Effects of Reserpine and Tetrabenazine on Catecholamine and ATP Storage in Cultured Bovine Adrenal Medullary Chromaffin Cells

The in vivo storage relationship between catecholamines and ATP in chromaffin vesicles of cultured bovine adrenal medulla cells was investigated using drugs that block vesicular catecholamine uptake. Three-day treatments with reserpine and tetrabenazine causing 85-90% depletion of catecholamines resulted in 41-46% reductions in cellular ATP content. Subcellular fractionation of reserpine-treated cells indicated that the ATP is lost from the chromaffin vesicle pool. This was confirmed in experiments using metabolic inhibitors to differentiate the vesicular and extravesicular ATP pools. The vesicular ATP loss was not proportional to that of catecholamines, resulting in a reduction by 50% in the chromaffin vesicle mole ratio of catecholamines to ATP after 48 h of treatment. In metabolic labeling studies, it was found that reserpine treatment reduced the incorporation of [3H]adenosine into vesicular ATP selectively, but it reduced the incorporation of 32Pi into both the vesicular and extravesicular pools. The reduction of the [3H]adenosine incorporation was not due to diminished vesicular nucleotide uptake resulting from low catecholamine levels, because when the catecholamines were depleted by tetrabenazine pretreatment followed by removal of the drug before labeling, no reduction in [3H]adenosine incorporation was observed. When present during the labeling, tetrabenazine was found to be a reversible inhibitor of plasma membrane adenosine uptake. The observed loss of adenine nucleotides from catecholamine-depleted chromaffin vesicles in vivo provides evidence that interactions between ATP and catecholamines are important in the vesicular storage of high concentration of these compounds.     

Turnover and Storage of Newly Synthesized Adenine Nucleotides in Bovine Adrenal Medullary Cell Cultures

The adenine nucleotide stores of cultured adrenal medullary cells were radiolabeled by incubating the cells with 32Pi and [3H]adenosine and the turnover, subcellular distribution, and secretion of the nucleotides were examined. ATP represented 84-88% of the labeled adenine nucleotides, ADP 11-13%, and AMP 1-3%. The turnover of 32P-adenine nucleotides and 3H-nucleotides was biphasic and virtually identical; there was an initial fast phase with a t1/2 of 3.5-4.5 h and a slow phase with a half-life varying from 7 to 17 days, depending upon the particular cell preparation. The t1/2 of the slow phase for labeled adenine nucleotides was the same as that for the turnover of labeled catecholamines. The subcellular distribution of labeled adenine nucleotides provides evidence that there are at least two pools of adenine nucleotides which make up the component with the long half-life. One pool, which contains the bulk of endogenous nucleotides (75% of the total), is present within the chromaffin vesicles; the subcellular localization of the second pool has not been identified. The studies also show that [3H]ATP and [32P]ATP are distributed differently within the cell; 3 days after labeling 75% of the [32P]ATP was present in chromaffin vesicles while only 35% of the [3H]ATP was present in chromaffin vesicles. Evidence for two pools of ATP with long half-lives and for the differential distribution of [32P]ATP and [3H]ATP was also obtained from secretion studies. Stimulation of cell cultures with nicotine or scorpion venom 24 h after labeling with [3H]adenosine and 32Pi released relatively twice as much catecholamine as 32P-labeled compounds and relatively three times as much catecholamine as 3H-labeled compounds.     

Transfer of adenine nucleotides between the releasable and nonreleasable compartments of rabbit blood platelets

