Cytochemical demonstration of adenylate cyclase activity with cerium

Cerium was applied for the ultrastructural, cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1.). The enzyme activity was stimulated with norepinephrine, prenalterol and cholera toxin in the brown fat cells of newborn rats. The final reaction product was observed in the plasmalemmas of the stimulated adipocytes. The precipitate was finely crystalline, easily visible in the electron microscope and in the X-ray microprobe analysis it yielded cerium and phosphate peaks, respectively. The use of cerium offers a new tool valid for the cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase enzyme related to the membrane receptors.     

Cytochemical demonstration of adenylate cyclase with strontium chloride in the rat pancreas

A cytochemical procedure for the localization of adenylate cyclase with Sr2+ as the capture ion and adenylyl imidodiphosphate as the specific substrate was evaluated in the rat pancreas. Incubation medium was unaffected by the addition of 5 mM strontium ions but became turbid in the presence of lead or strontium plus 10 mM NaF. Tissues were prefixed in 2% formaldehyde/0.5% glutaraldehyde and incubated, and the cytochemical precipitate was converted to the Pb2+ salt. Enzymatic activity was demonstrated on the plasma membrane of pancreatic acinar cells and responded to stimulation by secretin. Controls frequently contained Pb2+ sequestered in mitochondria, but otherwise only a few randomly distributed grains were observed. The controls were 1) omission of substrate from the medium; 2) incubation of tissue for 1 min in complete medium; and 3) tissue previously inactivated by microwave irradiation and incubated for 30 min in complete medium including secretin.     

Cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase activity in rat olfactory cells

Summary Adenylate cyclase activity was demonstrated in the cilia, dendritic knob and axon of rat olfactory cells by using a strontium-based cytochemical method. The activity in the cilia and the dendritic knob was enhanced by non-hydrolyzable GTP (guanosine triphosphate) analogues and forskolin, and inhibited by Ca²⁺, all in agreement with biochemical reports of the odorant-sensitive adenylate cyclase. The results support the hypothesis of cyclic AMP working as a second messenger in olfactory transduction and imply that the transduction sites exist not only in the olfactory cilia but also in the dendritic knob. Enzymatic activity was also observed in the olfactory dendritic shaft by treating the tissue with 0.0002% Triton X-100, although the properties and role of the enzyme in this region are uncertain. The detergent inhibited the enzymatic activity in the cilia and the dendritic knob.     

Cytochemical demonstration of adenylate cyclase in cardiac muscle: effect of dimethyl sulfoxide.

Adenylate cyclase (AC) activity was evaluated after perfusion fixation of rat and dog myocardium with 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA), 2% glutaraldehyde (GA) or a combination of both, in cacodylate buffer. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was added to the fixatives and its effect on the preservation of cell organelles and enzyme activity was determined. Adenylate cyclase activity was preserved best after fixation with 4% paraformaldehyde but this fixative did not provide for optimal maintenance of structure. Prefixation with 2% glutaraldehyde and 5% dimethyl sulfoxide provided the most effective preservation of both structural and enzymatic integrity. Precipitation of lead diphosphoimide was the morphologic indicator of sites of adenylate cyclase activity. The most intense precipitate was in the lumen of junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum in close contact with T-tubules and in subsarcolemmal cisternae. Evidence of activity was also seen on the intracellular aspect of the sarcolemmal membrane and in the nexus segment of the intercalated discs. Alloxan was effective as an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase activity only if the concentration of the activating substance sodium fluoride (NaF) was 20 mM or lower.     

Cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase activity in the rat anterior pituitary

Summary The cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase was studied in relation to the secretory function of the anterior pituitary glands of male rats. The reaction product of adenylate cyclase was localized on the outside of plasma membranes, but was not detected intracellularly. High activity of adenylate cyclase was detected on somatotrophs and microvilli of follicular cells, whereas no activity was found on thyrotrophs or corticotrophs. Although most of the gonadotrophs showed little or no adenylate-cyclase activity, some was detected in a small number of gonadotrophs in the central portion of the gland. In somatotrophs, activity was not detected on the plasma membranes facing perivascular spaces where exocytotic extrusion of secretory granules was frequently observed, although the remaining areas of plasma membranes of the same somatotrophs were associated with high levels of adenylate-cyclase activity. These findings indicate that the association of a high level of adenylate-cyclase activity is not directly related to the ability of the plasma membranes to fuse with secretory granule membranes.     

