Stimulation of specific GTPase activity by vasopressin in isolated membranes from cultured rat hepatocytes

Suppressive effect of endogenous regucalcin on guanosine triphosphatase activity in rat liver nucleus

The effect of regucalcin, a regulatory protein of Ca2+ signaling, on guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) activity in the nuclei of rat liver was investigated. GTPase activity was significantly increased by the addition of CaCl2 (50 microm) in the enzyme reaction mixture. This increase was not seen in the presence of trifluoperazine (25 microM), an antagonist of calmodulin, which could decrease nuclear GTPase activity, suggesting that nuclear endogenous calmodulin is involved in an increase in the enzyme activity related to Ca2+ addition. The presence of regucalcin (0.5 microM) in the enzyme reaction mixture caused a significant decrease in nuclear GTPase activity. The enzyme activity was significantly raised in the presence of anti-regucalcin monoclonal antibody (25 and 50 ng/ml) in the reaction mixture. This increase was completely abolished by the addition of regucalcin (0.5 microM). Also, the effect of regucalcin addition in increasing nuclear GTPase activity was seen in the presence of EGTA (0.1 mM), a chelator of Ca2+. The present study demonstrates that endogenous regucalcin has a suppressive effect on GTPase activity in the nuclei of rat liver.

Activatory effect of regucalcin on GTPase activity in rat liver plasma membranes

The effect of regucalcin, a regulatory protein of Ca2+ signaling, on guanosine-5'-triphosphatase (GTPase) activity in isolated rat liver plasma membranes was investigated. GTPase activity was significantly increased by the addition of Ca2+ (25-100 microM) in the enzyme reaction mixture. Such an increase was not seen by other metals (Mg, Co, Zn, Cu, Ni and Mn) with 50 microM. The activatory effect of calcium (50 microM) was significantly decreased by calmodulin (2.5 and 5 microg/ml), indicating that it does not depend on calmodulin. The presence of regucalcin (0.1-0.5 microM) in the enzyme reaction mixture caused a significant increase in GTPase activity. This increase was not significantly enhanced by calcium (50 microM). GTPase activity was significantly increased by dithiothreitol (DTT; 5 mM), a protecting reagent of thiol (SH)-groups, while it was decreased by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM; 5 mM), a modifying reagent of SH-groups. The effect of calcium or regucalcin in increasing GTPase activity was not seen in the presence of NEM. Also, the activatory effect of calcium or regucalcin on GTPase was not seen in the presence of vanadate, an inhibitor of protein phosphorylation, which could inhibit GTPase activity. Moreover, the effect of regucalcin was not seen in the presence of digitonin (0.01%), a solubilizing reagent of membranous lipids, while the effect of calcium was not inhibited by digitonin. The present study demonstrates that regucalcin has an activatory effect on GTPase activity independently of Ca2+ in rat liver plasma membranes.

Pancreastatin activates pertussis toxin-sensitive guanylate cyclase and pertussis toxin-insensitive phospholipase C in rat liver membranes

We have recently found the calcium dependent glycogenolytic effect of a pancreastatin on rat hepatocytes and the mobilization of intracellular calcium. To further investigate the mechanism of action of pancreastatin on liver we have studied its effect on guanylate cyclase, adenylate cyclase, and phospholipase C, and we have explored the possible involvement of GTP binding proteins by measuring GTPase activity as well as the effect of pertussis toxin treatment of plasma liver membranes on the pancreastatin stimulated GTPase activity and the production of cyclic GMP and myo-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate. Pancreastatin stimulated GTPase activity of rat liver membranes about 25% over basal. The concentration dependency curve showed that maximal stimulation was achieved at 10(-7)M pancreastatin (EC50 = 3 nM). This stimulation was partially inhibited by treatment of the membranes with pertussis toxin. The effect of pancreastatin on guanylate cyclase and phospholipase C were examined by measuring the production of cyclic GMP and myo-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate respectively. Pancreastatin increased the basal activity of guanylate cyclase to a maximum of 2.5-fold the unstimulated activity at 30 degrees C, in a time- and dose-dependent manner, reaching the maximal stimulation above control with 10(-7) M pancreastatin at 10 min (EC50 = 0.6 nM). This effect was completely abolished when rat liver membranes had been ADP-ribosylated with pertussis toxin. On the other hand, adenylate cyclase activity was not affected by pancreastatin. Phospholipase C activity of rat liver membranes was rapidly stimulated (within 2-5 min) at 30 degrees C by 10(-7) M pancreastatin, reaching a maximum at 15 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bombesin stimulates a high affinity GTPase activity in membranes of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts

Peptides of the bombesin family are mitogenic for Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts and in these cells stimulate the turnover of polyphosphoinositides. Recent studies have suggested that G protein(s) may be involved in the signal transduction pathway triggered by bombesin. In this study we have found and characterized a high affinity GTPase activity stimulated by bombesin in membranes of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Our results support the involvement of a G protein in the response of Swiss 3T3 cells to bombesin.

