In vivo regulation of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in Xenopus oocytes. Stimulation by insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1

Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was measured in vivo after microinjection of [3H]cAMP into intact Xenopus oocytes. This activity was inhibited by extracellular application of methylxanthines, and the dose-dependent inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity correlated with the abilities of isobutylmethylxanthine and theophylline to inhibit oocyte maturation induced by progesterone, with IC50 values of approximately 0.3 and 1.5 mM, respectively. Insulin stimulated in vivo phosphodiesterase activity measured after microinjection of 200 microM [3H]cAMP in a time- and dose-dependent fashion without affecting phosphodiesterase activity measured after microinjection of 2 microM [3H]cAMP. Although progesterone alone had no effect on in vivo phosphodiesterase activity, low concentrations of progesterone (0.01 microM) accelerated the time course of insulin stimulation of both phosphodiesterase activity and oocyte maturation. The EC50 for stimulation of in vivo phosphodiesterase activity by insulin correlated with the IC50 for inhibition of oocyte membrane adenylate cyclase activity measured in vitro (2 and 4 nM, respectively). Twenty-fold higher concentrations of insulin were required to stimulate oocyte maturation. In contrast, insulin-like growth factor 1 stimulated in vivo phosphodiesterase, inhibited in vitro adenylate cyclase, and induced oocyte maturation at concentrations of 0.3-1.0 nM. These results demonstrate a dual regulation of oocyte phosphodiesterase and adenylate cyclase by insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1.     

Cyclic AMP levels during the maturation of Xenopus oocytes

While several studies have suggested that the induction of oocyte maturation results from a transient decrease in cAMP levels, attempts to demonstrate such a change have led to inconsistent results with respect to whether or not a decrease occurs as well as timing of the decrease. In this report the results of experiments designed to demonstrate small changes in cAMP content in Xenopus laevis oocytes are presented and a statistically significant 20% decrease in cAMP content from between 2 and 50 min postprogesterone addition is found. The cAMP content subsequently rises to 12% higher than control levels and then becomes indistinguishable from control values for the remainder of the maturation period.     

Analysis of farnesyl transferase activity during hormone-induced maturation of Xenopus laevis oocytes

Preincubation of Xenopus laevis oocytes with insulin or insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) resulted in inhibition of farnesyl transferase (FTase) activity measured both in vivo (after microinjection of tritiated farnesyl pyrophosphate and Ras-CVIM into oocytes) and in extracts using a filtration assay. FTase activity measured in oocyte extracts was inhibited 55% after a 20 min treatment of oocytes with 1 microM insulin or 10 nM IGF-1. The apparent IC(50) for inhibition of oocyte FTase by IGF-1 is 0.3 nM. The observed decrease in FTase activity was apparently not due to translocation of enzyme from cytosol to membrane, since activities measured both in soluble extracts and resuspended crude pellets displayed comparable levels of inhibition following hormone treatment. Using a hexapeptide (TKCVIM) as substrate, FTase activity was also inhibited 65% when oocytes were pretreated with 10 nM IGF-1. Two FTase inhibitors [(alpha-hydroxyfarnesyl) phosphonic acid (HFPA) and chaetomellic acid A (CA)] effectively inhibited Xenopus oocyte FTase by 80-90% when added to assay mixtures (IC(50) values of 338 +/- 96 nM HFPA and 232 +/- 80 nM CA) or after incubation of oocytes in drug before preparation of soluble extracts for assay (IC(50) values of 7 +/- 6 nM HFPA and 328 +/- 128 nM CA). The farnesyl transferase inhibitors were observed to slow the time course of oocyte maturation but did not block the IGF-1-induced maturation response. J. Exp. Zool. 286:193-203, 2000.Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Endogenous phosphorylated proteins during maturation of Xenopus laevis oocytes

During the course of maturation of Xenopus laevis oocyte a burst of phosphorylation occurs around germinal vesicle breakdown. At the same time a relative drop in a unique phosphoprotein (protein I; mot wt ～40,000) is observed. Enucleation of [³²P] labeled oocytes has shown the cytoplasmic localization of protein I. Methylxanthines and cholera toxin, which inhibit progesterone-induced maturation, block the burst of phosphorylation and do not change the amount or the distribution of [³²P] phosphoproteins.     

