Stereochemistry of the guanyl nucleotide binding site of transducin probed by phosphorothioate analogues of GTP and GDP

The stereochemistry of the guanyl nucleotide binding site of transducin from bovine retinal rod outer segments was probed with phosphorothioate analogues of GTP and GDP. Transducin has markedly different affinities for the five thio analogues of GTP, as measured by their effectiveness in inhibiting GTPase activity, competing with GTP for entry into transducin, and displacing GDP bound to transducin. The order of binding affinities is GTP gamma S = (Sp)-GTP alpha S greater than (Rp)-GTP alpha S greater than (Sp)-GTP beta S much greater than (Rp)-GTP beta S. The affinity of transducin for GTP gamma S is greater than 10(4) higher than that for (Rp)-GTP beta S. These five analogues have the same relative potencies in eliciting the release of transducin from the membrane and in activating the phosphodiesterase. Transducin hydrolyzes (Sp)-GTP alpha S with a l/e time of 55 s, compared with 28 s for GTP. In contrast, (Rp)-GTP alpha S, like GTP gamma S, is not hydrolyzed on the time scale of several hours. The order of effectiveness of thio analogues of GDP in displacing bound GDP is (Sp)-GDP alpha S greater than GDP greater than (Rp)-GDP alpha S greater than GDP beta S. The affinity of transducin for (Sp)-GDP alpha S is about 10-fold higher than that for GDP beta S. Mg2+ is required for the binding of GTP and GDP to transducin. Cd2+ does not lead to a reversal of stereospecificity at either the alpha- or beta-phosphorus atom of GTP. These results lead to the following conclusions: The pro-R oxygen atom at the alpha-phosphorus of GTP does not bind Mg2+ but instead interacts with the protein. The pro-S oxygen at the alpha-phosphorus does not appear to be involved in a critical interaction with transducin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Essential synergy between Ca2+ and guanine nucleotides in exocytotic secretion from permeabilized rat mast cells

Rat mast cells, pretreated with metabolic inhibitors and permeabilized by streptolysin-O, secrete histamine when provided with Ca2+ (buffered in the micromolar range) and nucleoside triphosphates. We have surveyed the ability of various exogenous nucleotides to support or inhibit secretion. The preferred rank order in support of secretion is ITP greater than XTP greater than GTP much greater than ATP. Pyrimidine nucleotides (UTP and CTP) are without effect. Nucleoside diphosphates included alongside Ca2+ plus ITP inhibit secretion in the order 2'-deoxyGDP greater than GDP greater than o-GDP greater than ADP approximately equal to 2'deoxyADP approximately equal to IDP. Secretion from the metabolically inhibited and permeabilized cells can also be induced by stable analogues of GTP (GTP-gamma-S greater than GppNHp greater than GppCH2p) which synergize with Ca2+ to trigger secretion in the absence of phosphorylating nucleotides. ATP enhances the effective affinity for Ca2+ and GTP analogues in the exocytotic process but does not alter the maximum extent of secretion. The results suggest that the presence of Ca2+ combined with activation of events controlled by a GTP regulatory protein provide a sufficient stimulus to exocytotic secretion from mast cells.     

Interactions between the subunits of transducin and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase in Rana catesbiana rod photoreceptors

In bullfrog (Rana catesbiana) rods the activity of cyclic GMP (cGMP) phosphodiesterase was stimulated 10 times by washing disc membranes with an isotonic, GTP-containing buffer. This stimulation was maintained following hydrolysis of GTP and after removal of guanine nucleotides. At least 60-70% of the inhibitory gamma subunit of cGMP phosphodiesterase (P gamma) was physically released from membranes by these washing procedures. When cGMP phosphodiesterase was activated by a hydrolysis-resistant GTP analogue, P gamma was found in the supernatant complexed with the transducin alpha subunit (T alpha) using three chromatography systems. When GTP was used to activate cGMP phosphodiesterase, P gamma was also found in the supernatant complexed with GDP.T alpha. This complex was also isolated using the same three chromatography systems, indicating that P gamma remained tightly bound to T alpha even after bound GTP was hydrolyzed. Interaction with the beta,gamma subunits of transducin, which remained associated with disc membranes, was required for the release of P gamma from the GDP.T alpha complex, which resulted in the deactivation of active cGMP phosphodiesterase. We conclude that during activation of cGMP phosphodiesterase, P gamma is complexed with T alpha (both GTP and GDP forms) in the supernatant and that, following GTP hydrolysis, beta,gamma subunits of transducin are necessary for the release of P gamma from the complex and the resulting inactivation of cGMP phosphodiesterase in frog photoreceptors.     

