Acetylcholine receptor-mediated membrane current in oocytes injected with Electrophorus electricus mRNA: analyses of nicotine, succinylcholine, and decamethonium responses on the basis of the minimal model

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor was synthesized in Xenopus oocytes after injection of the mRNA purified from Electrophorus electricus electroplax. Nicotine, succinylcholine, and decamethonium (agonist)-elicited membrane currents in the injected oocytes were measured electrophysiologically by the voltage-clamping method. The following four different measurements were made to establish the relationship between the agonist concentration and the membrane current: 1) the agonist-induced membrane current before desensitization, 2) the agonist-induced membrane current after desensitization equilibrium, 3) the fraction of the active form of the receptors after desensitization equilibrium, 4) the rate of recovery of desensitized receptors upon removal of the agonist. These results were analyzed on the basis of the minimal model proposed from receptor-mediated ion translocation measurements. The equilibrium and rate constants of the model were evaluated for nicotine, succinylcholine, and decamethonium, and could explain the observed electrical responses in the injected oocyte, i.e. the characteristics of the receptor response caused by these agonists.     

Acetylcholine-induced receptor-controlled ion flux investigated by flow quench techniques

Using a quench flow technique with membrane vesicles, the acetylcholine receptor-controlled transmembrane ion flux and the inactivation of the receptor with acetylcholine were measured in the msec time region. The ion flux was followed by influx of radioactive tracer ion and the inactivation was followed by an ion flux assay of receptor pre-incubated with ligand. The measurements covered a concentration range to complete saturation of the $\text{active}$ state of the receptor with ligand, and were consistent with a minimal model previously proposed on the basis of experiments with carbamylcholine. The ion translocation rate at saturation with acetylcholine is about twice that at saturation with carbamylcholine and this reflects a more favored channel opening equilibrium for acetylcholine.     

Effects of thio-group modifications of Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor on ion flux activation and inactivation kinetics

The effects of thio-group modifications on the ion permeability control and ligand binding properties of the acetylcholine receptor were measured in reconstituted membranes prepared from purified Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor and soybean lipids (asolectin). A quench flow device was used to obtain subsecond time resolution for agonist-stimulated cation influx using carbamylcholine chloride (Carb) as the ligand and 86Rb+ as the cation. The effects of disulfide reduction with dithiothreitol (DTT), affinity alkylation with [4-(N-maleimido)benzyl]trimethylammonium ion and bromoacetylcholine, and nonspecific alkylation with N-ethylmaleimide and N-benzylmaleimide were examined. Activation, fast inactivation, and slow inactivation rates were measured on the chemically modified membranes. The flux results were compared with similar measurements on native membranes, and the role of vesicle size, heterogeneity, and influx time on ion flux results was analyzed. Major conclusions are that the binding sites that react with affinity labels are the same sites that mediate ligand-activated ion flux and that blockade of one of the two ligand binding sites is sufficient to block about 95% of the ion flux response. The main effect of DTT reduction is to shift the EC50 values for activation and slow inactivation to higher Carb concentrations, consistent with a decrease in binding affinity for Carb. The EC50 value for fast inactivation was not affected by DTT. However, the maximum rate of ion flux activation and the maximum rate of fast inactivation were decreased 2-fold after DTT treatment.     

Minimal model analyzing response of glycine receptors expressed in Xenopus oocyte: inhibition by a lipid hydroperoxide.

Glycine receptor (GlyR) was expressed in Xenopus oocytes by injecting rat brain mRNA. Glycine (Gly)-elicited responses in the oocyte were measured by the voltage-clamping method. The following measurements were made to establish the relationship between Gly concentration and the current: 1) Gly-induced membrane current before desensitization, 2) Gly-induced membrane current after desensitization equilibrium, 3) fraction of the active form of the receptor after desensitization equilibrium, 4) rate of recovery of the desensitized receptors upon removal of Gly. These results were analyzed on the basis of the minimal model proposed for nicotinic acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor. The equilibrium and rate constants of the model were evaluated for GlyR. The effects of procaine and 13-L-hydroperoxylinoleic acid (LOOH) on GlyR were examined electrophysiologically. LOOH noncompetitively inhibited the receptor with the inhibition constant of 27 microM, while 1 mM procaine, a local anesthetic, did not inhibit GlyR at all.     

