G-proteins in Torpedo marmorata electric organ. Differential distribution in pre- and post-synaptic membranes and synaptic vesicles

Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate accumulation induced by urinary pheromones in female rat vomeronasal epithelium

The mechanisms involved in pheromone-induced responses in the vomeronasal neurons, especially in mammals, are still unclear. In the present study, we examined the effects of rat urine samples containing various types of pheromones regulating gonadal functions on the accumulation of cAMP and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) in a vomeronasal membrane preparation from the female Wistar rat. Stimulation of the preparation with forskolin induced cAMP accumulation, but stimulation with urine samples excreted from the male Wistar rat, the female Wistar rat, and the male Donryu rat did not change cAMP levels. These results were consistent with the electrophysiological results showing that dialysis of a high concentration of cAMP into the vomeronasal neuron does not induce currents. Stimulation with the three urine samples induced the accumulation of IP3 in the membrane preparation. These results are consistent with previous electrophysiological results [K. Inamura, M. Kashiwayanagi, K. Kurihara, Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate induces responses in receptor neurons in rat vomeronasal sensory slices, Chem. Senses 22 (1997) 93-103; K. Inamura, M. Kashiwayanagi, K. Kurihara, Blockage of urinary responses by inhibitors for IP3-mediated pathway in rat vomeronasal sensory neurons, Neurosci. Lett. 233 (1997) 129-132]. After the treatment with Pertussis toxin (PTX), the male Wistar urine did not induce IP3 accumulation significantly. Application of the male Wistar urine decreased ADP-ribosylation of Gi with PTX, while that of the male Donryu urine decreased ADP-ribosylation of Go. Thus, the present results support a mechanism by which the responses of the rat vomeronasal neurons to urinary pheromones are mediated by IP3, Gi and/or Go.

Detection with monoclonal antibodies of a 15-kDa proteolipid in both presynaptic plasma membranes and synaptic vesicles in Torpedo electric organ

A protein, the mediatophore, has been purified from Torpedo electric organ presynaptic plasma membranes. This protein mediates the release of acetylcholine through artificial membranes when activated by calcium and is made up of 15-kDa proteolipid subunits. After immunization with purified delipidated mediatophore, monoclonal antibodies binding to the 15-kDa proteolipid band on Western blots of purified mediatophore were selected. A 15-kDa proteolipid antigen was also detected in cholinergic synaptic vesicles. Using an immunological assay, it was estimated that presynaptic plasma membranes and synaptic vesicles contain similar proportions of 15-kDa proteolipid antigen. Detection by immunofluorescence in the electric organ showed that only nerve endings were labeled. In electric lobes, the staining was associated with intracellular membranes of the electroneuron cell bodies and in axons. Nerve endings at Torpedo neuromuscular junctions were also labeled with anti-15-kDa proteolipid monoclonal antibodies.

Pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins are transported toward synaptic terminals by fast axonal transport

We find that half of the pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) in the squid (Loligo pealei) giant axon is cytoplasmic and that this species of G protein is intermediate in size between the two forms present in axolemma. This G protein is transported toward synaptic terminals at 44 mm/day. Moreover, these data are consistent with there being two additional steps leading to the maturation of G proteins: (i) association with and transport on intracellular organelles and (ii) modification at the time of transfer to the plasmalemma resulting in a molecular weight shift. Since the other two components of G protein-mediated signal transduction pathways, receptors and effector enzymes, are known to be delivered to the synaptic terminals by fast axonal transport, our findings introduce the possibility that these three macromolecules are assembled as a complex in the cell body and delivered together to the plasma membrane of the axon and synaptic terminals.

GTP-binding proteins are restricted to signal transduction sites

We have used the Torpedo electric organ to study GTP-binding protein localization since functionally distinct membrane fractions can be isolated from this tissue. Postsynaptic membranes from the innervated face and membranes from the non-innervated face of the electrocyte, as well as presynaptic membranes from the innervating nerve, can be isolated. alpha s was restricted to the innervated face of the postsynaptic cell; alpha i, alpha o, and ras were found only in the presynaptic membrane fraction of the innervating nerve. 21 and 25 kDa GTP-binding proteins were present in all the membrane fractions. These results suggest that specific GTP-binding proteins are differentially restricted to membrane areas specialized in signal transduction.

