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.     

Fluoroaluminates mimic guanosine 5''-[gamma-thio]triphosphate in activating the polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase of hepatocyte membranes. Role for the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein Gp in signal transduction.

Fluoride and guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP gamma S) both activate the hepatocyte membrane polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase (PPI-pde) in a concentration-dependent manner. AlCl3 enhances the fluoride effect, supporting the concept that [A1F4]- is the active species. Analysis of the products of inositol lipid hydrolysis demonstrate that phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate is the major lipid to be hydrolysed. Guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP beta S) is an inhibitor of activation of PPI-pde by both fluoride and GTP gamma S. These observations suggest that the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein (termed Gp) bears a structural resemblance to the well-characterized G-proteins of the adenylate cyclase system and the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase system in phototransduction.     

Specificity of cGMP binding to a purified cGMP-stimulated phosphodiesterase from bovine adrenal tissue

The binding of [3H]cGMP (guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate) to purified bovine adrenal cGMP-stimulated phosphodiesterase was measured by Millipore filtration on cellulose ester filter. [3H]cGMP-binding activity was enhanced when the assay was terminated in buffer containing 70% of saturated ammonium sulfate to dilute the enzyme and wash the filters. The cGMP-binding activity was co-purified with the phosphodiesterase activity. The binding of [3H]cGMP to purified enzyme was measured in the presence or absence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine. 1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine showed linear competitive inhibition with respect to cGMP as substrate in the phosphodiesterase reaction but stimulated the [3H]cGMP-binding activity in the binding assay. The stimulatory effect appeared not to be the result of preservation from [3H]cGMP hydrolysis; no cGMP phosphodiesterase activity has been measured under the cGMP-binding assay conditions, in the absence or presence of the inhibitor. Half-maximal stimulation by 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine occurred in the 5-7 microM concentration range. The specificity of binding of [3H]cGMP was investigated by adding increasing concentration of unlabeled analogs of cAMP (adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate) and cGMP. The binding of [3H]cGMP (50 nM) was displaced by unlabeled cGMP and cAMP with the following potency: 50% displacement was reached at the 0.1 microM cGMP range and only at a fiftyfold higher cAMP concentration. Our data with comparative series of analogs (e.g. 5'-amino-5'-deoxyguanosine 3',5'-monophosphate and 3'-amino-3'-deoxyguanosine 3',5'-monophosphate) showed that the potencies of stimulation of cAMP phosphodiesterase activity parallels displacement curves or [3H]cGMP binding to purified enzyme with no correlation with phosphodiesterase inhibition sequences. Those experiments suggest that the cGMP-binding activity is directly related to the non-catalytic (allosteric) cGMP-binding site.     

Guanine nucleotides stimulate production of inositol trisphosphate in rat cortical membranes.

The guanine nucleotides guanosine 5'[beta, gamma-imido]triphosphate (Gpp[NH]p), guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]-triphosphate (GTP gamma S), GMP, GDP and GTP stimulated the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids by a phosphodiesterase in rat cerebral cortical membranes. Addition of 100 microM-Gpp[NH]p to prelabelled membranes caused a rapid accumulation of [3H )inositol phosphates (less than 30 s) for up to 2 min. GTP gamma S and Gpp [NH]p caused a concentration-dependent stimulation of phosphoinositide phosphodiesterase with a maximal stimulation of 2.5-3-fold over control at concentrations of 100 microM. GMP was as effective as the nonhydrolysable analogues, but much less potent (EC50 380 microM). GTP and GDP caused a 50% stimulation of the phospholipase C at 100 microM and at higher concentrations were inhibitory. The adenine nucleotides App[NH]p and ATP also caused small stimulatory effects (64% and 29%). The guanine nucleotide stimulation of inositide hydrolysis in cortical membranes was selective for inositol phospholipids over choline-containing phospholipids. Gpp[NH]p stimulated the production of inositol trisphosphate and inositol bisphosphate as well as inositol monophosphate, indicating that phosphoinositides are substrates for the phosphodiesterase. EGTA (33 microM) did not prevent the guanine nucleotide stimulation of inositide hydrolysis. Calcium addition by itself caused inositide phosphodiesterase activation from 3 to 100 microM which was additive with the Gpp[NH]p stimulation. These data suggest that guanine nucleotides may play a regulatory role in the modulation of the activity of phosphoinositide phosphodiesterase in rat cortical membranes.     