Acetylcholine receptor: evidence for a regulatory binding site in investigations of suberyldicholine-induced transmembrane ion flux in Electrophorus electricus membrane vesicles

Suberyldicholine-induced ion translocation in the millisecond time region in acetylcholine receptor rich membrane vesicles prepared from the electric organ of Electrophorus electricus was investigated in eel Ringer's solution, pH 7.0, 1 degree C. A quench-flow technique with a time resolution of 5 ms was used to measure the transmembrane flux of a radioactive tracer ion (86Rb+). JA, the rate coefficient for ion flux mediated by the active form of the receptor, and alpha, the rate coefficient for the inactivation of the ion flux, increase with increasing suberyldicholine concentrations and reach a plateau value at about 15 microM. At higher suberyldicholine concentrations (greater than 50 microM), a concentration-dependent decrease in the ion flux rate was observed without a corresponding decrease in the rate of receptor inactivation. This regulatory effect was not observed with acetylcholine or carbamoylcholine. The minimal kinetic scheme previously presented for acetylcholine and carbamoylcholine, modified by the inclusion of an additional regulatory ligand-binding site for suberyldicholine and characterized by a single dissociation constant, KR, is consistent with the results obtained over a 10 000-fold concentration range of this ligand. Rate and equilibrium constants pertaining to this scheme were elucidated. Suberyldicholine binds to the regulatory site (KR = 500 microM) approximately 100-fold less well than to its activating sites, and the binding to the regulatory site has no effect on the inactivation (desensitization) rate coefficient alpha [alpha(max) = 5.7 s-1], which is comparable to that observed with acetylcholine. The maximum influx rate coefficient [JA(max) = 18.5 s-1] is approximately twice that obtained when carbamoylcholine is the activating ligand and somewhat higher than when acetylcholine is used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A microtechnique for quantification of detergent-solubilized muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors using a semi-automated cell harvestor

A specific method for the rapid assay of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), either detergent-solubilized or in neuroblastoma cells, is described. This method is also applicable to the assay of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The procedure employs a cell harvestor and microtiter plates, and has the advantage of requiring small quantities of radioligand, microgram quantities of detergent-solubilized cholinergic receptor or less cells. The binding parameters such as the equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) of mAChR and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and inhibition constants (Ki) for antagonists determined by the present method are in excellent agreement with values determined by other methods. This assay procedure for mAChR and nAChR should facilitate the rapid screening of cholinergic agonists/antagonists and also the further purification and characterization of mAChR.     

Quantitative simulation of endplate currents at neuromuscular junctions based on the reaction of acetylcholine with acetylcholine receptor and acetylcholinesterase.

Two kinetic models are introduced which predict amplitudes and time-courses of endplate currents and miniature endplate currents at neuromuscular junctions, at both normal and acetylcholinesterase-inhibited endplates. Appropriate differential rate equations reflecting interactions of acetylcholine with acetylcholine receptor and with esterase, diffusion of acetylcholine both within and from the synaptic cleft, and cooperativity between receptor site occupancy and ion channel opening are solved. Acetylcholine release into the cleft is assumed to be instantaneous. The simpler homogeneous reaction space model accurately predicts decay phase time constants are inaccurate. The two-reaction space model predicts amplitudes and time constants within a factor of two of those observed experimentally. The simulations indicate that the amplitudes and time-courses are primarily determined by the chemical reaction rates that characterize acetylcholine interactions with receptor and esterase and that these interactions occur under nonequilibrium conditions. Approximately 50% of the total ion channels in the initial reaction space are predicted to be opened at the peak endplate current. The cooperative opening of ion channels by acetylcholine requires that acetylcholine be introduced into the cleft in discrete, concentrated elements. Virtually all the open channels are confined to the initial reaction space, although acetylcholine-bound receptor sites can be much more widely distributed.     