Antibodies to the ras gene product inhibit adenylate cyclase and accelerate progesterone-induced cell division in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

Microinjection of monoclonal antibodies (lines 238, 172, and 259) directed against the ras gene product, p21, into Xenopus laevis oocytes accelerated progesterone-induced germinal vesicle breakdown. Antibody 238 had the greatest effect on the acceleration of progesterone-induced oocyte maturation, and this effect was correlated with in vitro inhibition of adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Inhibition of adenylate cyclase by antibody 238 was also measured in membranes prepared from oocytes pretreated with either cholera toxin or pertussis toxin. These results suggest a role for the ras gene product in the regulation of vertebrate cell adenylate cyclase activity.     

An insulin mediator preparation serves to stimulate the cyclic GMP activated cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase rather than other purified insulin-activated cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases

An insulin mediator preparation was obtained from rat hepatocytes which had been treated with insulin. This preparation inhibited adenylate cyclase activity. It stimulated the activity of homogeneous preparations of both the cytosolic and membrane-bound forms of rat liver cyclic GMP-activated cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. It failed to activate homogeneous preparations of both the peripheral plasma membrane and 'dense-vesicle' cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases. The insulin mediator preparation stimulated cyclic GMP-activated cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in a dose-dependent fashion with a hill coefficient of 0.46. Insulin caused the dose-dependent production of mediator activity in intact hepatocytes with a Ka of 9 pM, although concentrations of insulin greater than 10 nM progressively reduced stimulatory activity.     

Induction of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in Blastocladiella emersonii and its relation to cyclic AMP metabolism.

Extracts of vegetative cells of Blastocladiella emersonii contain 5% or less of the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in zoospore extracts. This difference in activity could be accounted for entirely by an increase in the differential rate of phosphodiesterase synthesis during sporulation, beginning after a lag period of about 60 min and extending for at least an additional 90 min into the 4-h sporulation process. To examine the relation between enzyme synthesis and cyclic nucleotide metabolicm, we determined the substrate specificity of phosphodiesterase synthesized during sporulation and partially purified from zoospores. Zoospore extracts contain two components, separable by gel filtration chromatography, with cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. The larger component accounts for 20% of the total activity and the smaller component for 80%. Both components show essentially an absolute substrate specificity for cyclic AMP among several cyclic purine and cyclic pyrimidine nucleotides tested. Nevertheless, we found no change in the total cyclic AMP content of sporulating cells before, during, or after enzyme activity increased. We speculate that some other component of cyclic AMP metabolism or function limits the rate of cyclic AMP hydrolysis in sporulating cells.     

The metabolism of cyclic nucleotides in the guinea-pig pancreas. Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase

Both cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase were recovered mainly from the supernatant fractions of guinea-pig pancreas, but a higher proportion of the activity of the former was associated with the pellet fractions. The activities in the supernatant were not separated by gel filtration, but were clearly separated by subsequent chromatography on an anion-exchange resin. The activities of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase had high-affinity (K_m 6.5±1.1μm and 31.9±3.9μm respectively) and low-affinity (K_m 0.56±0.05mm and 0.32±0.03mm respectively) components. The activity of neither enzyme was affected by the pancreatic secretogens, cholecystokinin-pancreozymin, secretin and carbachol. Removal of ions by gel filtration resulted in a marked reduction in cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity, which could be restored by addition of Mg²⁺. Mn²⁺ (3mm) was as effective as Mg²⁺ (3mm) in the case of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, but was less than half as effective in the case of cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase. The metal-ion chelators, EDTA and EGTA, also decreased activity. Ca²⁺ (1mm) did not affect the activity of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase when the concentration of Mg²⁺ was 3mm. At concentrations of Mg²⁺ between 0.1 and 1mm, 1mm-Ca²⁺ was activatory, and at concentrations of Mg²⁺ below 0.1mm, 1mm-Ca²⁺ was inhibitory. These results are discussed in terms of the possible significance of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in the physiological control of cyclic nucleotide concentrations during stimulus–secretion coupling.     

Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activities of rat mammary tissue.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity in mammary tissue from rats in midlactation was resolved by DEAE-cellulose chromatography into three functionally distinct fractions: a Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase, a cyclic GMP-stimulated low-affinity cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, and a high-affinity cyclic AMP-specific phosphodiesterase. The absolute activities and relative proportions of high- and low-affinity enzymes resemble those found, for example, in liver, as distinct from those in excitable tissues. Three functional characteristics are described which are peculiar to mammary-tissue phosphodiesterases. Firstly, the concentration of free Ca2+ required to achieve half-maximal activation of the Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated phosphodiesterase is somewhat higher than for the analogous enzyme in other tissues; secondly, the activity of this enzyme towards cyclic AMP relative to that towards cyclic GMP is unusually low, and thirdly, the low-affinity cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase is inhibited by low concentrations of free Ca2+.     

Adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids.

Adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP (cAMP) phosphodiesterase have been identified and partially characterized in bacteroids of Bradyrhizobium japonicum 3I1b-143. Adenylate cyclase activity was found in the bacteroid membrane fraction, whereas cAMP phosphodiesterase activity was located in both the membrane and the cytosol. In contrast to other microorganisms, B. japonicum adenylate cyclase remained firmly bound to the membrane during treatment with detergents. Adenylate cyclase was activated four- to fivefold by 0.01% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), whereas other detergents gave only slight activation. SDS had no effect on the membrane-bound cAMP phosphodiesterase but strongly inhibited the soluble enzyme, indicating that the two enzymes are different. All three enzymes were characterized by their kinetic constants, pH optima, and divalent metal ion requirements. With increasing nodule age, adenylate cyclase activity increased, the membrane-bound cAMP phosphodiesterase decreased, and the soluble cAMP phosphodiesterase remained largely unchanged. These results suggest that cAMP plays a role in symbiosis.     

A rapid batch assay for cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase.

A simple new assay for cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase has been devised. The assay uses tritiated cyclic AMP as a substrate and measures the radioactivity present in the reaction product 5′-AMP. The samples are spotted on PEI-cellulose and then washed batchwise with 10–12 mm LiCl. Under these conditions, over 99,9% of the cyclic AMP is removed, while about 50% of the 5′-AMP product remains. The assay is very rapid and is sultable for hundreds of samples. The assay has been used for following cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity from Myxococcus xanthus on native polyacrylamide gels and for screening mutagenized colonies for enzyme activity.     

Failure of gonadotropins to induce in vitro maturation of mouse oocytes treated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP.

In sufficient concentration, dibutyryl cAMP (DBC) prevents the spontaneous in vitro maturation of mouse oocytes. The effects of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) on this inhibition were tested in an oil-free chamber-slide culture system. Mouse oocytes devoid of cumulus cells were incubated in the presence of DBC and/or gonadotropins. Oocytes cultured with follicle cells were similarly treated. Whether follicle cells were present or absent, DBC (100 or 500 mug/ml) prevented germinal vesicle breakdown in more than 95% of the oocytes cultured. Neither LH nor FSH in a wide range of concentrations acted directly on the oocytes or indirectly through the follicle cells to initiate maturation in oocytes incubated with 100 mug DBC/ml. The combination of LH (5 mug/ml) and FSH (10 mug/ml) was also ineffective in overcoming the block induced by either 100 or 50 mug DBC/ml. Maturation of oocytes in each of the DBC-free LH or FSH treatments was comparable to that occurring in control medium which did not contain exogenous gonadotropins or DBC. It was concluded that cultured oocytes treated with DBC are not a satisfactory model for studying the steps by which gonadotropins trigger the resumption of meiosis in mammalian oocytes.     

Calmodulin-dependent high-affinity cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in liver membranes

Plasma membranes from hamster liver were prepared by differential and continuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. The membranes contained a low K_m cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (EC 3.5. lc) and calmodulin. The activity of the membrane phospho-diesterase was reduced with EGTA and LaCl₃. The membrane low K_m cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was solubilized with Triton X-100 and then chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose to remove calmodulin. After elution, phosphodiesterase was stimulated with exogenous calmodulin; this activation was blocked with EGTA. Thus a low K_m cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase has been shown to be dependent on calmodulin for “maximal” activity.     

