides in rabbit intestinal brush-border membrane.