Regulation of Ca2+ current in frog ventricular cardiomyocytes by guanosine 5'-triphosphate analogues and isoproterenol

Calcium currents (ICa) were measured in frog ventricular myocytes using the whole-cell patch clamp technique and a perfused pipette. To gain insight into the role of G proteins in the regulation of ICa in intact cells, the effect of internal perfusion with hydrolysis-resistant GTP analogues, guanylyl 5''-imidodiphosphate (GppNHp) or guanosine 5''- thiotriphosphate (GTP gamma S), on ICa stimulated by isoproterenol (Iso) or forskolin (Forsk) was examined. Significant differences were observed between the effects of the two GTP analogues. Internal perfusion of GppNHp resulted in a near-complete (approximately 80%) and irreversible inhibition of Iso-stimulated ICa. In contrast, internal perfusion with GTP gamma S resulted in only a partial (approximately 40%) inhibition of Iso- or Forsk-stimulated ICa. The fraction of the current not inhibited by GTP gamma S remained persistently elevated after the washout of Iso but declined to basal levels upon washout of Forsk. Excess internal GTP or GppNHp did not reduce the persistent ICa. Internal adenosine 5''-thiotriphosphate (ATP gamma S) mimicked the GTP gamma S-induced, persistent ICa. GppNHp sometimes induced a persistent ICa, but only if GppNHp was present at high concentration before Iso exposure. Inhibitors of protein kinase A inhibited both the GTP gamma S- and ATP gamma S-induced, persistent ICa. We conclude that: (a) GTP gamma S is less effective than GppNHp in inhibiting adenylyl cyclase (AC) via the inhibitory G protein, Gi; and (b) the persistent ICa results from a long-lived Gs-GTP gamma S complex that can activate AC in the absence of Iso. These results suggest that different hydrolysis- resistant nucleotide analogues may behave differently in activating G proteins and imply that the efficacy of G protein-effector molecule interactions can depend on the GTP analogue with which the G protein is activated.     

Conformational states of Ras complexed with the GTP analogue GppNHp or GppCH2p: implications for the interaction with effector proteins

The guanine nucleotide-binding protein Ras occurs in solution in two different states, state 1 and state 2, when the GTP analogue GppNHp is bound to the active center as detected by (31)P NMR spectroscopy. Here we show that Ras(wt).Mg(2+).GppCH(2)p also exists in two conformational states in dynamic equilibrium. The activation enthalpy DeltaH(++)(12) and the activation entropy DeltaS(++)(12) for the transition from state 1 to state 2 are 70 kJ mol(-1) and 102 J mol(-1) K(-1), within the limits of error identical to those determined for the Ras(wt).Mg(2+).GppNHp complex. The same is true for the equilibrium constants K(12) = [2]/[1] of 2.0 and the corresponding DeltaG(12) of -1.7 kJ mol(-1) at 278 K. This excludes a suggested specific effect of the NH group of GppNHp on the equilibrium. The assignment of the phosphorus resonance lines of the bound analogues has been done by two-dimensional (31)P-(31)P NOESY experiments which lead to a correction of the already reported assignments of bound GppNHp. Mutation of Thr35 in Ras.Mg(2+).GppCH(2)p to serine leads to a shift of the conformational equilibrium toward state 1. Interaction of the Ras binding domain (RBD) of Raf kinase or RalGDS with Ras(wt) or Ras(T35S) shifts the equilibrium completely to state 2. The (31)P NMR experiments suggest that, besides the type of the side chain of residue 35, a main contribution to the conformational equilibrium in Ras complexes with GTP and GTP analogues is the effective acidity of the gamma-phosphate group of the bound nucleotide. A reaction scheme for the Ras-effector interaction is presented which includes the existence of two conformations of the effector loop and a weak binding state.     