Protein kinase C and progesterone-induced maturation in Xenopus oocytes

Though progesterone-induced maturation has been studied extensively in Xenopus oocytes, the mechanism whereby the prophase block arrest is released is not well understood. The current hypothesis suggests that a reduction in cAMP and subsequent inactivation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase is responsible for reentry into the cell cycle. However, several lines of evidence indicate that maturation can be induced without a concomitant reduction in cAMP. We show that the mass of diacylglycerol in whole oocytes and plasma membranes decreases 29% and 10% respectively, within the first 15 sec after the addition of progesterone. Diacylglycerol in plasma membranes further decreased 59% by 5 min. We also show that the protein kinase C inhibitors sphingosine and staurosporine can induce oocyte maturation. In addition, the synthetic diglyceride, DiC8, and microinjected PKC can inhibit or delay progesterone-induced maturation. These results together suggest that a transient decrease in protein kinase C activity may regulate entry into the cell cycle. The mechanism whereby DAG is decreased in response to progesterone is unclear. Initial studies show that progesterone leads to a decrease in IP3 suggesting that progesterone may act by reducing the hydrolysis of PIP2. On the other hand, progesterone caused a decrease in the amount of [3H]arachidonate labelling in DAG during the same time suggesting that progesterone may stimulate lipase activity. The relationship between postulated changes in the PKC pathway and those hypothesized for the PKA pathway are discussed.     

Induction of maturation in small Xenopus laevis oocytes

The competence of Xenopus laevis oocytes in various stages of growth to respond to progesterone treatment was investigated. Full-grown (stage 6) oocytes undergo nuclear membrane dissolution and resume meiosis in response to progesterone exposure, while smaller oocytes (stages 3-5; less than 1100 micron in diameter) do not. The defect which prevents 750- to 1050-micron oocytes from responding to progesterone can be overcome by microinjecting cytoplasm withdrawn from a stage 6 oocyte. Germinal vesicle breakdown in these small oocytes occurs on a timetable similar to that of stage 6 oocytes exposed to progesterone and is accompanied by a twofold increase in protein synthesis as well as the activation of MPF. The results argue that a cytoplasmic factor(s) which probably first appears at late stage 5 is required for progesterone responsiveness. The identity and role of the factor(s) in the development of maturation competence and the regulation of maternal mRNA translation are discussed.     

Hormonally sensitive cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in liver cells. An ecto-enzyme

Ecto-cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was determined from freshly isolated and cultured liver cells. The cells were capable of hydrolyzing cyclic AMP in the medium. The ecto-phosphodiesterase represents a low Km phosphodiesterase which was activated by physiological concentrations of insulin. The product, 5'-AMP, was recovered in the medium and not with the cells. The enzyme was inhibited with aminophylline and trypsin. The ecto-phosphodiesterase activity was proportional to cell number, and total phosphodiesterase activity increased 5- to 10-fold when the cells were ruptured. About one-third of the ecto-phosphodiesterase activity from freshly isolated liver was due to phosphodiesterase in the medium. No phosphodiesterase was in the medium of cultured liver cells.     

Subcellular localization and hormone sensitivity of adipocyte cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase.

Treatment of intact adipocytes with either or both insulin and adrenaline stimulated membrane cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity only in the endoplasmic reticulum subfraction. The cyclic GMP-inhibited cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was also found in this fraction. Quantitative Western blotting using a specific polyclonal antibody, raised against the homogeneous 'dense-vesicle' cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase from rat liver, identified a single 63 kDa species which was localized in the adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum fraction. The ability of adrenaline to stimulate adipocyte membrane cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was shown to be mediated via beta-adrenoceptors and not alpha 1-adrenoceptors. Membrane cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was stimulated by glucagon but not by vasopressin, A23187 or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Treatment of adipocytes with either chloroquine or dansyl cadaverine failed to affect the ability of insulin to stimulate cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. Treatment of an isolated adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum membrane fraction with purified protein kinase A increased its cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity some 2-fold. When this fraction was treated with purified protein kinase A and [32P]ATP, label was incorporated into a 63 kDa protein which was specifically immunoprecipitated with the antiserum against the liver 'dense-vesicle' cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase.     

Properties and distribution of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase from rat liver.

