Stimulation of dopamine D-2 receptors increases potassium permeability in mammotrophs

Renal dopaminergic mechanisms and hypertension: a chronology of advances

Dopamine (DA) has been shown to influence kidney function through endogenous synthesis and subsequent interaction with locally expressed dopamine receptor subtypes (D1, D5 as D1-like and D2, D3, and D4 as D2-like). DA, and DA-receptor specific agonists and antagonists can alter renal water and electrolyte excretion along with renin release when infused systemically or intrarenally. Such effects are brought about by a combination of renal hemodynamic and direct tubular effects evoked along the full length of the nephron. The cellular mechanisms that direct these dopamine-mediated renal electrolyte fluxes have recently been clarified and include alterations in adenylyl cyclase, phospholipase C, and phospholipase A1 activity. The dopaminergic system also interacts directly with the renal kallikrein-kinin, prostaglandin and other neurohumoral systems. Aberrant renal dopamine production and/or dopamine receptor function have been reported in salt-dependent and low-renin forms of human primary hypertension as well as in genetic models of animal hypertension, including the SHR and Dahl SS rat. DA D1 or D3 receptor knockout mice have been shown to develop hypertension.

Dopamine stimulates K+ efflux in the chick retina via D1 receptors independently of adenylyl cyclase activation

Dopamine (DA) stimulated K+ efflux (assessed as 86Rb+ efflux) in retinal suspensions of posthatched chicken. This effect was dose dependent (EC50 = 22 microM), was mimicked by the D1-selective agonist SKF-38393, and reversed by the D1-selective antagonist SCH-23390, indicating an involvement of D1 receptors. Analogues of cyclic AMP (cAMP) did not mimic the DA action. Moreover, DA failed to affect cAMP levels, suggesting that adenylyl cyclase (AC) was not involved. In contrast, forskolin (FSK) stimulated both K+ efflux and cAMP accumulation in the retina (EC50 of 10 microM for both effects). The FSK-elicited K+ efflux was not mimicked by 1,9-dideoxy-FSK (an analogue of FSK that does not activate AC), suggesting that FSK stimulated K+ efflux through the activation of AC. Both DA and FSK inhibited Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity in the retina. However, the DA-elicited K+ efflux was independent of this inhibition, whereas the FSK effect on K+ efflux was largely due to the inhibitory action of the diterpene of the ion pump. A possible role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the DA action was explored. The PKC activator 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (4 beta-PMA) potently (EC50 = 4 nM) stimulated K+ efflux. This action was not mimicked by the inactive isomer 4 alpha-PMA. When added together, DA and 4 beta-PMA behaved in an additive manner, suggesting separate mechanisms of action for these two drugs. Moreover, DA failed to stimulate retinal phosphoinositide hydrolysis, a well-known pathway leading to PKC activation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Modulation of dopamine receptor agonist binding sites by cations and estradiol in intact pituitary and 7315a tumors

The effects of Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ on the agonist binding sites of D2 dopamine (DA) receptors were studied in 7315a pituitary tumors. The agonist high and low affinity states of the D2 receptors were investigated with apomorphine competition for [3H]spiperone binding at 25 degrees. In the tumor, all cations markedly increased the affinity of the high affinity binding site, while the affinity of the low affinity binding site was increased only by Na+. The proportion of high to low affinity states was not affected significantly by K+ and Ca2+, whereas it was decreased by Na+ and increased by Mg2+; none of these cations affected the total density of the D2 receptors. The in vitro regulation of D2 receptors by 17 beta-estradiol (E2) was next studied in 7315a tumors and bovine intact adenohypophysis. In intact anterior pituitary, a partial conversion of the high to the low affinity state was obtained in the presence of GTP, while in tumoral pituitary, a complete conversion was observed. Addition of 1 nM E2 to the in vitro incubation mixture prevented these conversions and resulted in a partial return of the high affinity state of the D2 receptors to their control values in both normal and tumoral pituitary. In another experiment, using increasing concentrations of E2 (0.01 to 100 nM) and GTP (10(-8) to 10(-3) nM) on [3H]n-propylnorapomorphine [( 3H]NPA) binding to the D2 receptors in bovine intact adenohypophysis, 1 and 10 nM E2 doubled the IC50 of GTP to decrease [3H]NPA binding. The results show that agonist high and low affinity states of D2 receptors in 7315a tumors are regulated normally by cations. In addition, E2 inhibited the effect of GTP on the agonist sites of the D2 receptors in both intact anterior pituitary tissue and 7315a tumors.