7-Methoxyfuro[2,3-c]pyridine-4-carboxamides as PDE4 inhibitors: a potential treatment for asthma

The synthesis and pharmacological profile of a novel series of 7-methoxy-furo[2,3-c]pyridine-4-carboxamides is described. Some of these compounds were found to be potent inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4).     

Cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase from Mucor rouxii: regulation of enzyme activity by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.

Crude preparations of cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate phosphodiesterase were activated 1.5 to 2 fold by incubation with ATP, Mg²⁺ and cyclic AMP in a reaction which was both, time and temperature dependent. Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase remained in an activated state upon filtration of the enzymatic preparation through Sephadex G-25 and ion-exchange chromatography. Activation of the enzyme in the presence of [γ ³²P]ATP resulted in a significant amount of [³²P] protein-bound radioactivity. Reversible deactivation of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was enhanced by Mg²⁺ and was accompanied by the release of [³²P] protein bound radioactivity. The evidence is consistent with a mechanism for controlling cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase through phosphorylation-dephosphorylation sequence.     

Inhibitors of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases inhibit protein carboxyl methylation in intact blood platelets

The cycle of protein-carboxyl methylation and demethylation was studied in intact blood platelets. Platelets rapidly incorporated L-[methyl-3H]methionine and after a delay of about 20 min, they evolved [3H]methanol. This evolution, and the amount of [3H] methanol liberated by treatment with base, was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitors 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, papaverine, dipyridamole, and RA233 (2,6-bis(diethanolamino)-4-piperidinopyrimido[5,4-d] pyrimidine). Each of these compounds increased the incorporation of [3H]methionine into platelets. The effects of RA233 were studied in more detail. Inhibition of [3H]methanol production was not potentiated by stimulators of the adenylate cyclase or the guanylate cyclase. The majority of the base-labile radioactivity was trichloroacetic acid precipitable. Thin layer chromatography of extracts of platelets incubated with L-[35S]methionine showed that RA233 did not induce a cellular accumulation of [35S]S-adenosylhomocysteine, and that it actually increased the amount of cellular [35S]S-adenosylmethionine. Discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at acid pH using the cationic detergent benzyldimethyl-n-hexadecylammonium chloride of platelets incubated with [3H]methionine showed incorporation of radioactivity into more than 30 protein bands, including one which co-migrates with calmodulin. The incorporation into the majority of these bands was inhibited by RA233 in a dose-dependent fashion. It is suggested that caution should be used in ascribing the pharmacological effects of known phosphodiesterase inhibitors to increases in cyclic nucleotides, because some of these effects could be due to inhibition of protein carboxyl methylation.     

Stereochemistry of hydrolysis by snake venom phosphodiesterase.

[18O]Adenosine 5'-O-phosphorothioate-O-p-nitrophenyl ester was prepared by saponification of the bis (-O,O-p-nitrophenyl ester) with K18OH. Only the diastereoisomer with the Rp configuration si a substrate for snake venom phosphodiesterase. The asymmetrically labeled [18O]adenosine 5'-O-phosphorothioate formed in this reaction was converted enzymatically to [18O]adenosine 5'-(1-thiodiphosphate) with the Sp configuration. The position of the 18O label, either bridging [1,2-mu-18O] or nonbridging [1-18O] was then determined. The results show that the reaction catalyzed by snake venom phosphodiesterase takes place with retention of configuration at phosphorus. This indicates that the hydrolysis proceeds via a covalent nucleotide enzyme intermediate.     

Modulation of the cardiac membrane-bound cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase: inhibition due to a contamination of TLC purified S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H] methionine by Zn++ ions

Cardiac membranes pretreated with S-Adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H] methionine([3H] SAM) purified on TLC silica gel 60 F254 plates exhibited a marked decrease in cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activity. However, this inhibition did not appear when membranes were incubated with either [14C] SAM or unlabelled SAM. We showed that, during the TLC purification of [3H] SAM, which involved an acidic elution step, minute amounts of the fluorescent indicator F254 (Zn sulfur) were eluted. The contaminating Zn++ ions strongly inhibited cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity and phospholipid methylation with I50 values in the micromolar range.     