The metabolic pool of adenine nucleotides in platelets can be labeled by incubating platelets for 1 h in vitro with [14C]adenosine or [32P]orthophosphate. When these platelets are treated with thrombin, the adenine nucleotides released are not labeled. Because of this, Holmsen's suggestion of a metabolically inert pool of granule nucleotides has been generally accepted. We have found that upon incubation of labeled rabbit platelets for longer times (up to 6 h) in vitro, or upon reinjection and reharvesting at times up to 66 h, the releasable pool of adenine nucleotides becomes labeled. Because the rates of 32p and 14C incorporation into this releasable pool are similar, it seems likely that these labels enter the granules as ATP. Equilibrium between the metabolic and granule pools is complete by 18 h. When rabbit platelets are labeled in vivo by intravenous injection of [32P]orthophosphate, peak labeling occurs between 60 and 70 h; this corresponds to their maturation time. The platelets probably incorporate 32P during their production in the megakaryocytes. The specific radioactivity of the adenine nucleotides in the releasable (granule) pool of these platelets is the same as the specific radioactivity in the nonreleasable (metabolic) pool. Since inorganic phosphate in platelets (and undoubtedly in the megakaryocytes) exchanges with inorganic phosphate in plasma, and since the radioactivity of the latter decreases rapidly, the adenine nucleotides in the two pools must exchange to maintain the same specific radioactivity. Transfer of adenine nucleotides into storage granules may represent a general phenomenon because it has been observed in the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla also.     

Protein phosphorylation in intact bovine epididymal spermatozoa: identification of the type II regulatory subunit of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase as an endogenous phosphoprotein

An obstacle to the study of protein phosphorylation in mammalian spermatozoa has been the inability to incorporate sufficient amounts of 32Pi into cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (Babcock et al., 1975). We report conditions under which 32Pi is effectively incorporated into the ATP of intact bovine spermatozoa. In the presence of a bicarbonate-buffered medium containing glucose, spermatozoa incorporated 32P into intracellular ATP in a time-dependent manner; after 2 h of incubation, the specific activity of [gamma-32P]ATP (2.3 X 10(4) cpm/nmol ATP) was estimated to be 50-65% of the specific activity of the intracellular phosphate pool. In the absence of glucose or other added substrates, the specific activity of [gamma-32P]ATP was 10-25% that of the specific activity observed in the presence of glucose. Washed spermatozoa incubated in carrier-free 32Pi for 2 h at 37 degrees C, and solubilized in a solution containing final concentrations of 6.8 M urea, 6% NP4O, and 5% beta-mercaptoethanol contained in excess of 40 32Pi-labeled proteins as assessed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Major phosphoproteins had approximate molecular weights of 93,000, 40,000, and 22,000. A different two-dimensional gel pattern was observed when cells were extracted with a solution containing 38.5 mM 2[N-cyclohexylamino] ethanesulfonic acid (CHES), pH 9.5/1.5% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) at 100 degrees C. In contrast to the urea/Nonidet P-40 (NP40)/beta-mercaptoethanol extract, a 56,000 Mr phosphoprotein represented a major component while the 40,000 Mr and several of the 22,000 Mr polypeptides were markedly reduced in radioactive intensity. The 56,000 Mr species present in the CHES/SDS extract comigrated with the purified, phosphorylated regulatory subunit (RII) of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase from bovine heart. Antibodies to RII immunoprecipitated a 56,000 Mr, 32P-labeled polypeptide from the CHES/SDS extract that comigrated with purified, [32P] RII after two-dimensional electrophoresis. RII, then, appears to represent one of the endogenous phosphoproteins of intact bovine epididymal spermatozoa.     

Relationship of ATP Turnover, Polyphosphoinositide Metabolism, and Protein Phosphorylation in Sciatic Nerve and Derived Peripheral Myelin Subfractions from Normal and Streptozotocin Diabetic Rats

Sciatic nerve from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats has previously been shown to incorporate more 32P into phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and the principal myelin proteins than normal nerve. In the present study, labeling of ATP and PIP2 was compared. Using nerve segments, [gamma-32P]ATP specific activity reached a plateau after incubation for 4 h with [32P]orthophosphate, whereas the specific activity of [32P]PIP2 rose much more slowly and was still increasing after 8 h. The rate of disappearance of radioactivity from prelabeled ATP was biphasic, with 75% being lost within 30 min and the remainder declining much more slowly for several hours thereafter. In contrast, no decrease in prelabeled PIP2 radioactivity could be detected for up to 4 h. The kinetics of ATP metabolism were not appreciably different for normal and diabetic nerve. However, after incubation with [32P]orthophosphate for 2 h, the specific activity of PIP2 was 50-120% higher in diabetic nerve. This phenomenon, therefore, cannot be ascribed to altered specific activity of the ATP precursor pool. Greater labeling of PIP2 in 32P-labeled diabetic nerve was present in purified myelin isolated using a simple discontinuous sucrose density gradient, but not in a "nonmyelin" fraction. When nerve homogenate was fractionated on a more complex gradient, three myelin-enriched subfractions were obtained which were heterogeneous as judged by morphological appearance, protein profile, and lipid metabolic activity. The proportion of total lipid radioactivity accounted for by PIP2 was elevated in all the subfractions relative to the homogenate. As compared to myelin subfractions from normal nerve, an increased percentage of 32P in PIP2 was obtained only in the major myelin subfraction from diabetic nerve. The phosphorylation of P0 relative to the other myelin proteins was also enhanced in this subfraction in nerve from diabetic animals.     