Modulation of dopamine receptors by cations in 7315a, MtTW15 and estradiol-induced pituitary tumors

Modulation of dopamine (DA) receptors by cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) was compared in 7315a, MtTW15, and estradiol valerate-induced (EV-T) pituitary tumors, and intact adenohypophysis. In 7315a tumors, the affinity of [3H]spiperone binding measured at 25 degrees remained unchanged in the presence of each cation individually or all these cations together (IONS) compared to the affinity obtained using a buffer without ions; the density (Bmax) was not affected by monovalent cations or Mg2+ and was decreased by Ca2+ or IONS. When binding experiments were done at 37 degrees, monovalent cations increased affinity whereas divalent cations or IONS did not modify it, and none of these cations affected Bmax values. In MtTW15 tumors, the affinity of [3H]spiperone binding measured at 25 degrees was not changed by Na+ or IONS and was decreased by K+ or divalent cations; the density was decreased by K+ and unchanged by all the other cations. When binding experiments were done at 37 degrees, Na+ increased the affinity, whereas all the other cations did not affect it: the density was unaffected by all the cations studied. In EV-T assayed at 37 degrees, the affinity was increased by monovalent cations or Mg2+ and was unchanged by Ca2+; monovalent cations did not affect the density of [3H]spiperone binding and divalent cations increased it. In binding experiments performed at 25 degrees and 37 degrees, choline chloride did not change the affinity or the density of [3H]spiperone binding to DA receptors in the three pituitary tumors investigated, suggesting that the effect of cations was specific and not due to differences in ionic strength. In the rat normal anterior pituitary, Na+ increased the affinity of [3H]spiperone for the DA receptors, whereas the affinity was unchanged by Ca2+; the density of [3H]spiperone binding was unaffected by these cations. Our results suggest that DA receptors in 7315a and MtTW15 tumors are regulated abnormally by sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. In contrast, DA receptors in EV-T are regulated normally by monovalent cations and abnormally by divalent cations as compared to these receptors in intact pituitary tissue.

Biochemical pharmacology of the atypical neuroleptic remoxipride

In vitro receptor ligand binding studies in the rat showed that remoxipride displaced different radioligands at the dopamine D2, but not the D1 receptor. Remoxipride did not block dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in vitro suggesting that it did not directly interact with the dopamine D1 receptor. Like other antipsychotic compounds, it increased dopamine turnover in the dopamine-rich areas of the brain. It showed no affinity for a wide range of neurotransmitter receptors, with the exception of the opiate sigma receptor. The affinity of remoxipride for the D2 receptor was low in vitro, while in vivo, the affinity was relatively high. Remoxipride was far more potent in preventing [3H]raclopride-binding than [3H]spiperone-binding to the D2 receptor in vivo. When the D2 receptor was labelled with [3H]spiperone, remoxipride was shown to exert a preferential blockade of this binding in extrastriatal areas of the brain (for example, olfactory tubercle, septum, substantia nigra) in vivo. After the injection of high doses of remoxipride most if not all drug in the brain was identified as authentic remoxipride. After injection of [3H]remoxipride in smaller and larger doses, radioactivity was detected in all areas of brain examined, including cerebellum and neocortex. Most of the remoxipride-derived radioactivity was found in the choroid plexus and circumventricular organs, while smaller amounts were recovered in the striatum, olfactory tubercle, and substantia nigra. Taken together, these findings suggest that remoxipride acts at both the central D2 and sigma receptors and that its affinity for the D2 receptor is relatively low in vitro. A regional preference for D2 receptors can be observed in vivo depending upon the radioligand used.

A novel role for dopamine: inhibition of muscarinic cholinergic-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in rat brain cortical membranes

Dopamine inhibited phosphoinositide breakdown as stimulated by carbachol in rat brain cortical membranes. The IC50 value was 14 +/- 2 microM for dopamine's inhibition of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis as stimulated by 1 mM carbachol. The inhibition was found at low (0.1 microM), but not high (greater than 0.3 microM), concentrations of the non-hydrolyzable guanine nucleotide analog, GTP gamma S. Pharmacological characterization of the response indicated that the dopamine effects were mediated by D1 receptors. The assay conditions precluded any involvement of cyclic-AMP as a mediator of the dopamine response, and thus, a novel role is proposed for dopamine in cortex working through D1 receptors to inhibit phosphoinositide degradation.