Single-channel current recordings of acetylcholine receptors in electroplax isolated from theElectrophorus electricus main and Sachs' electric organs

Summary Extensive chemical kinetic measurements of acetylcholine receptor-controlled ion translocation in membrane vesicles isolated from the electroplax ofElectrophorus electricus have led to the proposal of a minimum model which accounts for the activation, desensitization, and voltage-dependent inhibition of the receptor by acetylcholine, suberyldicholine, and carbamoylcholine. Comparison of chemical kinetic measurements of the dynamic properties of the acetylcholine receptor in vesicles with the properties of the receptor in cells obtained from the same organ and animal have been hampered by an inability to make the appropriate measurements withElectrophorus electricus electroplax cells. Here we report a method for exposing and cleaning the surface of electroplax cells obtained from both the Main electric organ and the organ of Sachs and the results of single-channel current recordings which have now become possible. The single-channel current recordings were made in the presence of either carbamoylcholine or suberyldicholine, as a function of temperature and transmembrane voltage. Both the channel open times and the single-channel conductance were measured. The data were found to be consistent with the model based on chemical kinetic measurements using receptor-rich membrane vesicles prepared from the Main electric organ ofE. electricus.     

Selective distinction at equilibrium between the two alpha-neurotoxin binding sites of Torpedo acetylcholine receptor by microtitration

The binding of the monoiodinated alpha-neurotoxin I from Naja mossambica mossambica to the membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo marmorata was investigated using a new picomolar-sensitive microtitration assay. From equilibrium binding studies a non-linear Scatchard plot demonstrated two populations of binding sites characterized by the two dissociation constants Kd1 = 7 +/- 4 pM and Kd2 = 51 +/- 16 pM and having equal binding capacities. These two populations differed in their rate of dissociation (k-1.1 = 25 x 10(-6) s-1 and k-1.2 = 623 x 10(-6) s-1 respectively), but not in their rate of formation of the toxin-receptor complex (k + 1 = 11.7 x 10(6) M-1 s-1). From these rate constants the same two values of dissociation constant were deduced (Kd1 = 2 pM and Kd2 = 53 pM). All the specific binding was prevented by the cholinergic antagonists alpha-bungarotoxin and d-tubocurarine. In addition, a biphasic competition phenomenon allowed us to differentiate between two d-tubocurarine sites (Kda = 103 nM and Kdb = 13.7 microM respectively). Evidence is provided indicating that these two sites are shared by d-tubocurarine and alpha-neurotoxin I, with inverse affinities. Fairly conclusive agreement between our equilibrium, kinetic and competition data demonstrates that the two high-affinity binding sites for this short alpha-neurotoxin are selectively distinguishable.     

Ligand binding to the membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo marmorata: a complete mathematical analysis.

We have studied by means of equilibrium binding and kinetic experiments the interaction of the membrane-bound nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nACHR) from Torpedo marmorata with [3H]acetylcholine and the fluorescent agonist NBD-5-acylcholine. In agreement with previous studies by others, we observed the preexistence, in the absence of ligand, of an equilibrium between two states of the nAChR, one with high affinity and the other with low affinity for agonist. As additional requirements for a minimal reaction scheme, we recognized (i) the existence of two ligand-binding sites, each of which may exist in two conformational states when occupied, and (ii) ligand-induced transitions between these conformations. Employing a special form of the allosteric model which considers these requirements, we then developed a suitable algorithm in order to simultaneously fit the whole set of equilibrium binding and kinetic data obtained for the two ligands. In this way we determined for a minimal model of the mechanism of action of the nAChR the complete set of rate constants and KD values involved. With these values available, we were able to simulate the rise and fall in the concentrations of individual receptor-ligand complexes and conformations occurring in the course of excitatory events at the electrocyte synapse. The membrane environment of the nAChR plays a decisive role with respect to the rates of conformational change of the nAChR occurring in the course of ligand interaction. Thus, artificial changes in membrane structure and composition can speed up by several orders of magnitude the rate of conformational change ("desensitization"). A proper structure of the surrounding membrane hence is a prerequisite for the physiological function of the membrane-embedded nAChR.     