Action of insulin on the subcellular metabolism of polyphosphoinositides in isolated rat hepatocytes

The effect of insulin on 32Pi incorporation into phospholipids in various subcellular sites of isolated rat hepatocytes was investigated. After labeling the phospholipids of hepatocytes from rats previously starved for 24 h with 32Pi (10 mu Ci/10(6) cells) for 90 min, either saline or insulin (32 nM) was added. Following incubations of 1, 5, and 30 min, chilled cells were rapidly washed, homogenized in the presence of inhibitors of phospholipid degradation, and fractionated into the major subcellular organelles. Phospholipids were extracted from plasma membranes, microsomes, lysosomes, mitochondria, and nuclei with acidic chloroform:methanol. The aqueous deacylation products were separated by anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography, and the 32Pi incorporated into all the major diacylglycerophospholipids was determined. In parallel experiments, the specific radioactivity of 32Pi and [gamma-32P]ATP was determined. The results revealed that insulin had no effect on the turnover of the major phospholipids, including the polyphosphoinositides, of all subcellular compartments analyzed relative to the control. In addition, there were no significant differences in the amount and 32P labeling of cellular orthophosphate between saline- and insulin-treated cells. The specific radioactivity of [gamma-32P]ATP was increased by 20% after 30-min treatment with insulin, requiring appropriate correction of 32P-labeled phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate for estimation of mass changes at near steady-state labeling of cellular ATP.     

Influence of Bradykinin on Diacylglycerol and Phosphatidic Acid Accumulation in Cultured Bovine Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

Earlier studies have shown that bradykinin stimulated release of catecholamines from chromaffin cells by an influx of calcium through dihydropyridine-insensitive channels, and also that bradykinin stimulated (poly)phosphoinositide hydrolysis. To investigate membrane-bound second messengers in chromaffin cells, and to elucidate any role these may play in stimulus-secretion coupling, we have studied the influence of bradykinin on diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid (PA). Using equilibrium labelling of primary cultures of chromaffin cells with [3H]arachidonic acid or [3H]glycerol, we found no influence of bradykinin (10 nM) on labelled diacylglycerol formation, either in the presence or absence of inhibitors of diacylglycerol lipase or kinase. However, when we used cells prelabelled with 32Pi for 2.5 h, we found that bradykinin produced a substantial stimulation of label found in PA, with an EC50 value of about 1 nM. This bradykinin stimulation of [32P]PA formation was only partially dependent on extracellular calcium, in contrast to the smaller response to nicotine, which was completely dependent on extracellular calcium. Short (10 min) pretreatment with tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) almost completely eliminated the bradykinin-stimulated formation of inositol phosphates, but failed to affect bradykinin stimulation of label in PA, suggesting that PA production in response to bradykinin is not downstream of phospholipase C activation. TPA alone failed to stimulate [32P]PA substantially, whereas long-term (24 or 48 h) treatment with TPA failed to attenuate the response to bradykinin. Diacylglycerol kinase inhibitors were also without effect on the bradykinin stimulation of [32P]PA. These results suggest that bradykinin stimulates PA production by a mechanism independent of the activation of protein kinase C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification and properties of a vanadate- and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive ATPase from chromaffin granule membranes