Regulation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C

The receptors involved in the regulation of phospholipase C by hormones, neurotransmitters and other ligands have seven transmembrane-spanning hydrophobic regions (seven-helix motif) and no known enzymatic activity. Furthermore these receptors can be isolated as complexes with guanine nucleotide binding (G) proteins. Guanine nucleotides affect the binding of hormones that stimulate phospholipase C and it has been possible to see activation of GTPase activity in membranes upon addition of these ligands. Further indirect evidence for a Gp (p stands for phospholipase C activation) protein is the finding that in membranes agonist activation of phospholipase C requires the presence of GTP gamma S a non-hydrolyzable analog of GTP. Furthermore, fluoride is able to activate phospholipase C but its inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-4' kinase (PI-4' kinase) can interfere with efforts to demonstrate this in intact cells. There are four major isozymes of phospholipase C that have been cloned and sequenced. Recently it was found that phospholipase C-gamma as well as PI-3'-kinase are substrates for phosphorylation on tyrosine residues by the EGF and PDGF receptors. The PI-3' kinase is able to convert phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) but the function of this lipid is unknown since it is not a substrate for any known phospholipase C. While much has been learned about the structure and regulation of the phosphoinositide specific kinases and phosphodiesterase enzymes this is a relatively new field in which we can expect many advances during the next few years.

Vasopressin dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of a 38 kDa protein in human platelets

Arginine vasopressin administration (10(-10)-10(-6) M) to isolated human platelets induces an increase in the specific immunoblotting of a 38 kDa protein revealed by a phosphotyrosine antibody. This signal is biphasic with maximal stimulation within one minute. Neither forskolin (10(-5) M) nor phorbol ester (10(-6) M) produces a similar 38 kDa signal. The specific immunoblotted signals are competitively abolished by 1 mM phosphotyrosine but not phosphoserine or phosphothreonine. Electrophoretic separation at pH 3.5 of the acid hydrolysates of the 38 kDa proteins reveals a vasopressin dependent increase in levels of phosphotyrosine as well as phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. The 38 kDa phosphorylation is also induced by the specific arginine vasopressin V1 receptor agonist (Phe2Orn8Vastocina) and blocked by the V1 receptor antagonist [desGly(NH2)d(CH2)5Tyr(Me) AVPb]. These observations suggest that arginine vasopressin signal transduction may be associated with the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 38 kDa protein.

Vasopressin rapidly stimulates protein kinase C in digitonin-permeabilized Swiss 3T3 cells: involvement of a pertussis toxin-insensitive guanine nucleotide binding protein

Guanine nucleotides and pertussis toxin were used to test for the involvement of a guanine nucleotide binding protein in the vasopressin V1 receptor-mediated stimulation of protein kinase C activity in Swiss 3T3 cells. Addition of vasopressin in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP and digitonin caused a marked and rapid increase (8 +/- 1-fold after 1 min) in the phosphorylation of an Mr = 80,000 cellular protein (80K), a specific marker for protein kinase C activation. This phosphorylation was selectively blocked by the V1 receptor antagonist Pmp1-0-Me-Tyr2 [Arg8] vasopressin, indicating that the effect was mediated through the vasopressin V1 receptor. Down regulation of protein kinase C by prior prolonged pretreatment of intact cells with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PBt2) blocked the ability of vasopressin to stimulate the phosphorylation of 80K in digitonin-permeabilized cells. Addition of a submaximal concentration of vasopressin together with the GTP analogue GTP-gamma-S caused a synergistic stimulation of 80K phosphorylation. The GDP analogue GDP-beta-S caused a 50% inhibition of the phosphorylation of 80K induced by a saturating concentration of vasopressin and shifted the vasopressin dose-response curve to the right. GDP-beta-S had no effect on the dose-response for the stimulation of 80K phosphorylation induced by PBt2. Prior incubation of intact quiescent cultures of Swiss 3T3 cells with pertussis toxin did not impair either vasopressin-induced increase in cytosolic [Ca2+] or activation of protein kinase C. These findings provide functional evidence for the involvement of a pertussis toxin-insesitive G protein in the vasopressin V1 receptor-mediated stimulation of protein kinase C in Swiss 3T3 cells.

G-proteins, the inositol lipid signalling pathway, and secretion

The formation of the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) is known to be coupled to its receptor via a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein, GS. Ca2+-mobilizing receptors stimulate the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2), which generates two intracellular signals Ins(1,4,5)P3 and diacylglycerol. We review the evidence that this signalling system is also composed of three types of proteins: receptor, G-protein and effector. The G-protein that couples to the effector, polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase (PPI-PDE), is a novel G-protein, GP, which is a substrate for pertussis toxin in some cells (e.g. neutrophils and platelets) but not others (e.g. pancreatic acinar cells and GH3 cells). This implies that GP is not a single G-protein but encompasses a family of proteins that can activate PPI-PDE. We have also identified a role for another G-protein, GE, which is involved in the secretory process in mast cells and neutrophils. In this case, neither the receptor nor effector has been identified and the main evidence for proposing this second G-protein is based on the ability of guanine nucleotide analogues (e.g. GTP gamma S) to stimulate secretion independently of PPI-PDE activation.