On the mechanism of inhibition of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor by the anticonvulsant MK-801 investigated by laser-pulse photolysis in the microsecond-to-millisecond time region.

The mechanism of inhibition of the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is of interest because of the many drugs which are known to modify its function. The laser-pulse photolysis technique, using a photolabile, biologically inert ligand (caged carbamoylcholine) for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, and BC3H1 cells have been used to investigate the mechanism of inhibition of the receptor by MK-801 [(+)-dizocilpine] in the microsecond-to-millisecond time region. MK-801 is an anticonvulsant and a known inhibitor of the N-methyl-D-aspartate and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Both the chemical kinetic and the single-channel current-recording measurements reported here indicate the existence of two inhibition processes, one occurring within 50 ms and the other within about 1 s of equilibration of the receptor with the inhibitor. Unless stated otherwise, here we characterize the receptor inhibition observed when MK-801 is equilibrated with the receptor for only 50 ms. We determined the effect of MK-801 on the concentration of the open receptor-channels and the apparent dissociation constant of the inhibitor from the closed-channel (KI(obs) = 180 microM) and open-channel ( = 950 microM) forms. Within a few milliseconds after inhibitor binding, decreases to about 100 microM, due to an inhibitor-induced isomerization to an inactive receptor form. A mechanism that incorporates the new results is proposed. It includes the formation of an ion-conducting receptor:inhibitor complex with a channel-opening equilibrium constant that is unfavorable compared to the open-channel receptor form in the absence of inhibitor. In the MK-801 concentration range of 0-500 microM, this mechanism accounts for the observed MK-801-induced decrease in the concentration of open channels. At high concentrations of carbamoylcholine, when the receptor is mainly in the open-channel form, the conducting receptor:inhibitor complex isomerizes to a nonconducting state with a rate constant of about 2400 s-1 for the forward reaction and 230 s-1 for the back reaction. It is shown that the proposed new mechanism, based on transient kinetic measurements, also accounts for the results of previous investigations with other inhibitors (procaine, cocaine), which were carried out under both pre-steady-state and equilibrium conditions. A compound that binds to the same regulatory site on the receptor as MK-801 but does not affect the channel-opening equilibrium constant may have considerable use in protecting an organism from the effects of abused drugs.     

Activation and inactivation kinetics of Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor in reconstituted membranes

By use of a quench-flow technique to measure tracer ion flux rates in a physiologically significant time domain, the kinetics of activation and inactivation of purified reconstituted acetylcholine receptor (AChR) were investigated. After solubilization in sodium cholate, purification by affinity chromatography, and reconstitution into soybean lipids, the AChR from Torpedo californica displayed a characteristically fast rate of ion influx measured with 86Rb+. At 4 degrees C 1 mM carbamoylcholine (Carb) stimulated a fast (t1/2 = 7 ms) first-order filling of vesicle internal volume that presented a 10(4)-fold stimulation of ion flux rate by Carb. The concentration dependence of activation was sigmoidal with a half-maximal value at 3 X 10(-4) M Carb. In the presence of Carb, the purified AChR also underwent a two-step inactivation (desensitization) process. Inactivation was measured by preincubating AChR with Carb for various times (milliseconds to minutes) and then measuring the 86Rb+ influx rate. The two inactivation processes were each characterized by a distinct maximum rate (5.3 and 0.10 s-1) and by a different dependence on Carb concentration. The slow phase of inactivation gave a half-maximal rate at 2.5 X 10(-4) M Carb, and the fast inactivation was half-maximal at 1.3 X 10(-3) M Carb. The concentration dependence curves for both inactivation processes were approximately hyperbolic. The results are discussed in terms of models that describe the relationship between ligand binding and the processes of channel activation and desensitization.     