Muscarinic receptor activation attenuates D2 dopamine receptor mediated inhibition of acetylcholine release in rat striatum: indications for a common signal transduction pathway

In the present investigations, we used a superfusion system to study the effect of simultaneous activation of D2 dopamine receptors and so-called muscarinic "autoreceptors" on the K(+)-evoked in vitro release of [3H]acetylcholine from rat striatal tissue slices. Activation of D2 receptors with the selective agonist LY 171555 (0.01-1 microM) clearly decreased the evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine. This effect was markedly attenuated in the presence of either the selective muscarinic receptor agonist oxotremorine (3 microM) or the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine (1 microM). Conversely, D2 receptor activation with LY 171555 (1 microM) completely abolished the muscarinic receptor mediated inhibition of evoked [3H]acetylcholine release induced by oxotremorine (0.03-10 microM). These results show that the inhibitory effects of D2 dopamine receptor and muscarinic receptor activation on striatal acetylcholine release are non-additive and therefore are interdependent processes. In addition, we investigated some aspects of the signal transduction mechanism by which the muscarinic receptor mediates inhibition of K(+)-evoked in vitro release of [3H]acetylcholine from rat striatal tissue slices. It appeared that the effect of muscarinic receptor activation was not significantly influenced either by a lowering of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration from the usual 1.2-0.12 mM or by an increase of the intracellular cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate content. However, increasing extracellular K+ strongly decreased the inhibition of evoked [3H]acetylcholine release mediated by activation of muscarinic receptors. This set of results indicates that the muscarinic "autoreceptor" mediates the decrease of depolarization induced [3H]acetylcholine release from rat striatum to a large extent through stimulation of K+ efflux (opening of K+ channels) in a cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate independent manner.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Restricted usefulness of tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine for the characterization of receptor-operated K+-channels

1. Recently, we suggested that the D2-dopamine receptor involved in the inhibition of evoked [3H]-acetylcholine release from rat striatum is coupled to K+-channels. 2. In the present study, an attempt was made to elucidate further the role of these K+-channels, using the K+-channel blocking agents tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine. With a superfusion method, the effects of both drugs on the D2-dopamine receptor-mediated inhibition of the electrically evoked release of [3H]-acetylcholine from rat striatal tissue slices was investigated. 3. Both tetraethylammonium (30 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (0.1 mM) significantly stimulated the electrically evoked release of [3H]-acetylcholine and completely abolished the effect of the selective D2-receptor agonist LY 171555 (1 microM) on evoked acetylcholine release. In addition, tetraethylammonium (0.03-30 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (0.003-1 mM) strongly increased the basal (non-evoked) release of radioactivity in a concentration-dependent manner. The results suggest that the effect of the drugs on the basal release of radioactivity and on the electrically evoked release of acetylcholine cannot exclusively be explained by their action on K+-channels. 4. Furthermore, with the use of a receptor binding assay, data were obtained on the affinity of tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine for D2-receptors and various other neurotransmitter recognition sites. At concentrations in which both drugs are known to block K+-channels, they were found to inhibit the specific binding of selective radioligands to their respective recognition sites. 5. It is concluded that due to their 'side-effects', both tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine are of only limited value in the investigation of the alleged interaction between neurotransmitter receptors and K+-channels.

Stimulation of D-2 dopamine receptors decreases the evoked in vitro release of [3H]acetylcholine from rat neostriatum: role of K+ and Ca2+

Reportedly, stimulation of D-2 dopamine receptors inhibits the depolarization-induced release of acetylcholine from the neostriatum in a cyclic AMP-independent manner. In the present study, we investigated the role of K+ and Ca2+ in the D-2 receptor-mediated inhibition of evoked [3H]acetylcholine release from rat striatal tissue slices. It is shown that the D-2 receptor-mediated decrease of K+-evoked [3H]acetylcholine release is not influenced by the extracellular Ca2+ concentration. However, increasing extracellular K+, in the presence and absence of Ca2+, markedly attenuates the effect of D-2 stimulation on the K+-evoked [3H]acetylcholine release. Furthermore, it is shown that activation of D-2 receptors in the absence of Ca2+ also inhibits the veratrine-evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine from rat striatum. These results suggest that the D-2 dopamine receptor mediates the decrease of depolarization-induced [3H]acetylcholine release from rat striatum primarily by stimulation of K+ efflux (opening of K+ channels) and inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization.