Characterization of synaptophysin and G proteins in synaptic vesicles and plasma membrane of Aplysia californica

Two components of synaptic terminals that may be involved in transmitter release are synaptophysin (p38) and G proteins. In order to study release mechanisms in Aplysia californica we have prepared subcellular fractions from nervous tissue to characterize and localize these components. We identify Aplysia synaptophysin by Western blot analysis with monoclonal antibody SY38, find that it is enriched in synaptic vesicles, and, using immunocytochemistry, show that it is localized to neuropil. These characteristics indicate that Aplysia synaptophysin is closely related to mammalian synaptophysin; it appears to be much smaller, however, having a mass of 28 kDa instead of 38 kDa. We previously determined that G protein subunits in Aplysia are enriched in neuropil and synaptosomes. We now show that within the synaptic terminal the pertussis toxin-sensitive alpha-subunit as well as the beta-subunit are associated with plasma membrane using [32P]ADP-ribosylation and Western blotting with G protein-specific antibodies.

ADP-ribosylation of cerebrocortical synaptosomal proteins by cholera, pertussis and botulinum toxins

Certain microbial toxins ADP-ribosylate G proteins that may be related to those postulated to participate in secretion, whilst botulinum neurotoxins, produced by Clostridium botulinum, block Ca2(+)-dependent neurotransmitter release. Thus, botulinum, pertussis and cholera toxins were examined for ADP-ribosyl transferase activity using isolated nerve terminals. Although type D botulinum, cholera and pertussis toxins exhibited such enzymic activity, this was not detectable with types A or B botulinum neurotoxins or their individual chains, in any synaptosomal fraction. Botulinum type D and pertussis toxins ADP-ribosylated proteins with mol. wt approximately 24,000 and 42,000 respectively, whereas cholera toxin modified several proteins including a 51,000/47,000 mol. wt doublet. Pre-incubation of synaptosomes with type A, B or D toxins did not inhibit type D-induced labelling in the corresponding lysate. Similar pre-incubations with cholera or pertussis toxins reduced ADP-ribosylation of their substrates. Hence, under conditions in which these botulinum toxins were shown to block Ca2(+)-dependent transmitter release no ADP-ribosylated substrate was produced in the intact nerve terminals. Moreover, direct correlation was not found between the concentration dependencies of type D toxin for protein modification and inhibition of [3H]noradrenaline release from synaptosomes. These collective findings implicate C3, a non-neurotoxic contaminant of type D, in the enzymic action. The substrate for type D toxin was found in the cytosolic fraction and to a lesser extent in synaptic membranes, the reverse of the situation for pertussis toxin. A combination of the membranes and cytosol was required for maximal labelling of the 51,000/47,000 doublet by cholera toxin. Purified synaptic vesicles contained proteins labelled by type D and pertussis toxins but lacked major cholera toxin substrates. Future research will determine the possible involvement of these toxin-susceptible vesicular proteins in transmitter release.

G-proteins in skeletal muscle. Evidence for a 40 kDa pertussis-toxin substrate in purified transverse tubules

In muscle, it has been established that guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]), a non-hydrolysable GTP analogue, elicits a rise in tension in chemically skinned fibres, and that pretreatment with Bordetella pertussis toxin (PTX) decreases GTP[S]-induced tension development [Di Virgilio, Salviati, Pozzan & Volpe (1986) EMBO J. 5, 259-262]. In the present study, G-proteins were analysed by PTX-catalysed ADP-ribosylation and by immunoblotting experiments at cellular and subcellular levels. First, the nature of the G-proteins present in neural and aneural zones of rat diaphragm muscle was investigated. PTX, known to catalyse the ADP-ribosylation of the alpha subunit of several G-proteins, was used to detect G-proteins. Three sequential extractions (low-salt-soluble, detergent-soluble and high-salt-soluble) were performed, and PTX was found to label two substrates of 41 and 40 kDa only in the detergent-soluble fraction. The addition of pure beta gamma subunits of G-proteins to the low-salt-soluble extract did not provide a way to detect PTX-catalysed ADP-ribosylation of G-protein alpha subunits in this hydrophilic fraction. In neural as well as in aneural zones, the 39 kDa PTX substrate, very abundant in the nervous system (Go alpha), was not observed. We then studied the nature of the G alpha subunits present in membranes from transverse tubules (T-tubules) purified from rabbit skeletal muscle. Only one 40 kDa PTX substrate was found in T-tubules, known to be the key element of excitation-contraction coupling. The presence of a G-protein in T-tubule membranes was further confirmed by the immunoreactivity detected with an anti-beta-subunit antiserum. A 40 kDa protein was also detected in T-tubule membranes with an antiserum raised against a purified bovine brain Go alpha. The presence of two PTX substrates (41 and 40 kDa) in equal amounts in total muscle extracts, compared with only one (40 kDa) found in purified T-tubule membranes, suggests that this 40 kDa PTX substrate might be involved in excitation-contraction coupling.