Cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Intracellular cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) was measured in two laboratory strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Decreasing the glucose content of a defined media from 33 mM to 5.5 mM glucose resulted in an 11-to 25-fold increase of intracellular cAMP.     

Cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and coryneform bacteria

Abstract We have detected cyclic AMP in the culture medium of amino acid-producing coryneform bacteria. Extracellular concentrations of cyclic AMP vary depending on the nutritional medium, the growth phase and the carbon source. It is also shown that the activity of Brevibacterium flavum adenylate cyclase in intact cells is stimulated in the presence of glucose. Furthermore, addition of cyclic AMP to B. flavum cultures decreased amino acid production similarly to the effect produced by the addition of inorganic phosphate.     

Guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate receptor protein: separation from adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate receptor protein.

A specific cGMP receptor protein has been identified and separated from the cAMP receptor protein by chromatography on 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino-cAMP-Sepharose. Scatchard analysis of cGMP binding indicates a single affinity class of receptor sites with KD = 1.4 × 10^?8 M. The specificity of the cGMP receptor site has been defined by using a number of nucleotides as competitors for cGMP binding. The cGMP receptor protein sediments at 7S in glycerol density gradients.     

Demonstration that cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate mediates the lipolytic action of parathyroid hormone.

Studies were carried out with rat epididymal fat pads first to compare the effects of the synthetic N-terminal 1-34 peptide of bovine parathyroid hormone and of the native hormone to determine whether this portion of the molecule is responsible for the lipolytic action of the hormone and second to determine whether this biologic action of parathyroid hormone is mediated by cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate. The N-terminal polypeptide was as effective as the native hormone in stimulating lipolysis in the concentration range between 10(-8) M and 10(-6) M. Parathyroid hormone stimulated lipolysis by isolated fat cells. The concentration of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in the fat pads was significantly increased by the hormone (10(-6)M). Lipolytic stimulation by parathyroid hormone (10(-6)M) was diminished by insulin (100 muU/ml) and prostaglandin E1 (1 mug/ml), both of which are known inhibitors of lipolysis. The findings indicate that the amino-terminal 1-34 peptide portion of parathyroid hormone is responsible for the lipolytic action and that this effect is mediated through cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate.     

Cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and prostacyclin inhibit membrane phospholipase activity in platelets.

[¹⁴C]-Arachidonic acid is incorporated mainly into phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine of horse platelet membranes. Treatment of washed platelets with thrombin leads to a rapid loss of radioactivity from these phospholipids. The liberated [¹⁴C]-arachidonate is immediately transformed into hydroxyacids and thromboxanes. Treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP, cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors or prostacyclin, a newly discovered prostaglandin that stimulates platelet adenylate cyclase, prevents the action of thrombin on phospholipid break-down as well as on platelet aggregation. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP does not affect the metabolism of exogenous [¹⁴C]-arachidonic acid. Cyclic AMP may thus play a crucial role in the regulation of platelet phospholipase acitivity, and this could explain at least in part the inhibition of aggregation caused by substances which, like prostacyclin, raise the levels of cyclic AMP.     

Cyclic adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate and the relaxant action of relaxin in the rat uterus in vivo.

The relationship between relaxant actions of relaxin in the uterus and changes in uterine cAMP concentrations was assessed in anaesthetized bilaterally ovariectomized nonpregnant rats. Relaxin i.v. bolus (5 micrograms kg-1) did not change cAMP concentrations but inhibited uterine contractions with rapid onset. Uterine contractions were significantly reduced by 30-70% for 60 min. Relaxin (50 micrograms kg-1) produced a short-lived (up to 5 min) and small (up to 3.2-fold) increase in cAMP concentrations plus a marked (90%) and prolonged inhibition of uterine contractions (70-90% over 60 min). Salbutamol (an agonist at beta 2-adrenoceptors, 100 and 500 micrograms kg-1) produced a similar degree and time course of inhibition of uterine contractions to that of relaxin but a more marked (19-fold) increase in cAMP concentrations. Glibenclamide, a blocker of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, which has been shown to antagonize relaxin as a uterine relaxant, did not prevent the relaxin-induced rise in cAMP concentrations. It is suggested that the uterine relaxant action of relaxin may not result from an increase in uterine cAMP concentrations.     

Conversion of guanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate to adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate in frog myocardial tissue.

One of the transformation products of tritiated cyclic GMP in frog heart tissue homogenate was identified with cyclic AMP. The purified product met all criteria tested for: solubility in ZnCO₃, behavior on various ion-exchangers and sensitivity to cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Our findings may provide insight into the understanding of heart pacemaker activity.