Cyclic GMP-specific, high affinity, noncatalytic binding sites on light-activated phosphodiesterase

Two classes of high affinity, cGMP-specific binding sites have been found in association with a peripheral membrane protein in rod outer segments. [3H]cGMP and a photoaffinity label, 8-N3-[32P]cIMP, have been used to study these cGMP binding sites. The cGMP binding sites co-migrated with rod outer segment phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17) upon Bio-Gel A-0.5m column chromatography, sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and isoelectric focusing (pI 5.35). Upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the 8-N3-[32P]cIMP-labeled protein also migrated in a position identical with that of purified phosphodiesterase. Scatchard analysis, using purified phosphodiesterase, revealed the presence of two classes of cGMP binding sites with apparent KD values of 0.16 and 0.83 microM. A number of observations indicated that these high affinity, cGMP-specific binding sites are distinct from the phosphodiesterase catalytic site. cAMP, which is a substrate for phosphodiesterase, did not bind to the high affinity cGMP specific sites. Limited tryptic proteolysis of phosphodiesterase resulted in a striking activation of the catalytic activity and a 96% loss of cGMP binding. 1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine inhibited phosphodiesterase activity and enhanced the specific binding of cGMP. Mg2+ was necessary for phosphodiesterase activity, but not for high affinity cGMP binding. Finally, phosphodiesterase activity and the cGMP-specific high affinity sites showed different stabilities on storage in phosphate buffer. These specific high affinity cGMP binding sites may be involved in the regulation of phosphodiesterase activity.     

Detection of calcium-dependent regulatory protein binding components using 125I-labeled calcium-dependent regulatory protein.

The calcium-dependent regulatory protein (CDR) purified from bovine brain was iodinated with Na[125I]I using the lactoperoxidase-glucose oxidase system. The iodinated protein retained its ability to stimulate the Ca2+-sensitive CDR-depleted cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from bovine heart. Stimulation of the phosphodiesterase by 125I-CDR was Ca2+-dependent and the labeled protein had a Ka for activation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase that was 4 times greater than unmodified CDR. 125I-CDR formed a Ca2+-dependent complex with the partially purified cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase which was detectable by autorradiography following electrophoresis of the complex on nondenaturing gels. This technique was used to detect CDR binding components in crude homogenates prepared from bovine heart and brain.     

The stereochemical course of thiophosphoryl group transfer catalyzed by T4 polynucleotide kinase

The stereochemical course of the phosphoryl transfer reaction catalyzed by T4 polynucleotide kinase has been determined using the chiral ATP analog, (Sp)-adenosine-5'-(3-thio-3-[18O]triphosphate). T4 polynucleotide kinase catalyzes the transfer of the gamma-thiophosphoryl group of (Sp)-adenosine-5'-(3-thio-3-[18O]triphosphate) to the 5'-hydroxyl group of ApA to give the thiophosphorylated dinucleotide adenyl-5'-[18O]phosphorothioate-(3'-5')adenosine. A sample of adenyl-5'-[18O]phosphorothioate-(3'-5')adenosine was subjected to venom phosphodiesterase digestion. The resulting adenosine-5'-[18O]phosphorothioate was shown to have the Rp configuration, thus indicating that the thiophosphoryl transfer reaction occurs with overall inversion of configuration of phosphorus.     

The type of covalent bond in a natural complex of the bacteriophage phi X 174 protein A* and nucleotides

The 32P-labelled A* protein has been isolated from E. coli cells infected by phage phi X174 in the presence of [32P]orthophosphate. The snake venom phosphodiesterase treatment of the [32P]peptides obtained by the pronase digestion of the protein has revealed a phosphodiester bond between the protein and a nucleotide material of A, G base composition. The hydrolysis of nucleotide-peptides with a mixture of concentrated HCl and CF3COOH has yielded 4'O-phosphotyrosine.     

Transforming ras proteins accelerate hormone-induced maturation and stimulate cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in Xenopus oocytes.