A vanadate- and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive ATPase was purified about 500-fold from chromaffin granule membranes. The purified preparation contained a single major polypeptide with an apparent molecular mass of about 115 kDa, which was copurified with the ATPase activity. Immunological studies revealed that this polypeptide has no relation to subunit I (115 kDa) of the H+-ATPase from chromaffin granules. The ATPase activity of the enzyme is inhibited about 50% by 100 microM N-ethylmaleimide or 5 microM vanadate. The enzyme is not sensitive to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, ouabain, SCH28080, and omeprazole, which distinguishes it from Na+/K+-ATPase and the gastric K+/H+-ATPase. ATP and 2-deoxy ATP are equally effective substrates for the enzyme. However, the enzyme exhibited only 10% activity with GTP as a substrate. UV illumination of the purified enzyme in the presence of [alpha-32P]ATP exclusively labeled the 115 kDa protein. This labeling was increased by Mg2+ and strongly inhibited by Ca2+ ions. Similarly, the ATPase activity was dependent on Mg2+ and inhibited by the presence of Ca2+ ions. The ATPase activity of the enzyme was largely insensitive to monovalent anions and cations, except for F-, which inhibited the vanadate-sensitive ATPase. Incubation of the enzyme in the presence of [14C]N-ethylmaleimide labeled the 115-kDa polypeptide, and this labeling could be prevented by the addition of ATP during the incubation. A reciprocal experiment showed that preincubation with N-ethylmaleimide inhibited the labeling of the 115-kDa polypeptide by [alpha-32P]ATP by UV illumination. This suggests a close proximity between the ATP-binding site and an essential sulfhydryl group. A possible connection between the isolated ATPase and organelle movement is discussed.     

Characterization of structural domains of the human epidermal growth factor receptor obtained by partial proteolysis

Partial cleavage with trypsin has been used to study the structure of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor purified from human carcinoma cells. Following affinity labeling of the receptor with 125I-EGF or the ATP analogue 5'-p-fluorosulfonyl benzoyl[14C]adenosine, metabolic labeling with [35S]methionine, [3H]glucosamine, or [32P]orthophosphate, or in vitro autophosphorylation with [gamma-32P]ATP, tryptic cleavage defines the following three regions of the 180-kDa receptor protein: 1) a 125-kDa trypsin-resistant domain which contains sites of glycosylation, EGF binding, and an EGF-specific threonine phosphorylation site; 2) an adjacent 40-kDa fragment which contains serine and threonine phosphorylation sites and is further cleaved to a 30-kDa trypsin-resistant domain; and 3) a terminal 15-kDa portion of the receptor that contains the sites of tyrosine phosphorylation and is degraded to small fragments in the presence of trypsin. Both the 125- and 40-kDa regions of the EGF receptor appear to be required for receptor-associated protein kinase activity since separation of these regions by tryptic cleavage abolishes this activity, and both regions are specifically labeled with an ATP affinity analogue, suggesting that both are involved in ATP binding. Additional 63- and 48-kDa phosphorylated fragments are generated upon trypsin treatment of EGF receptor from EGF-treated cells. The potential usefulness of partial tryptic cleavage in studying the EGF receptor and the possible biological function of the 30-kDa trypsin-resistant fragment of the receptor are discussed.     

Changes in histone phosphorylation and associated early metabolic events in pig lymphocyte cultures transformed by phytohaemagglutinin or 6-N,2′-O-dibutyryladenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate

1. Pig lymphocytes were transformed by dibutyryl cyclic AMP (6-N,2'-O-dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate) at concentrations of 0.01-0.1mum. The pattern of incorporation of label from [5-(3)H]uridine and [6-(3)H]thymidine into RNA and DNA respectively was identical with that obtained with unpurified phytohaemagglutinin. 2. Chlorpromazine (0.1mum) prevented the stimulation of [5-(3)H]uridine incorporation into RNA by phytohaemagglutinin, but only slightly lowered the lymphocyte response to dibutyryl cyclic AMP. 3. An increase in the size and specific radioactivity of the intracellular P(i) pool was found immediately after stimulation by both phytohaemagglutinin and dibutyryl cyclic AMP. This was followed after some 30min by a rise in the specific radioactivity and concentration of ATP. 4. There was an immediate increase in the specific radioactivity of phosphate groups of histones; by about 45min after stimulation only the histones remaining after extraction of histone fraction F1 continued to incorporate (32)P from [(32)P]P(i). 5. Histone kinase activity increased in the first 30min after stimulation; subsequently histone F1 kinase activity decreased, but activity with the other histones as substrate continued to increase for a further 30min. Kinase activation was effected by cyclic AMP (adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate). 6. Histone phosphatase activity behaved similarly to that of the kinase.     