Subtypes of dopamine receptors involved in the mechanism of reinforcement

Advancement in the study of receptors for neurotransmitters facilitated the analysis of neural mechanisms underlying reinforcement. Two subtypes of dopamine receptors, D1 and D2, play distinct roles in producing reinforcing effects. Experiments using SCH 23390 suggest that the reinforcing effects of food, water, saccharin, heroin and brain stimulation all critically depend on the activation of D1 dopamine receptors, particularly those in the nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area. Raclopride, a D2 dopamine antagonist, also reduced bar-pressing responses for food, heroin, and brain stimulation. Thus, both D1 and D2 receptors seem to be involved in the reinforcement mechanisms. There were some differences between D1 and D2 dopamine antagonists in the manner of reducing operant responding. It appears that D1 receptors are related to the efficacy of reinforcements while D2 receptors are related to the type of reinforcers.

Dopamine receptors: classification, properties and drug development

1. The pharmacology, biochemistry and structure-activity relationships pertinent to the D1 and D2 subtypes of dopamine receptors are reviewed. 2. Recent advances in receptor purification and our understanding of the secondary messenger systems involved are presented. 3. D1 and D2 receptors of central nervous, endocrine and peripheral systems are identical.

Potassium channels involved in the transduction mechanism of dopamine D2 receptors in rat lactotrophs

1. Radioactive rubidium (86Rb+) efflux was used to measure potassium (K+) permeability in a study designed to asses both the presence and the sensitivity to ions and drugs of the K+ channels in the plasma membrane of rat lactotrophs. 2. Rb+ efflux from Rb+-pre-loaded lactotrophs into nominally calcium-free solution containing 5 mM-K+ was linear from 1 to 60 s, with a calculated rate of about 0.1%/s. Raising K+ concentrations to depolarize the cells stimulated the Rb+ efflux (0.2%/s), which was already significant after 1 s of exposure of the cell to 100 mM-K+. This component of Rb+ efflux has been designated component V (sensitive to voltage and Ca2+ independent). 3. Addition of Ca2+ to 5 mM-K+ solution had no effect on resting Rb+ efflux (0.1%/s), but did further stimulate Rb+ efflux into K+-rich solutions. This component, which has been designated component C, was completely inhibited by 0.5 mM-cadmium. These data fit the view that the increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration during depolarization opens certain (Ca2+-activated) K+ channels. 4. K+ efflux was differently affected by K+ channel blockers. Tetraethylammonium (TEA) inhibited both V and C components while 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) inhibited the component V without modifying the C component of Rb+ efflux. 5. Dopamine appears to affect both types of Rb+ efflux components. Dopamine increased the efflux of Rb+ in a nominally Ca2+-free medium containing 5 mM-K+ (component V). This effect was statistically significant 15 s after exposure of the cells to 10 nM-dopamine. Increasing the concentrations of K+ to gradually depolarize the cells enhanced the rate of increase of Rb+ efflux induced by dopamine, being evident in the initial 2-5 s of incubations. Dopamine also increased Rb+ efflux in a 5 mM-K+ solution containing 1 mM-Ca2+ (component C). This effect was rapid (2-5 s) and inhibited by 0.5 mM-cadmium. The combined action of dopamine on both component C and V caused the cells to be less sensitive to depolarizing concentrations of K+. The increase in Rb+ efflux and the enhancement of prolactin release induced by high concentrations of K+ were, indeed, prevented by exposure of the cells to 10 nM-dopamine. 6. The effects of dopamine on either component V or component C were pharmacologically characterized as D2 receptor mediated, being mimicked by selective D2 receptor agonists (quinpirole and RU 24213) and stereospecifically blocked by the D2 receptor antagonist sulpiride.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Further characterisation of the dopamine-inhibitory receptor in Helix and evidence for a noradrenaline-preferring receptor

1. The cells in this study responded with a hyperpolarization to the following agents in this order of potency; dopamine greater than noradrenaline phenylephrine = octopamine. 2. 6,7 ADTN had a relative potency of 0.1 compared to dopamine. 5,6 ADTN did not inhibit the cells in this study. 3. The D1 receptor agonists SKF38393 and dihydroxynomifensine mimicked the effect of dopamine on these cells but were over 100 times less active, whereas the D2 selective agonists quinpirole and RU24213 were without effect. 4. Both the D1 antagonist SCH23390 and the D2 antagonist sulpiride antagonised the dopamine response with pA2 values of 6.1 and 6.7, respectively. 5. Five cells that responded to dopamine with a hyperpolarization were depolarized by noradrenaline. The order of potency of compounds at eliciting this depolarization, noradrenaline greater than phenylephrine greater than octopamine indicated that this response may be mediated by a noradrenaline-preferring receptor.