Electron microscopical demonstration of adenylate cyclase activity in nervous tissue

Summary Adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) activity stimulated by norepinephrine and dopamine was demonstrated histochemically by electron microscopy in the cerebral cortex and caudate nucleus of the rat. The precipitating agent in the histochemical reaction was cobalt, which was shown biochemically to increase the adenylate cyclase activity. The reaction product was located in the synapses, being contiguous attached to the postsynaptic membrane. It was also located in the plasma membrane of some nerve fibers. Alloxan, the specific inhibitor of adenylate cyclase, inhibited the reaction in the cerebral cortex and caudate nucleus, and haloperidol had a somewhat similar effect in the caudate region.Supported by grants from the Medical Research Council in the Academy of Finland     

Electron microscopic demonstration of adenylate cyclase activity in rat cortical synaptosomes

Summary The electron cytochemical demonstration of adenylate cyclase activity was carried out in rat cortical synaptosomes. Reaction product was found in 60–70% of the synaptosomes in three predominant localizations: (i) on the postsynaptic density; (ii) on the outer aspect of the synaptosomal membrane; (iii) inside the synaptosome. Results suggest that in addition to postsynaptic localization adenylate cyclase activity is cytochemically demonstrable also at presynaptic sites.     

Cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase in bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes

The ultrastructural localization of adenylate cyclase was studied in bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes. Adenylate cyclase was observed on the plasma membrane of the oocyte and occasionally on the plasma membrane of cumulus cells. The cytochemical observations presented demonstrate that there is more adenylate cyclase in cumulus-oocyte complexes after in vitro stimulation with forskolin. The presence of adenylate cyclase upon the oocyte was more pronounced. In addition adenylate cyclase appeared to be localized on the cumulus cells, especially between junctional complexes of cumulus cells and on cumulus cell processes contacting the oocyte. The cumulus cells never showed the presence of adenylate cyclase in the absence of forskolin. No changes in the presence of adenylate cyclase were observed during in vitro meiotic maturation.     

Cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase activity in the theca folliculi of the mouse graafian follicle

Summary The adenylate cyclase activity in the theca folliculi of the mouse Graafian follicle was investigated using the electron microscopic cytochemistry. Deposits of reaction product are recognized on the plasma membrane of the fibroblast, theca cell and transitional cell from the fibroblast-like cell to the theca cell (partially or incompletely differentiated theca cell) after incubation with adenylyl-imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP) as an effective substrate for adenylate cyclase. This fact indicates that these cells have the receptor on the plasma membrane, and the adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP system is important for the steroid secretion or the collagen fiber production. It is difficult to clarify by this method the relationship between the adenylate cyclase activity and the functional differentiation of the theca cell.Supported by a grant from the Japanese Educational ministry     

Cytochemical studies of myocardial adenylate cyclase after its activation and inhibition

Incubation medium, as previously described (J Histochem Cytochem 27:774, 1979), was used to demonstrate the presence of adenylate cyclase (AC) in myocardium. NaF and ouabain were used to inhibit adenosine triphosphatases (ATP) and NaF and isoproterenol were used as activators of AC. The inhibitory effect of adenosine on AC was blocked by the addition of adenosine deaminase. The addition of tetramisol blocked the influence of the alkaline phosphatases on adenylyl imidodiphosphate hydrolysis. The use of these substances resulted in specific precipitation localized in junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum and sarcolemma. The reaction product was dramatically intensified after activation of AC by NaF or isoproterenol. Preincubation in 10-100 mM of propranolol, for 30 min, blocked AC stimulation by isoproterenol and prevented the appearance of the specific precipitate. The localization of specific precipitate in junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum and subsarcolemmal cisternae corresponds to the localization of Na+, K+ ATPase and may reflect the similar role that AC and Na+, K+ ATPase play in calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum of internal and peripheral couplings.     