Chromium(III) beta, gamma-bidentate guanine nucleotide complexes as probes of the GTP-activated cGMP cascade of retinal rod outer segments

The exchange-inert Cr(III) beta, gamma-bidentate guanine nucleotide complexes Cr(III)GTP and Cr(III)Gpp(NH)p were used to probe the role of transducin in activating the retinal cGMP cascade. The Cr(III) nucleotide complexes were found to have lower binding affinity for transducin as compared to the Mg2+ complexes. However, the rate of hydrolysis of the transducin-bound Cr(III)GTP was similar to that of Mg(II)GTP. Cr(III)Gpp(NH)p activated the cGMP phosphodiesterase of photolyzed rod outer segment membranes up to 75% of the Mg(II)Gpp(NH)p level but lacked the ability to dissociated the transducin subunits from the rod outer segment membrane. This result implies that the activation of the phosphodiesterase by transducin-GTP complex is a membrane-associated event and the formation of a soluble complex of transducin-GTP with the inhibitory peptide of the phosphodiesterase may not be an obligatory step. Both the delta and lambda screw sense stereoisomers of Cr(III)Gpp(NH)p were capable of activating the cGMP cascade with no apparent stereoselectivity. The nature of the interaction of the metal ion and GTP at the nucleotide-binding site of transducin is discussed together with the results from previous studies using the phosphorothioate GTP analogues [Yamanaka, G., Eckstein, F., & Stryer, L. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 8094-8101] and is compared to the site found in homologous GTP-binding proteins such as elongation factor Tu [Jurnak, F. (1985) Science (Washington, D.C.) 230, 32-36; la Cour, T.F.M., Nyborg, J., Thirup, S., & Clark, B.F.C. (1985) EMBO J. 4, 2385-2388]. The implications of the observed results on the molecular mechanism of visual signal transduction are discussed.     

Studies on the hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptor. Modulation of guanine nucleotide effects by calcium, temperature, and age

The effects of guanine nucleotides on the hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptor were studied using norepinephrine (NE) displacement of [3H]prazosin binding to rat liver plasma membranes. Nonhydrolyzable GTP analogues caused large rightward shifts of norepinephrine displacement curves of [3H]prazosin binding in EGTA-treated membranes, but only small shifts in membranes prepared with Ca2+. The effect of a brief Ca2+ exposure on NE displacement curves was not reversed by adding excess EGTA prior to binding experiments. Analysis of the curves showed that the EGTA membranes had an increased number of high affinity agonist sites (Kd, 42 nM) and that guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (GppNHp) converted these to low affinity sites (Kd, 1039 nM). When binding was carried out at 2 degrees C, the norepinephrine displacement curves were shifted to the left, and GppNHp was without effect. Neither EGTA, Ca2+, nor 2 degrees C treatment altered [3H]prazosin binding per se. Attempts were made to differentiate the potency order of GTP analogues which alter glucagon receptor binding (presumably mediated by the stimulatory GTP-binding protein, Na, of the adenylate cyclase system) from the potency order of GTP analogues which alter alpha 1-receptor agonist binding (presumably mediated by a yet uncharacterized GTP-binding protein which some have speculated may be distinct from Ns). However, the potency series of GTP analogues to alter norepinephrine binding was GTP gamma S greater than GppNHp greater than or equal to GTP greater than or equal to GDP greater than or equal to GppCHp greater than GMP (where GTP gamma S represents guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) and GppCHp represents guanyl-5'-yl (beta, gamma-methylene)diphosphonate) and was identical to that for inhibition of [125I]iodoglucagon binding. The ability of GppNHp to alter norepinephrine displacement of [3H]prazosin binding increased with the age of the rat from which membranes were prepared. This was due to the fact that juvenile rats (50-75 g) had few alpha 1-receptors in the high affinity state, whereas in old rats (430-490 g) more of the receptors were in this form. Age has previously been shown to increase alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation of cAMP in isolated hepatocytes (Morgan, N.G., Blackmore, P. F., and Exton, J. H. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 5103-5109) but did not affect the dose-response curves for norepinephrine-induced Ca2+ mobilization and phosphorylase activation in these cells. These data suggest that alpha 1-adrenergic receptors can become coupled to a guanine nucleotide-responsive moiety in hepatic plasma membranes and that this may be similar to Ns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Activation mechanism of retinal rod cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase probed by fluorescein-labeled inhibitory subunit

The cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) of vertebrate retinal rod outer segments (ROS) is kept inactive in the dark by its gamma subunits and is activated following illumination by the GTP form of the alpha subunit of transducin (T alpha-GTP). Recent studies have shown that the stoichiometry of the inhibited holoenzyme is alpha beta gamma 2. T alpha-GTP and gamma act reciprocally. We have investigated the activation mechanism using fluorescein-labeled gamma subunit (gamma F) as a probe. gamma F containing a single covalently attached fluorescein was prepared by reaction of PDE with 5-(iodoacetamido)fluorescein and purification by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). gamma F, like native gamma, inhibits the catalytic activity of trypsin-activated PDE and transducin-activated PDE. Inhibition by gamma F was overcome by further addition of T alpha-GTP. gamma F binds very weakly to ROS membranes stripped of PDE and other peripheral membrane proteins. gamma F added to ROS membranes became incorporated into a component that could be extracted with a low ionic strength buffer. HPLC gel filtration showed that gamma F became part of the PDE holoenzyme. Incorporation occurred in less than 1 min in the presence of light and GTP, but much more slowly (t1/2 approximately 500 s) in the absence of GTP. This result indicates that transducin activates PDE by binding to the holoenzyme and accelerating the dissociation of gamma from the inhibitory sites. The binding of gamma F to trypsin-activated PDE alpha beta was monitored by steady-state emission anisotropy measurements and compared with PDE activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Resonance energy transfer as a direct monitor of GTP-binding protein-effector interactions: activated alpha-transducin binding to the cGMP phosphodiesterase in the bovine phototransduction cascade.

Resonance energy-transfer approaches have been used to directly monitor the interactions of the GTP gamma S-bound alpha subunit of transducin (alpha T GTP gamma S) with the retinal cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE). The PDE was labeled with 5-(iodoacetamido) fluorescein (IAF-PDE) and served as the fluorescence donor in these experiments while the alpha T GTP gamma S was labeled with eosin-5-isothiocyanate (EITC-alpha T GTP gamma S) and served as the energy acceptor. The EITC-alpha T GTP gamma S species was able to quench a significant percentage of the IAF-PDE fluorescence (typically greater than or equal to 30%) due to resonance energy transfer between the IAF and EITC moieties. The quenching by the EITC-alpha T GTP gamma S species was dose-dependent, saturable (Kd = 21 nM), and specific for the GTP gamma S-bound form of the alpha T subunit. Limited trypsin treatment of the IAF-PDE, which selectively removes a fluorescein-labeled gamma subunit (gamma PDE), completely eliminates the quenching of the IAF fluorescence by the EITC-alpha T GTP gamma S complex. Although the EITC-alpha T GTP gamma S complex competes with the unlabeled alpha T GTP gamma S for a binding site on the IAF-PDE, as well as for a site on the native PDE, it is not able to stimulate PDE activity. Thus, the modification of a single EITC-reactive residue on the alpha T GTP gamma S complex prevents this subunit from eliciting a key activation event within the retinal effector enzyme.     

Solid-state 31P NMR spectroscopy of microcrystals of the Ras protein and its effector loop mutants: comparison between crystalline and solution state

Cycling between a GTP bound "on" state and a GDP bound "off" state, guanine nucleotide-binding (GNB) proteins act as molecular switches. The switching process and the interaction with effectors, GTPase-activating proteins, and guanosine nucleotide-exchange factors is accompanied by pronounced conformational changes of the switch regions of the GNB proteins. The aim of the present contribution is to correlate conformational changes observed by liquid-state NMR with solid-state (31)P NMR data and with the results of X-ray crystallography. Crystalline wild-type Ras complexed with GTP analogs such as GppCH(2)p and GppNHp could be prepared. At low temperatures, two different signals were found for the gamma-phosphate group of GppNHp bound to wild-type Ras. This behavior indicates the existence of two different conformations of the molecule in the crystalline state as it is found in solution but not by X-ray crystallography. In contrast to the GppNHp complex, the two separate gamma-phosphate signals could not be observed for GppCH(2)p bound to wild-type Ras. However, an increasing linewidth at low temperature indicates the presence of an exchange process. The results obtained for the wild-type protein are compared with the behavior of GppNHp complexes of the effector loop mutants Ras(T35S) and Ras(T35A). These mutants prefer a conformation similar to the GDP bound "off" state.     