Possible mechanism of regulating adenylate cyclase activity in adipocyte membranes from exercise-trained male rats

(-)-Isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities were significantly greater in membranes from exercise-trained male rats than in sedentary male rats. GTP-inhibition of forskolin (10 microM)-stimulated cyclase activities were observed in sedentary membranes, whereas the inhibitory actions of GTP were significantly reduced in membranes from trained rat adipocytes. Treatment of membranes with islet-activating protein, a pertusis toxin, completely abolished the differences in GTP-inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cyclase activities between the two groups. The amounts of the inhibitory regulatory protein (41kDa/40kDa polypeptides) were about 40% less in membranes from trained rats than in sedentary membranes, whereas that of the stimulatory regulatory protein (a 45kDa polypeptide) was equivalent. It is concluded that the enhanced cyclase activities of adipocyte membranes from trained male rats appear to result from, in part, an attenuation of the inhibitory pathway due to a specific decrease in the amount of the inhibitory regulatory proteins.

Guanine nucleotide regulation of [3H]vasopressin binding to liver plasma membranes and solubilized receptors. Evidence for the involvement of a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein

A guanine nucleotide regulatory protein may be involved in vasopressin-receptor-mediated polyphosphoinositide breakdown in rat liver. Therefore we examined the effects of the non-hydrolysable guanine nucleotide guanosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate (p[NH]ppG) on [3H]vasopressin ([3H]AVP) binding to hepatic plasma membranes and detergent extracts. [3H]AVP bound to a single set of high-affinity binding sites in membranes. Addition of p[NH]ppG decreased the affinity of receptor binding without altering the maximal binding capacity. The rate of dissociation of [3H]AVP from membrane-bound receptors was also enhanced by p[NH]ppG. Solubilization of [3H]AVP-prelabelled membranes with dodecyl beta-D-maltoside resulted in a [3H]AVP-receptor complex that was unstable in solution. Incubation of these extracts for 5 min at 30 degrees C resulted in a 40% loss of bound [3H]AVP, whereas in the presence of p[NH]ppG there was a 54% loss. However, when membranes were prelabelled with [3H]AVP and p[NH]ppG and then solubilized, the resulting hormone-receptor complex was still temperature-labile but insensitive to the further addition of p[NH]ppG. The molecular size of soluble vasopressin receptors was estimated by gel filtration. The [3H]AVP-receptor complex was eluted as a single peak with an apparent molecular size of 258 kDa. However, no peak was detected when solubilized extract was made from membranes prelabelled with [3H]AVP and p[NH]ppG, suggesting that this receptor complex had dissociated during chromatography. It is possible therefore that the high-Mr complex contains the hormone, its receptor and a guanine nucleotide binding protein.

Thrombin, unlike vasopressin, appears to stimulate two distinct guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins in human platelets

The thrombin-stimulated GTPase activity of human platelets was additive with respect to the GTPase stimulation effected by prostaglandin E1, but not with that stimulated by adrenaline, vasopressin and platelet-activating factor (PAF). Treatment of platelet membranes with pertussis toxin partially inhibited the thrombin-stimulated GTPase, but had no effect on the vasopressin-stimulated GTPase activity, whereas cholera toxin treatment had no effect on either of these stimulated GTPase activities. Thrombin, adrenaline and PAF, but not vasopressin, inhibited the adenylate cyclase activity of isolated plasma membranes through the action of Ni only, this being inhibited by pertussis toxin. It is suggested that thrombin exerts effects through both the inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein Ni and through the putative guanine nucleotide regulatory protein, Np, involved in regulating receptor-stimulated inositol phospholipid metabolism. However, vasopressin appears to exert its effects solely through the putative Np.

Evidence that thyrotropin-releasing hormone-induced increases in GTPase activity and phosphoinositide metabolism in GH3 cells are mediated by a guanine nucleotide-binding protein other than Gs or Gi

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and acetylcholine stimulated high affinity GTPase activity in GH3 cell membrane preparations. The effects of acetylcholine and VIP were blocked by pretreatment of cultured cells with pertussis toxin and cholera toxin respectively. Such pretreatment, which causes covalent modification of the guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins) of adenylate cyclase, did not, however, block the effects of TRH on GTPase activity or phosphoinositide breakdown. These data suggest that TRH receptors interact with a G-protein discrete from those associated with regulation of adenylate cyclase activity.

Bradykinin stimulates GTP hydrolysis in NG108-15 membranes by a high-affinity, pertussis toxin-insensitive GTPase

In membranes of neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid (NG108-15) cells, bradykinin (EC50 approximately equal to 5 nM) stimulates GTP hydrolysis by a high-affinity GTPase (Km approximately equal to 0.2 microM). The octapeptide, des-Arg9-bradykinin, was inactive. Stimulation of GTP hydrolysis by bradykinin and an opioid agonist was partially additive. Treatment of NG108-15 cells with pertussis toxin, which inactivates Ni, eliminated GTPase stimulation by the opioid agonist but not by bradykinin. The data suggest that bradykinin activates in NG108-15 membranes a guanine nucleotide-binding protein which is not sensitive to pertussis toxin and which may be involved in bradykinin-induced stimulation of phosphoinositide metabolism in these cells.