The role of dopamine in the control of corticosteroid secretion and metabolism

The relation between aldosterone and its trophins is altered by electrolyte status and in some hypertensive conditions in man by a mechanism or mechanisms not understood. Dopamine has been suggested as the agent for the altered sensitivity of plasma aldosterone to angiotensin II based on the results of studies with dopamine itself, both in vivo and in vitro, and with pharmacological agonists and antagonists. The evidence derived from these studies is presented and discussed. Questionable specificity of the agents used makes interpretation difficult. Similarly, dopamine infusion rates used in man and animals have resulted in plasma concentrations far in excess of those found normally and these pharmacological concentrations have been shown to alter both the clearance rate of exogenous angiotensin II, and the pattern of steroid response to ACTH. Direct study of adrenal tissue has provided more promising results. The adrenal cortex possesses specific dopamine receptors and dopamine has been shown to modify aldosterone biosynthesis in vitro. Moreover, dopamine is present in adrenocortical tissue in concentrations in the range calculated to operate the receptors. However, there is, as yet, no evidence that dopamine concentrations change in a physiological meaningful way, for example, during changes in sodium status.

Stimulation of D2 dopamine receptors decreases intracellular calcium levels in rat anterior pituitary cells but not striatal synaptosomes: a flow cytometric study using indo-1

An important question is whether all D2 dopamine (DA) receptors employ the same signal transduction mechanisms. Anterior pituitary cells and striatal synaptosomes, which possess pharmacologically similar D2 DA receptors, were compared with respect to the effect of D2 DA receptor stimulation on free intracellular Ca2+ levels [( Ca2+]i). Flow cytometry, in combination with either the fluorescent calcium indicator indo-1 or fluorescent voltage-sensitive dyes, was used to measure [Ca2+]i and to detect changes in membrane potential. In subpopulations of anterior pituitary cells, increases in [Ca2+]i were produced by elevated K+, veratridine, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and BAY K 8644. These increases were blocked by nifedipine, suggesting the involvement of L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCC's). In 10-15% of the cells, D2 agonists decreased resting [Ca2+]i, reversed stimulus-induced increases in [Ca2+]i, and caused a hyperpolarization. In striatal synaptosomes, elevated K+ and veratridine also increased [Ca2+]i. However, the K+-induced increase was eliminated if choline was substituted for Na+ in the medium, suggesting that Ca2+ entry in response to sustained K+ depolarization resulted from reversal of Na+/Ca2+ exchange. Nifedipine and verapamil inhibited K+-induced increases in [Ca2+]i only at concentrations greater than 10 microM, while omega-conotoxin had no effect. D2 agonists had no effect on resting or stimulated [Ca2+]i but did hyperpolarize 10-20% of the synaptosomes, indicating that D2 DA receptors are functional in this preparation. The ability of pituitary but not striatal D2 DA receptors to modulate [Ca2+]i may reflect the fact that the two systems differ with respect to pathways for Ca2+ influx.

Anatomical and affinity state comparisons between dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the rat central nervous system