Transforming Harvey (Ha) ras oncogene products accelerated the time course of Xenopus oocyte maturation induced by insulin, insulinlike growth factor 1, or progesterone. The transforming constructs, [Val-12]Ha p21 and [Val-12, Thr-59]Ha p21, displayed equal potency and efficacy in their abilities to accelerate the growth peptide-induced response. Normal Ha p21 was only 60% as powerful and one-fifth as potent as the mutants containing valine in the 12 position. In contrast, two nontransforming constructs, [Val-12, Ala-35, Leu-36, Thr-59]Ha p21 and [Val-12, Thr-59]Ha(term-174) p21, had no effect on the time course of hormone-induced maturation. Effects of the transforming ras proteins on hormone-induced maturation correlated with their abilities to stimulate in vivo phosphodiesterase activity measured after microinjection of 200 microM cyclic [3H] AMP. When p21 injection followed 90 min of insulin treatment, there was no increase in phosphodiesterase activity over that measured after hormone treatment or p21 injection alone, but additive effects of p21 and insulin on enzyme activity were observed during the first 90 min of insulin treatment. Even though normal Ha p21 and transforming [Val-12, Thr-59]Ha p21 stimulated oocyte phosphodiesterase to equal levels when coinjected with substrate at the initiation of the in vivo assay, the transforming protein elicited a more sustained stimulation of enzyme activity. These results suggest that stimulation of a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity associated with insulin-induced maturation is involved in the growth-promoting actions of ras oncogene products in Xenopus oocytes.     

Syntheses and evaluation of pyrido[2,3-dlpyrimidine-2,4-diones as PDE 4 inhibitors

The syntheses and in vitro evaluation of a new series of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4-diones bearing substituents at C-3 and/or C-4 positions on the pyridine ring are described. Some of these compounds, especially 51 and 6f, were found to be potent phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE 4) inhibitors exhibiting improved ratio of PDE 4 inhibitory activity:rolipram binding assay (RBA).     

Responsiveness to glucagon by isolated rat hepatocytes controlled by the redox state of the cytosolic nicotinamide--adenine dinucleotide couple acting on adenosine 3'':5''-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase.

1. The effects of changes in the cytoplasmic [NADH]/[NAD+] ratio on the efficacy of glucagon to alter rates of metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes were examined. 2. Under reduced conditions (with 10mM-lactate), 10nM-glucagon stimulated both gluconeogenesis and urea synthesis in isolated hepatocytes from 48h-starved rats; under oxidized conditions (with 10mM-pyruvate), 10nM-glucagon had no effect on either of these rates. 3. The ability of glucagon to alter the concentration of 3':5'-cyclic AMP and the rates of glucose output, glycogen breakdown and glycolysis in cells from fed rats were each affected by a change in the extracellular [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratio; minimal effects of glucagon occurred at low [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratios. 4. Dose-response curves for glucagon-mediated changes in cyclic AMP concentration and glucose output indicated that under oxidized conditions the ability of glucagon to alter each parameter was decreased without affecting the concentration of hormone at which half-maximal effects occurred. 5. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (0.05 mM) significantly reversed the inhibitory effects of pyruvate on glucagon-stimulated glucose output. 6. For exogenously added cyclic [3H]AMP(0.1 mM), oxidized conditions decreased the stimulatory effect on glucose output as well as the intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP attained, but did not alter the amount of cyclic [3H]AMP taken up. 7. The effects of lactate, pyruvate, NAD+ and NADH on cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities of rat hepatocytes were examined. 8. NADH (0.01--1 MM) inhibited the low-Km enzyme, particularly that which was associated with the plasma membrane. 9. The inhibition of membrane-bound cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase by NADH was specific, reversible and resulted in a decrease in the maximal velocity of the enzyme. 10. It is proposed that regulation of the membrane-bound low-Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase by nicotinamide nucleotides provides the molecular basis for the effect of redox state on the hormonal control of hepatocyte metabolism by glucagon.     

A rapid direct assay of 3'-5' cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity using chromatography on immobilized acriflavin

A chromatographic method using immobilized acriflavin has been developed for the separation of unreacted cyclic nucleotides from their corresponding 5'-nucleotides, in a direct assay of 3'-5' cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase using [3H]-cyclic nucleotides as substrate. The method based on the so-called charge-transfer overlap recognition between flavin and indol rings, provides a rapid (15-20 min) and sensitive elution of [3H]-5'nucleotides with high recovery (up to 98%) and low blanks, while [3H]-cyclic nucleotides are retarded on the column. By this method, the formation of some secondary products by purine metabolizing enzymes such as 5'-nucleotidases, nucleosidases and/or deaminases is taken into account, using [14C]-5'-AMP thus allowing an accurate determination of phosphodiesterase activity in any preparations.     