Calmodulin regulation of adenylate cyclase activity

Calmodulin-dependent stimulation of adenylate cyclase was initially thought to be a unique feature of neural tissues. In recent years evidence to the contrary has accumulated, calmodulin-dependent stimulation of adenylate cyclase now being demonstrated in a wide range of structurally unrelated tissues and species. Demonstration of the existence of calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase has in nearly all instances required the removal of endogenous calmodulin. It is not yet clear whether calmodulin-dependent and calmodulin-independent forms of the enzyme exist and whether some tissues (such as heart) lack a calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase. The presence of calmodulin appears largely responsible for the ability of the adenylate cyclase enzyme to be stimulated by submicromolar concentrations of calcium; it may not be relevant to the inhibition of the enzyme which occurs at higher concentrations of calcium. The physical relationship of calmodulin to the plasma membrane bound enzyme (or to the soluble forms of the enzyme) is not known nor is the mechanism of adenylate cyclase activation by calmodulin clear; current data suggest some involvement with both the N and C units of the enzyme. Finally, it is possible that in vivo calcium contributes to the duration of the hormone stimulated cyclic AMP signal. Thus current in vitro data suggest that optimal hormonal activation of calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase occurs at very low intracellular calcium concentrations, comparable to those found in the resting cell; conversely the enzyme is inhibited as intracellular calcium increases, following for example agonist stimulation of the cell. These higher calcium concentrations would then activate calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase. Such differential effects of calcium on adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase would ultimately restrict the duration of the hormone-induced cyclic AMP signal.     

Pitfalls in the use of lead nitrate for the histochemical demonstration of adenylate cyclase activity

The biochemistry of the lead histochemical technique for demonstrating adenylate cyclase was studied. The enzyme activity of fat cell plasma membranes, using 5'-adenylyl-imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP) as substrate, was completely inhibited at 1 times 10- minus 4 M Pb(NO3)2 and yet at 4 times 10- minus 3 M Pb(NO3)2 precipitate could be demonstrated by electron microscopy on both sides of plasma membrane vesicles. No lead-diphosphoimide or lead-phosphate precipitate could be visualized by electron microscopy when the lead was reduced to a level (2 times 10- minus 5 M) which caused only 50% inhibition of the enzyme. A solubility product coefficient of 1 times 10- minus 10 M was found necessary to allow precipitation of lead-phosphate complex in the adenylate cyclase medium. Varying the ratio of substrate or dextran relative to the lead failed to protect the inhibition of the enzyme. Increasing concentrations of beta-mercaptoethanol restored the basal and stimulated activity of adenylate cyclase but also prevented the precipitation reaction. Lead at 2 times 10- minus 3 M caused the nonenzymatic hydrolysis of AMP-PNP, resulting in the production of small but significant quantities of cyclic AMP and substantial amounts of AMP. This hydrolysis was inhibited by alloxan but unaffected by dextran of NaF. The adenylate cyclase activity of pancreatic islet homogenates and of fat pad capillaries was completely inhibited by lead concentrations equal to or less than those used in histochemical studies (Howell, S. L., and M. Whitfield. 1972. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 20:873-879. and Wagner, R. C., P. Kreiner, R. J. Barrnett, and M. W. Bitensky. 1972. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69:3175-3179.). The present study shows that the lead histochemical method cannot be used for localization of adenylate cyclase because of the inhibition of the enzyme and artifacts produced by high lead concentrations and the inability to produce a visible precipitate at low lead concentrations which only partially inhibit the enzyme.     

Desensitization of turkey erythrocyte adenylate cyclase. Beta-adrenergic receptor phosphorylation is correlated with attenuation of adenylate cyclase activity