On the mechanism of a mammalian neuronal type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor investigated by a rapid chemical kinetic technique. Detection and characterization of a short-lived, previously unobserved, main receptor form in PC12 cells.

The mammalian nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in PC12 cells has many properties characteristic of the neuronal receptors involved in key chemical reactions that are responsible for signal transmission between cells of the nervous system. This report describes initial investigations of the mechanism of this receptor using a rapid chemical kinetic technique with a time resolution of 20 ms, which represents a 250-fold improvement over the best time resolution (5 s) employed in previous studies. Carbamoylcholine, a stable analogue of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, was the activating ligand used, and the concentration of open transmembrane receptor-channels in PC12 cells was measured by recording whole-cell currents at pH 7.4, 21-23 degrees C, and a transmembrane voltage of -60 mV. Two receptor forms that account for 80% and 20% of the receptor-controlled current were detected; the main receptor form, accounting for 80% of the whole-cell current, desensitized completely before the first measurements had been made in previous studies. Only the main receptor form has been investigated so far using the new method. The constants of a mechanism that accounts for the concentration of the open transmembrane receptor-channel over a 100-fold range of carbamoylcholine concentration were evaluated: the dissociation constant of the site controlling channel opening (K1 = 2.0 mM), the channel-opening equilibrium constant (phi -1 = 5.0), and the dissociation constant of an inhibitory site to which carbamoylcholine binds (KR = 6.5 mM). These evaluated constants allow one to calculate Po, the conditional probability that at a given concentration of carbamoylcholine the receptor-channel is open. Po was also determined in the presence of 2 mM carbamoylcholine by an independent method, the single-channel current-recording technique, and the agreement between the Po values obtained in two independent ways is within experimental error. This result indicates that the time resolution of the chemical kinetic technique employed was sufficient to evaluate the constants pertaining to the active state of the receptor, which forms a transmembrane channel, before its conversion to desensitized receptor forms with different properties. Previous kinetic measurements with a time resolution of 5 s showed that many compounds, such as anesthetic-like molecules, nerve growth factor, and substance P, modify the function of the neuronal receptor in PC12 cells or react specifically with the neuronal but not with the muscle receptor, for example, some toxins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Activation of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

We studied activation of the nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor on cells of a mouse clonal muscle cell line (BC3H1). We analyzed single-channel currents through outside-out patches elicited with various concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh), carbamylcholine (Carb) and suberyldicholine (Sub). Our goal is to determine a likely reaction scheme for receptor activation by agonist and to determine values of rate constants for transitions in that scheme. Over a wide range of agonist concentrations the open-time duration histograms are not described by single exponential functions, but are well-described by the sum of two exponentials, a brief-duration and a long-duration component. At high concentration, channel openings occur in groups and these groups contain an excess number of brief openings. We conclude that there are two open states of the ACh receptor with different mean open times and that a single receptor may open to either open state. The concentration dependence of the numbers of brief and long openings indicates that brief openings do not result from the opening of channels of receptors which have only one agonist molecule bound to them. Closed-time duration histograms exhibit a major brief component at low concentrations. We have used the method proposed by Colquhoun and Sakmann (1981) to analyze these brief closings and to extract estimates for the rates of channel opening (beta) and agonist dissociation (k-2). We find that this estimate of beta does not predict our closed-time histograms at high agonist concentration (ACh: 30-300 microM; Carb: 300-1,000 microM). We conclude that brief closings at low agonist concentrations do not result solely from transitions between the doubly-liganded open and the doubly-liganded closed states. Instead, we postulate the existence of a second closed-channel state coupled to the open state.     

A study of the kinetics of the muscarinic effect on phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid metabolism in rat brain synaptosomes.