Radiometric assays of N-acetylglucosaminylphosphotransferase and alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyl phosphodiesterase with substrates labeled in the glucosamine moiety

The assay of fibroblast and leukocyte-N-acetylglucosaminylphosphotransferase with alpha-methylmannoside acceptor and commercially available UDP-[3H or 14C]N-acetylglucosamine donor was modified to yield low background and consequently high sensitivity and reliability comparable to those obtained with the synthetically made [beta-32P]UDP-N-acetylglucosamine donor. This was achieved by an additional elution step that removed free [3H or 14C]N-acetylglucosamine which appeared to be the breakdown product responsible for the high background. In addition, the [3H or 14C]N-acetylglucosamine-1-phospho-6-alpha-methylmannoside product of the transfer reaction was then isolated and, following desalting, could serve as a substrate for the assay of alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyl phosphodiesterase. Cell preparations of patients with I-cell disease and pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy demonstrated severe to moderate deficiency of transferase activity and normal phosphodiesterase activity toward the respective substrates labeled with 3H or 14C in the glucosamine moiety.     

Activation and phosphorylation of the ''dense-vesicle'' high-affinity cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Incubation of a hepatocyte particulate fraction with ATP and the isolated catalytic unit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) selectively activated the high-affinity 'dense-vesicle' cycle AMP phosphodiesterase. Such activation only occurred if the membranes had been pre-treated with Mg2+. Mg2+ pre-treatment appeared to function by stimulating endogenous phosphatases and did not affect phosphodiesterase activity. Using the antiserum DV4, which specifically immunoprecipitated the 51 and 57 kDa components of the 'dense-vesicle' phosphodiesterase from a detergent-solubilized membrane extract, we isolated a 32P-labelled phosphoprotein from 32P-labelled hepatocytes. MgCl2 treatment of such labelled membranes removed 32P from the immunoprecipitated protein. Incubation of the Mg2+-pre-treated membranes with [32P]ATP and A-kinase led to the time-dependent incorporation of label into the 'dense-vesicle' phosphodiesterase, as detected by specific immunoprecipitation with the antiserum DV4. The time-dependences of phosphodiesterase activation and incorporation of label were similar. It is suggested (i) that phosphorylation of the 'dense-vesicle' phosphodiesterase by A-kinase leads to its activation, and that such a process accounts for the ability of glucagon and other hormones, which increase intracellular cyclic AMP concentrations, to activate this enzyme, and (ii) that an as yet unidentified kinase can phosphorylate this enzyme without causing any significant change in enzyme activity but which prevents activation and phosphorylation of the phosphodiesterase by A-kinase.     

Affinity chromatography of brain cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase using 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionyl-substituted calmodulin linked to thiol-sepharose

[3-(2-Pyridylthio)propionyl]calmodulin (PDP-CaM), an activated thiol derivative of calmodulin (CaM), was synthesized. Preparations of this derivative containing an average of 2.8 mol of substituent/mol of protein activated purified cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in a manner indistinguishable from that of native CaM. PDP-CaM was covalently coupled to free thiol-Sepharose 4B through formation of a stable mixed disulfide bond for use in affinity chromatography. The binding capacity of the disulfide-linked CaM-Sepharose for phosphodiesterase activity was proportional to substituent level up to 4 mg of CaM/mL of gel; the total capacity of the gel for binding phosphodiesterase was 4 times that of CNBr-coupled CaM-Sepharose. Quantitative recovery was achieved by desorption of both ligand and bound proteins with a reducing agent. The thiolated CaM derivative was then separated from phosphodiesterase by rapid gel filtration; the overall recovery of phosphodiesterase activity was greater than 70%. Preparations of homogeneous enzyme in good yield were obtained after a second chromatography step on CaM-Sepharose. Binding and recovery of phosphodiesterase activity were entirely reproducible, since each preparation of affinity gel was used only once. As it permits separation of interacting species in free solution, this general method may be useful with other ligands for increasing yields from affinity chromatography, particularly when dissociation of molecules in their matrix-bound conformation may be difficult to achieve.