Endogenous surface phosphorylation reactions and ectokinase activity in the guinea pig T lymphocyte

The guinea pig T lymphocyte, known to interact with other cells via direct cell-to-cell contact, exhibits endogenous surface kinase activity as reflected by the appearance of four major labeled bands in autoradiographs of dried sodium dodecyl sulfate (NaDoSO4)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels when intact cells are briefly exposed to micromolar concentrations of [gamma-32P]ATP followed immediately by solubilization with NaDoSO4 to terminate the reaction. This pattern differs from the labeling of intracellular components which is seen when intact cells are incubated with 32PO4 to generate intracellular [gamma-32P]ATP when only two major labeled bands of protein with different molecular weights are seen. Of a number of modulators of lymphocyte function tested, cyclic GMP and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) caused additional bands to appear in cells exposed to [gamma-32P]ATP. The labeling of added casein was catalyzed by intact cells harvested 4 weeks after injection of animals with Freund's complete adjuvant but not earlier. These findings indicate that plasma membrane kinase activity of guinea pig T lymphocytes is accessible to the extracellular environs (ectokinase activity) and to endogenous surface substrates and that the limitation for such reactions is the availability of ATP in the extracellular component. In view of the number of circumstances under which ATP could appear outside of cells for brief periods of time, these reactions could well take place in vivo.     

Phosphorylation of ATP citrate lyase in response to glucagon.

Incubation of hepatocytes with [32P]orthophosphate resulted in the incorporation of 32P into material that is precipitated by reaction with antibodies to ATP citrate lyase. The amount of radioactivity precipitated was decreased when unlabeled, purified ATP citrate lyase was added to extracts of hepatocytes that had been incubated with [32P]orthophosphate. Addition of glucagon to hepatocytes that had been preincubated with [32P]orthophosphate resulted in a 56% increase in acid-stable 32P in the trichloroacetic acid-insoluble portion of immunoprecipitates. Catalytic phosphate bound to ATP citrate lyase reaction with ATP and Mg2+ is acid-labile; thus, glucagon-dependent phosphorylation is distinguished from the catalytic phosphate. When hepatocytes were incubated in the absence of [32P]orthophosphate and extracted in a medium containing [gamma-32P]ATP, no acid-stable 32P was present in immunoprecipitates. This indicates that the incorporation into ATP citrate lyase of acid-stable phosphate occurs prior to extraction of the enzyme. Preliminary studies, using a procedure that allows for measurement of enzyme activity starting 1 min after beginning the extraction of lyase from hepatocytes, have shown no difference in lyase activity when hepatocytes are treated with or without glucagon.     

A separation method for the assay of adenylylcyclase, intracellular cyclic AMP, and cyclic-AMP phosphodiesterase using tritium-labeled substrates.

A method for the separation of cyclic AMP from adenosine and polyvalent adenine nucleotides is described. The method consists of the sequential elution of adenosine and cyclic AMP from a single column of acidic aluminum oxide (alumina) with dilute hydrochloric acid and ammonium acetate. Adenosine, adenine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine are rapidly eluted with the application of 0.005 N hydrochloric acid while cyclic AMP remains adsorbed to the alumina. A subsequent application of 0.1 M ammonium acetate elutes more than 90% of the cyclic AMP. Under these conditions, polyvalent nucleotides (AMP, ADP, and ATP) remain adsorbed to the alumina. The method permits the measurement of adenylylcyclase activity using [3H]ATP as the labeled substrate. The same technique can be used to measure the accumulation of cyclic AMP in intact cells after labeling the ATP pool with [3H]adenine. With slight modification, the technique can be used to measure the activity of cyclic-AMP phosphodiesterase using [3H]cyclic AMP as the substrate. The proposed technique provides rapid, highly reproducible assays using inexpensive, disposable columns.     