The uptake of [32P]phosphate into phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidate was measured in synaptosomes incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer, pH7.4. The apparent dissociation constants for acetylcholine and carbamoylcholine was estimated from the increase in 32P uptake caused by these agents. These apparent constants were similar for both phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidate and were 2.7 +/- 0.5 MICROmeter for acetylcholine and 12 +/- 2 micrometer for carbamoylcholine when Ca2+ concentration was 0.75 mM. Under the same conditions the inhibition of the carbamoylcholine-induced increase in 32P uptake, caused by atropine, is consistent with atropine being a competitive inhibitor, with an apparent inhibition constant of 0.35 +/- 0.05 micrometer. The apparent constants were dependent on the Ca2+ concentration, and were greater in 2.54 mM-Ca2+. The former values for the kinetic constants are similar to the muscarinic-receptor dissociation constant, which indicates that the binding of the agonist to the receptor may be rate-limiting in this series of reactions when the Ca2+ concentration is 0.75 mM.     

Comparison of the biochemical and kinetic properties of the type 1 receptor tyrosine kinase intracellular domains. Demonstration of differential sensitivity to kinase inhibitors.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), ErbB-2, and ErbB-4 are members of the type 1 receptor tyrosine kinase family. Overexpression of these receptors, especially ErbB-2 and EGFR, has been implicated in multiple forms of cancer. Inhibitors of EGFR tyrosine kinase activity are being evaluated clinically for cancer therapy. The potency and selectivity of these inhibitors may affect the efficacy and toxicity of therapy. Here we describe the expression, purification, and biochemical comparison of EGFR, ErbB-2, and ErbB-4 intracellular domains. Despite their high degree of sequence homology, the three enzymes have significantly different catalytic properties and substrate kinetics. For example, the catalytic activity of ErbB-2 is less stable than that of EGFR. ErbB-2 uses ATP-Mg as a substrate inefficiently compared with EGFR and ErbB-4. The three enzymes have very similar substrate preferences for three optimized peptide substrates, but differences in substrate synergies were observed. We have used the biochemical and kinetic parameters determined from these studies to develop an assay system that accurately measures inhibitor potency and selectivity between the type 1 receptor family. We report that the selectivity profile of molecules in the 4-anilinoquinazoline series can be modified through specific aniline substitutions. Moreover, these compounds have activity in whole cells that reflect the potency and selectivity of target inhibition determined with this assay system.     

Equilibrium competition binding assay: inhibition mechanism from a single dose response

Inhibition of a receptor by a small-molecule compound in many cases is achieved via a competitive, uncompetitive or non-competitive mechanism. The receptor-inhibitor interaction is often probed through the displacement of a ligand in an equilibrium competition binding experiment. The previous solutions to receptor inhibition mechanisms were borrowed from steady-state enzyme inhibition mechanisms. The inhibition mechanism is determined by a visual inspection or a global fit of ligand dose response curves at a series of inhibitor concentrations. However these solutions only apply to situations when both the ligand and the inhibitor are not significantly depleted by the receptor. In most published equilibrium receptor binding studies, only the relative potency of the inhibitor is calculated. Ranking inhibitors tested under differing experimental conditions is often not possible. In the current paper, we offer exact mathematical solutions to uncompetitive and non-competitive inhibition, and demonstrate that in most cases both the inhibition mechanism and absolute potency of an inhibitor can be simultaneously determined from a single dose response of the inhibitor at a fixed concentration of the ligand. Therefore, an equilibrium competition assay provides a quick and facile method to determine the inhibition mechanism of a large number of inhibitors. The theory herein described is applicable to equilibrium competition binding experiments such as radioligand assays and fluorescence polarization assays.     

In vitro characterization of skeletal muscle beta-adrenergic receptors coupled to adenylate cyclase.