The anatomical distributions and affinity states of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors were compared in the rat central nervous system using quantitative autoradiography. [3H]SCH23390 and [3H]spiperone (in the presence of 100 nM mianserin) were used to label the D1 and D2 receptors, respectively. The densities of D1 and D2 receptors displayed a positive correlation among 21 brain regions (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.80, P less than 0.001). The affinity states for the D1 and D2 receptors were found to be quite different from each other, and different from the results obtained by others using homogenate preparations. Both the D1 and D2 receptors were best modeled using a two-state model. In the absence of exogenous guanine nucleotides and using the nonselective agonist dopamine as the competitor, the D1 receptor was primarily in a low affinity agonist state (RH = 21 +/- 6%), whereas the D2 receptor was primarily in the high affinity agonist state (RH = 77 +/- 3%). In the presence of 10 microM guanylyl-imidodiphosphate or guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiophosphate) both the D1 and the D2 receptor were completely in a low affinity agonist state (RL = 100%). These affinity states were found both in the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle using dopamine as the competitor and in the striatum using selective D1 or D2 agonists as competitors. Receptor occupancy of the D2 receptor with either an agonist or antagonist did not alter the affinity states of the D1 receptor, and conversely, receptor occupancy of the D1 receptor did not alter the affinity states of the D2 receptor. The correlation between densities of D1 and D2 receptors provides an anatomical framework for evaluating behavioral and electrophysiological evidence of an interaction between the two dopamine receptor subtypes. This interaction does not appear to be due to a sharing or coupling of G-proteins in such a way that binding to one dopamine receptor subtype alters the affinity state of the other receptor subtype. The differences between dopamine receptor distributions described by labeled agonists and antagonists may be due in part to differences in their affinity states. The low proportion of high affinity state D1 receptors may explain some of the difficulties in assigning specific behavioral roles to the D1 receptor.

Stimulation of distinct D2 dopaminergic and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors induces light-adaptive pigment dispersion in teleost retinal pigment epithelium

In the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of lower vertebrates, melanin pigment granules aggregate and disperse in response to changes in light conditions. Pigment granules aggregate into the RPE cell body in the dark and disperse into the long apical projections in the light. Pigment granule movement retains its light sensitivity in vitro only if RPE is explanted together with neural retina. In the absence of retina, RPE pigment granules no longer move in response to light onset or offset. Using a preparation of mechanically isolated fragments of RPE from green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus, we investigated the effects of catecholamines on pigment migration. We report here that 3,4-dihydoxyphenylethylamine (dopamine) and clonidine each mimic the effect of light in vivo by inducing pigment granule dispersion. Dopamine had a half-maximal effect at approximately 2 nM; clonidine, at 1 microM. Dopamine-induced dispersion was inhibited by the D2 dopaminergic antagonist sulpiride but not by D1 or alpha-adrenergic antagonists. Furthermore, a D2 dopaminergic agonist (LY 171555) but not a D1 dopaminergic agonist (SKF 38393) mimicked the effect of dopamine. Clonidine-induced dispersion was inhibited by the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine but not by sulpiride. These results suggest that teleost RPE cells possess distinct D2 dopaminergic and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors, and that stimulation of either receptor type is sufficient to induce pigment granule dispersion. In addition, forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, induced pigment granule movement in the opposite direction, i.e., dark-adaptive pigment aggregation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The glycosylation properties of D2 dopamine receptors from striatal and limbic areas of bovine brain

D2 dopamine receptors from bovine brain (caudate nucleus and olfactory tubercle) have been solubilized using sodium cholate/NaCl and their glycoprotein properties studied in terms of their interaction with wheat-germ agglutinin-agarose (WGA-agarose). Under optimal conditions about 65% of the applied D2 dopamine receptors bound to WGA-agarose and could be eluted with N-acetylglucosamine. The ability of receptors to adsorb to the affinity column was shown to be dependent on the cholate and salt concentrations used. Digestion of the membrane bound D2 dopamine receptors with neuraminidase prior to solubilisation reduced the ability of the receptors to bind to WGA-agarose (50% of applied receptors bound) whereas digestion with N-acetylglucosaminidase did not significantly affect binding to WGA-agarose. Digestion with the two enzymes together resulted in a larger decrease in binding to WGA-agarose than was seen with the two enzymes alone (40% of applied receptors bound). Stepwise elution of bound receptors from the WGA-agarose columns using 2.5 mM- and 100-mM-N-acetylglucosamine showed that about 40% of the bound receptors interacted with WGA-agarose in a low-affinity manner, the remainder showing a high-affinity interaction. Neuraminidase treatment reduced the low-affinity population suggesting that the interaction of oligosaccharides bearing sialic acid with WGA-agarose is of lower affinity and that higher-affinity binding is via N-acetylglucosamine. These data are discussed in terms of the heterogeneity of carbohydrate moieties on the D2 dopamine receptors within a brain region. In all the tests applied here, however, receptors from caudate nucleus and olfactory tubercle behaved identically so their glycosylation patterns must be very similar.