Mode of orthophosphate uptake and ATP labeling by mammalian cells.

Incubation of HeLa cells with [32P]orthophosphate results in more rapid labeling of the gamma-phosphorus of ATP than of the intracellular pool of orthophosphate. The specific radioactivity of ATP equals that of extracellular orthophosphate after 2 h of incubation. A similar pattern of labeling is seen with human erythrocytes when incubated at physiological concentrations of orthophosphate (2 mM) and pH 7.4-7.8. At lower pH, 6.8-7.2, the rate of orthophosphate uptake increases and exceeds the rate of labeling of ATP. These data are explained by the existence of a primary system for ATP uptake which involves the mediation of membrane-bound glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Phosphate first enters the cell as 1,3-diphosphoglyceric acid, is then transferred to ATP, and then enters the intracellular orthophosphate pool. At lower pH monovalent orthophosphate also enters the erythrocyte by a process not involving glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.     

Phospholipid metabolism and lysosomal enzyme secretion by leukocytes. Effects of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and ATP.

The effects of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and ATP on isotope incorporation into phospholipids and the release of beta-glucuronidase into the extracellular medium were studied in polymorphonuclear leukocytes from guinea pig peritoneal exudates. Exogenous dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (0.1--1.0 mM) reduced beta-glucoronidase release induced by cytochalasin B in the absence of inert particles. It selectively inhibited 32Pi incorporation into phosphatidic acid and the phosphoinositides and the incorporation of myo-[2-3H]inositol into the phosphoinositides. Added ATP (0.1--1.0 MM), but not other nucleotides, was found to potentiate beta-glucuronidase release provoked by cytochasin B, but it impaired the labeling of the phosphoinositides by myo-[2-3H]inositol. The mechanism of the inhibition the isotope incarparation into these acidic phospholipids by the two mucleotides has not been defined. Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate at 2--4 mM concentration was not found to appreciably alter the incorporation of [gamma-32P]ATP into phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol, diphosphoinositide, and triphosphoinositide.     

Mode of orthophosphate uptake and ATP labeling by mammalian cells

Incubation of HeLa cells with [³²P]orthophosphate results in more rapid labeling of the γ-phosphorus of ATP than of the intracellular pool of orthophosphate. The specific radioactivity of ATP equals that of extracellular orthophosphate after 2h of incubation. A similar pattern of labeling is seen with human erythrocytes when incubated at physiological concentrations of orthophosphate (2 mM) and pH 7.4–7.8. At lower pH, 6.8–7.2, the rate of orthophosphate uptake increases and exceeds the rate of labeling of ATP. These data are explained by the existence of a primary system for ATP uptake which involves the mediation of membrane-bound glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Phosphate first enters the cell as 1,3-diphosphoglyceric acid, is then transferred to ATP, and then enters the intracellular orthophosphate pool. At lower pH monovalent orthophosphate also enters the erythrocyte by a process not involving glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.     

Lack of Phospholipase D Activity in Chromaffin Cells: Bradykinin-Stimulated Phosphatidic Acid Formation Involves Phospholipase C in Chromaffin Cells but Phospholipase D in PC12 Cells

The role of lipid-bound second messengers in the regulation of neurotransmitter secretion is an important but poorly understood subject. Both bovine adrenal chromaffin cells and rat phoeochromocytoma (PC12) cells, two widely studied models of neuronal function, respond to bradykinin by generating phosphatidic acid (PA). This putative second messenger may be produced by two receptor-linked pathways: sequential action of phospholipase C (PLC) and diacylglycerol kinase (DAG kinase), or directly by phospholipase D (PLD). Here we show that bradykinin stimulation of chromaffin cells prelabelled (24 h) with 32Pi leads to production of [32P]PA which is not affected by 50 mM butanol. However, bradykinin stimulation of PC12 cells leads to [32P]PA formation, all of which is converted to phosphatidylbutanol in the presence of butanol. When chromaffin cells prelabelled with [3H]choline were stimulated with bradykinin there was no enhancement of formation of water soluble products of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis. When chromaffin cells were permeabilised with pneumolysin and incubated in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP, the formation of [32P]PA was still stimulated by bradykinin. These results show that, although both neuronal models synthesize PA in response to bradykinin, they do so by quite different routes: PLC/DAG kinase for chromaffin cells and PLD for PC12 cells. The observation that neither bradykinin nor tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate stimulate PLD in chromaffin cells suggests that these cells lack PLD activity. The conservation of PA formation, albeit by different routes, may indicate an essential role of PA in the regulation of cellular events by bradykinin.     

