Muscarinic cholinergic receptor mediated inhibitory transduction of adenylate cyclase activity in subcellular fractions from rat heart: improved detection in sodium phosphate buffer

Two distinct, divalent cation-sensitive, antagonist binding states of heart muscarinic receptors: differential modulation by guanine nucleotide

1. The binding of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate (QNB), a muscarinic antagonist, to cardiac muscarinic receptors was investigated in two subcellular fractions (washed particles and microsomes) isolated from rat heart atria and ventricles. 2. 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p, 0.1 mM), increased (2-3-fold) the binding to washed particles, but not to microsomes, whereas Mg2+ (1-20 mM) increased (up to 5-fold) the binding to microsomes, but not to washed particles. Gpp(NH)p modestly increased the affinity while Mg2+ decreased the affinity towards the radiolabelled antagonist. 3. Treatment with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM, 2 mM) increased the antagonist binding to either fraction. The stimulatory effect of Gpp(NH)p was not evident while that of Mg2+ survived in the NEM-treated fractions. 4. The treatment of fractions with divalent cations chelators (EDTA, EGTA; 10 mM) augmented the stimulatory effect of Mg2+ on [3H]QNB binding to microsomes while that of Gpp(NH)p on the washed particle [3H]QNB binding was decreased. Such treatment further revealed an inhibitory action (about 40%) of Mg2+ on the washed particle binding.