[3H]Dihydroalprenolol, a potent beta-adrenergic antagonist, was used to identify the adenylate cyclase-coupled beta-adrenoceptors in isolated membranes of rat skeletal muscle. The receptor sites, as revealed by [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding, were predominantly localized in plasmalemmal fraction. That skeletal muscle fraction may also contain the plasmalemma of other intramuscular cells, especially that of blood vessels. Hence, the [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding observed in that fraction may be due partly to its binding to the plasmalemma of blood vessels. Small but consistent binding was also observed in sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. The level of [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding in different subcellular fractions closely correlated with the level of adenylate cyclase present in those fractions. The binding of [3H]dihydroalprenolol to plasmalemma exhibited saturation kinetics. The binding was rapid, reaching equilibrium within 5 min, and it was readily dissociable. From the kinetics of binding, association (K1) and dissociation (K2) rate constants of 2.21 . 10(7) M-1 . min-1 and 3.21 . 10(-1) min-1, respectively, were obtained. The dissociation constant (Kd) of 15 mM for [3H]dihydroalprenolol obtained from saturation binding data closely agreed with the Kd derived from the ratio of dissociation and association rate constants (K2/K1). Several beta-adrenergic agents known to be active on intact skeletal muscle also competed for [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding sites in isolated plasmalemma with essentially similar selectivity and stereospecificity. Catecholamines competed for [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding sites with a potency of isoproterenol greater than epinephrine greater than norepinephrine. A similar order of potency was noted for catecholamines in the activation of adenylate cyclase. Effects of catecholamines were stereospecific, (-)-isomers being more potent than (+)-isomers. Phenylephrine, an alpha-adrenergic agonist, showed no effect either on [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding or on adenylate cyclase. Known beta-adrenergic antagonists, propranolol and alprenolol, stereospecifically inhibited the [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding and the isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase. The Ki values for the antagonists determined from inhibition of [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding agreed closely with the Ki values obtained from the inhibition of adenylate cyclase. The data suggest that the binding of [3H]dihydroalprenolol in skeletal muscle membranes possess the characteristics of a substance binding to the beta-adrenergic receptor.     

Ligand-induced conformation changes in Torpedo californica membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor

A time-dependent increase in ligand affinity has been studied in cholinergic ligand binding to Torpedocalifornica acetylcholine receptor by inhibition of the kinetics of of [125I]-alpha-bungarotoxin-receptor complex formation. The conversion of the acetylcholine receptor from low to high affinity form was induced by both agonists and antagonists of acetylcholine and was reversible upon removal of the ligand. The slow ligand induced affinity change in vitro resembled electrophysiological desensitization observed at the neuromuscular junction and described by a two-state model (Katz, B., & Thesleff, S. (1957) J. Physiol. 138, 63). A quantitative treatment of the rate and equilibrium constants determined for binding of the agonist carbamoylcholine to membrane bound acetylcholine receptor indicated that the two-state model is not compatible with the in vitro results.     

Scintillation proximity assay (SPA) as a new approach to determine a ligand’s kinetic profile. A case in point for the adenosine A<Subscript>1</Subscript> receptor

Scintillation proximity assay (SPA) is a radio-isotopic technology format used to measure a wide range of biological interactions, including drug-target binding affinity studies. The assay is homogeneous in nature, as it relies on a “mix and measure” format. It does not involve a filtration step to separate bound from free ligand as is the case in a traditional receptor-binding assay. For G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), it has been shown that optimal binding kinetics, next to a high affinity of a ligand, can result in more desirable pharmacological profiles. However, traditional techniques to assess kinetic parameters tend to be cumbersome and laborious. We thus aimed to evaluate whether SPA can be an alternative platform for real-time receptor-binding kinetic measurements on GPCRs. To do so, we first validated the SPA technology for equilibrium binding studies on a prototypic class A GPCR, the human adenosine A₁ receptor (hA₁R). Differently to classic kinetic studies, the SPA technology allowed us to study binding kinetic processes almost real time, which is impossible in the filtration assay. To demonstrate the reliability of this technology for kinetic purposes, we performed the so-called competition association experiments. The association and dissociation rate constants (k _on and k _off) of unlabeled hA₁R ligands were reliably and quickly determined and agreed very well with the same parameters from a traditional filtration assay performed simultaneously. In conclusion, SPA is a very promising technique to determine the kinetic profile of the drug-target interaction. Its robustness and potential for high-throughput may render this technology a preferred choice for further kinetic studies.