Preincubation of turkey erythrocytes with beta-adrenergic agonists leads to an attenuation of the responsiveness of adenylate cyclase to subsequent hormonal stimulation. Recently, our laboratory has shown (Stadel, J. M., Nambi, P., Shorr, R. G. L., Sawyer, D. D., Caron, M. G., and Lefkowitz, R. J. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 80, 3173-3177) using 32Pi incorporation that phosphorylation of the beta-adrenergic receptor accompanies this desensitization process. We now report that, as determined from intracellular [gamma-32P] ATP specific activity measurements, this phosphorylation reaction occurs in a stoichiometric fashion. Under basal conditions there exists 0.75 +/- 0.1 mol of phosphate per mol of receptor whereas under maximally desensitized conditions this ratio increases to 2.34 +/- 0.13 mol/mol. This phosphorylation of the receptor is dose-dependent with respect to isoproterenol and exhibits a dose-response curve coincidental with that for isoproterenol-induced desensitization of adenylate cyclase. The time courses for receptor phosphorylation and adenylate cyclase desensitization are identical. In addition, the rate of resensitization of adenylate cyclase activity is comparable to the rate of return of the phosphate/receptor stoichiometries to control levels. Both the phosphorylation and desensitization reactions are pharmacologically specific as indicated by the high degree of stereoselectivity, rank order of catecholamines, and blockade by the specific beta-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol. Incubation of turkey erythrocytes with cAMP and cAMP analogs maximally activates cAMP-dependent protein kinase but only partially mimics isoproterenol in promoting phosphorylation of the receptor in concordance with their partial effects in inducing desensitization. Conversely, activators or inhibitors of Ca2+/calmodulin kinase or protein kinase C do not affect the isoproterenol-induced desensitization. These results indicate that desensitization of turkey erythrocyte adenylate cyclase is highly correlated with phosphorylation of the beta-adrenergic receptor and that these events are mediated, at least partially, by cAMP.     

Impaired adenylate cyclase activity of phenylhydrazine-induced reticulocytes

A method which involves Percoll gradient centrifugation, is described for separating rabbit reticulocytes from other blood cells, including erythrocytes. This permits a quantitative comparison of the adenylate cyclase activity of reticulocyte membranes which had been induced either by bleeding (30% reticulocytosis) or by repeated injections of phenylhydrazine (90% reticulocytosis). Adenylate cyclase activity was greatly impaired on exposure to the hemolytic agent; total activity was reduced about 20-fold. However, a more selective loss was observed in terms of hormonal stimulation. Prostaglandin E1 was 2-fold more effective than either sodium fluoride or Forskolin in stimulating the enzyme from bled reticulocytes, whereas it was 3-fold less effective than either fluoride or Forskolin in the case of membranes from animals which had been exposed to phenylhydrazine. A stimulatory adenosine receptor was detectable only in reticulocytes which had not been treated with the hemolytic agent. These studies suggest that purified reticulocytes from bled animals represent the most suitable model system in which to study the maturation of red blood cells.     

Cytochemical localization of adenylate cyclase in the sodium-transporting epithelium isolated from frog skin

Summary A modified cytochemical technique with 5-adenylylimidodiphosphate as substrate, was used to examine the distribution of adenylate cyclase in cells comprising the transepithelial Na⁺ transport pathway in isolated frog skin epithelium. Particular attention was paid to the effects of fixation on the activity and localization of adenylate cyclase. Fixation in glutaraldehyde alone or in combination with paraformaldehyde reduced the amount of reaction product, while better results were obtained using unfixed tissues. Optimum results were obtained following stimulation of adenylate cyclase with forskolin and in the presence of specific metabolic inhibitors. Adenylate cyclase was localized in the basolateral membranes of the principal cells which constitute a functional syncytium for Na⁺ transport and was absent from the apical membranes of the outermost granulosum cells. This distribution is consistent with the transepithelial Na⁺ transport model and defines the functional morphology of the cells involved in Na⁺ transport across frog skin. The results are compatible with the process of Na⁺ re-absorption across other epithelial cells, verifying that frog skin is a convenient model-tissue to study Na⁺ transport mechanisms. Adenylate cyclase was also found in membranes of the mitochondria-rich cells, a minor and parallel Na⁺ transporting pathway.     

Atrial natriuretic factor inhibits adenylate cyclase activity

The synthetic atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) (8- 33AA ) inhibited adenylate cyclase activity in aorta washed particles, mesenteric artery, and renal artery homogenates in a concentration dependent manner with an apparent Ki between 0.1 to 1nM . The extent of inhibition of adenylate cyclase by ANF varied from tissue to tissue. The adenylate cyclase from mesenteric artery and renal artery was inhibited to a greater extent as compared to that from aorta. ANF was also able to inhibit the stimulatory effects of hormones on adenylate cyclase activity and of agents such as F- and forskolin which activate adenylate cyclase by receptor- independent mechanism. In addition, ANF showed an additive effect with the inhibitory response of angiotensin II on adenylate cyclase from rat aorta. These studies for the first time demonstrate that ANF is an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase of several systems.