Methyl Mercury Stimulates Protein 32P Phospholabeling in Cerebellar Granule Cell Culture

Cultures of cerebellar granule neurons have been utilized to examine morphological and biochemical consequences of methyl mercury (MeHg). Exposure to MeHg for 24 h was found to exert toxic effects at concentrations below 1 microM characterized by neuron degeneration and neuritic varicosities. Dose-response and time course profiles for cell death were established using the 51Cr release assay, which revealed that 1 microM MeHg produced 15% cell death at 24 h, progressing to 50% at 48 h. Labeling of cultures with [32P]orthophosphate following 24-h exposure to 1 microM MeHg disclosed abnormalities in both protein and lipid phosphorylation. After 24-h exposure to 5 microM MeHg, phospholabeling of protein and lipid increased 174 and 128%, respectively, compared with controls. This stimulation of phosphorylation appeared to be neuron specific since cultures enriched in cerebellar glial cells and devoid of granule neurons displayed dose-dependent inhibition of total phosphorylation. Measurement of 32P labeling of ATP using a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase assay in conjunction with the firefly luciferase assay for ATP indicated no significant change in either total ATP levels or [32P]ATP specific activity at 1 or 4 h as a function of [MeHg]. Studies measuring 32P-phosphoprotein turnover indicated that MeHg had no effect on intracellular protein phosphatase activity. We conclude that one of the manifestations associated with in vitro cerebellar granule cell neurotoxicity is an abnormality in protein phosphorylation that is independent of [32P]ATP specific activity and protein phosphatase activity.     

The phosphoinositide pathway of lymphoid cells: labeling after permeabilization by alveolysin, a bacterial sulfhydryl-activated cytolysin.

An improved method allowing incorporation of [3H]myo-inositol into the phosphoinositide pool of human lymphoid cells is described. The procedure devised involves cell permeabilization with a thiol-activated membranolytic toxin, alveolysin, and optimization of the phosphoinositide labeling and extraction. In these conditions 4 to 10% of the added [3H]myo-inositol is found intracellularly and half of this amount (2-5%) is incorporated into the phosphoinositide pool in only 1 h as compared to the classical 0.2 to 0.3% incorporation obtained after 10 to 20 h. The integrity of coupling between receptors and phospholipase C was assessed by the inositol phosphate production after cell stimulation by various agonists.     

Direct photoaffinity labeling of proteins with adenosine 3'-[32P]phosphate 5'-phosphosulfate. Atractyloside inhibits labeling of a Mr = 34,000 protein in an adrenal medullary Golgi fraction

Direct photoaffinity labeling with radioactively labeled adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography was used to identify PAPS binding proteins in a Golgi membrane preparation of bovine adrenal medulla. [3'-32P]PAPS was synthesized from adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (APS) and [gamma-32P]ATP using APS kinase prepared from yeast and was purified by reverse-phase ion pair high performance liquid chromatography. Upon irradiation with UV light, [3'-32P]PAPS, as well as [35S]PAPS under conditions which minimized sulfotransferase-catalyzed incorporation of 35SO4 from [35S]PAPS into proteins, bound selectively to a 34-kDa protein of the Golgi membrane preparation. PAPS binding to the 34-kDa protein was strongly inhibited by the presence of 50 microM atractyloside. The 34-kDa PAPS binding protein therefore appears to be similar to the mitochondrial ATP/ADP translocator with regard to both molecular weight and inhibition by atractyloside of adenine nucleotide binding. Photoaffinity labeling will be useful in the purification and functional identification of the 34-kDa protein.