1. Phosphodiesterase activity in rat liver supernatant and solubilized rat liver particulate fractions was chromatographed on Q Sepharose and several characteristics of each peak determined. 2. Rat liver supernatant contained four peaks of activity. The first two of these corresponded to type I and II phosphodiesterases. The fourth peaks was similar to a type V activity and the third peak could not be definitely classified. 3. Particulate activity solubilized by mild protease treatment also contained four peaks of activity. The first two corresponded to the first two from the supernatant, the fourth was a type IV enzyme which is the insulin activated phosphodiesterase. The third peak could not be definitely characterized. 4. Particulate activity solubilised by Triton X-100 contained three peaks. Two had the properties of a type IV enzyme but only one of these was immunologically identified as the insulin sensitive enzyme. The remaining activity was similar to the chymotrypsin peak 3 activity. 5. Most of the particulate phosphodiesterase of rat liver is found in a microsomal fraction, and most is the insulin sensitive type IV enzyme.     

Proteolytic activation and solubilization of endoplasmic-reticulum cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity.

Dithiothreitol led to the activation and solubilization of the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities associated with the smooth and various rough subfractions of rat liver endoplasmic reticulum. The activity in each of the subfractions exhibited somewhat different time courses, and sensitivities to dithiothreitol concentration, in respect of their solubilization and activation. Both activation and solubilization by dithiothreitol could be blocked by either thiol proteinase inhibitors or excess bovine serum albumin. Freeze-thaw solubilization was not blocked by the thiol proteinase inhibitor antipain and did not lead to the activation of the enzyme. After dithiothreitol-induced solubilization, all of the enzymes exhibited non-linear Lineweaver-Burk plots indicative of apparent negative co-operativity. In contrast, after freeze-thaw solubilization the enzyme in the smooth-endoplasmic-reticulum-plus-Golgi fraction still obeys Michaelis kinetics, as does the membrane-bound enzyme. It is possible to mimic the action of dithiothreitol in solubilizing and activating the enzyme by limited proteolysis with trypsin. Triton X-100 is highly efficient at solubilizing these enzymes, yet has little effect on their activities. Charged detergents exhibit highly selective effects on the enzymes as regards their solubilization and activity expressed.     

Differential effects of testosterone and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on the meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes in vitro

Fully grown, meiotically immature mouse oocytes were isolated and cultured under varying conditions with the aim of determining a) whether the inhibitory effects of testosterone on oocyte meiotic maturation require the synthesis of new oocyte proteins and b) if the meiosis-inhibiting effects of testosterone and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) are distinct and can be differentiated. We found that the inclusion of puromycin in culture medium containing testosterone has no effect on the meiosis-inhibiting potency of testosterone or upon the reversibility of testosterone effects. We conclude that testosterone inhibits oocyte meiosis by a mechanism that is independent of protein synthesis. We also found that oocytes exposed to testosterone recover more rapidly, as evidenced by the timing of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) following placement in a control medium, than do oocytes exposed to dbcAMP. Through further investigation of this phenomenon we have determined the sequence of testosterone and dbcAMP effects relative to the time course of GVBD. A testosterone-sensitive event occurs 20 min prior to GVBD, while the dbcAMP-sensitive event precedes GVBD by 41 min. The nature of this difference may involve the differential interaction of testosterone and dbcAMP with a set of puromycin-sensitive proteins that are required for GVBD. When oocytes were initially cultured in medium containing both puromycin and either testosterone or dbcAMP and then moved to medium containing puromycin alone the incidence of GVBD was reduced relative to oocytes never exposed to puromycin. This observation suggests that mouse oocytes contain proteins that are required for GVBD and that experience a high turnover rate. The degree of reduction in GVBD was a function of the length of puromycin exposure and was significantly greater in dbcAMP- than in testosterone-exposed oocytes. If oocytes were initially cultured in medium containing puromycin and dbcAMP, the rate of GVBD upon removal of dbcAMP was initially slow but increased with time. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that dbcAMP inhibits oocytes at a point prior to the functioning of the puromycin-sensitive proteins. However, if oocytes were cultured in medium containing puromycin and testosterone the rate of GVBD following testosterone removal was not significantly reduced relative to oocytes that were not exposed to puromycin. This observation suggests that testosterone acts to inhibit meiosis at a site beyond the function of the puromycin-sensitive proteins or that testosterone causes a reduction in the turnover rate of these proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)