Cholesterol and steroid synthesizing smooth endoplasmic reticulum of adrenocortical cells contains high levels of translocation apparatus proteins

Steroid-secreting cells possess abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum whose membranes contain many enzymes involved in sterol and steroid synthesis. In this study we demonstrate that adrenal smooth microsomal subfractions enriched in these membranes also possess high levels of proteins belonging to the translocation apparatus, proteins previously assumed to be confined to morphologically identifiable rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). We further demonstrate that these smooth microsomal subfractions are capable of effecting the functions of these protein complexes: co-translational translocation, signal peptide cleavage and N-glycosylation of newly synthesized polypeptides. We hypothesize that these elements participate in regulating the levels of ER-targeted membrane proteins involved in cholesterol and steroid metabolism in a sterol-dependent and hormonally-regulated manner.