Activated cGMP phosphodiesterase of retinal rods. A complex with transducin alpha subunit.

Purified G-protein (transducin) activated with the nonhydrolyzable analog guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) and cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) from retinal rods are added to protein-stripped disc membranes. Specific binding of the mainly soluble alpha subunit of G-protein with GTP gamma S bound (G alpha GTP gamma S, activator of the PDE) to the disc membrane in the presence of PDE is measured from gel scans or experiments with labeled G-protein alpha subunit (G alpha). Its variation as a function of G concentration matches the theoretical variation of G alpha involved in the activation of PDE calculated with previously estimated dissociation constants (Bennett, N., and Clerc, A. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 7418-7424), and the G alpha bound/PDE ratio at saturation is close to 2. No increase of G alpha binding to the membrane is observed when purified inhibitory subunit of PDE (PDE gamma) is added together with or instead of total PDE, and excess PDE gamma remains soluble. These results suggest that activated PDE is a complex with the activator G alpha GTP rather than PDE from which the inhibitory subunits have been removed. A method for purifying PDE gamma with a high yield of recovery and activity is described.     

G protein-effector coupling: binding of rod phosphodiesterase inhibitory subunit to transducin

The cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase of retinal rods is composed of three distinct polypeptides: alpha (90 kDa), beta (86 kDa), and gamma (10 kDa). In this multimeric form, the enzyme is inhibited. Its activity is stimulated by the interaction with the GTP-bound form of the T alpha subunit of transducin and reversed upon the recombination of the inhibitory gamma subunit with the catalytic alpha beta subunit. We show here by a novel coimmunoprecipitation technique that the gamma subunit, but not the alpha beta subunit, forms a 1:1 complex with T alpha. The binding of gamma to T alpha is nucleotide-dependent and is facilitated by GTP gamma S or Gpp(NH)p. This study provides convincing evidence that the T alpha-GTP subunit of transducin stimulates phosphodiesterase activity by binding to gamma and physically carrying it away from alpha beta.     

Modulation of 5-Hydroxytryptamine1A Receptor Density by Nonhydrolyzable GTP Analogues

Co-incubation of rat cortical membranes with 10(-4) M GTP results in a competitive inhibition of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) receptor binding sites labeled by [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin [( 3H]8-OH-DPAT). Preincubation of cortical membranes with 10(-4) M GTP does not significantly change either KD or Bmax values, indicating that the effect of GTP is reversible. By contrast, GTP gamma S and 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (GppNHp) are nonhydrolyzable analogues of GTP which lengthen the time course of guanine nucleotide activation of guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) and thereby alter G protein-receptor interactions. These nonhydrolyzable GTP analogues were used to characterize the effects of persistent alterations in G proteins on [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding to 5-HT1A receptors. Co-incubation of rat cortical membranes with either 10(-4) M GTP gamma S or GppNHp results in a decrease in both the affinity and apparent density of 5-HT1A binding sites. Co-incubation with the nonhydrolyzable nucleotides reduces the affinity of [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding by 65-70% and lowers the density of the binding site by 53-61%. Similarly, preincubation of membranes with a 10(-4) M concentration of either GTP gamma S or GppNHp significantly increases the KD value and reduces the Bmax value of [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding. These results indicate that GTP gamma S and GppNHp induce persistent changes in 5-HT1A receptor-G protein interactions that are reflected as a decrease in the density of binding sites labeled by [3H]8-OH-DPAT.     

Specificity of the functional interactions of the beta-adrenergic receptor and rhodopsin with guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles

We have assessed the functional interactions of two pure receptor proteins with three different pure guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins in phosphatidylcholine vesicles. The receptor proteins are the guinea pig lung beta-adrenergic receptor (beta AR) and the retinal photon receptor rhodopsin. The guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins were the stimulatory (Ns) and inhibitory (Ni) proteins of the adenylate cyclase system and transducin (T), the regulatory protein from the light-activated cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase system in retinal rod outer segments. The insertion of Ns with beta AR in lipid vesicles increases the extent of binding of [35S] GTP gamma S to Ns and in parallel, the total GTPase activity. However, there is little change in the actual rate of catalytic turnover of GTPase activity (defined as mol of Pi released/min/mol of Ns-guanine nucleotide complexes). Enhancement of this turnover rate requires the beta-agonist isoproterenol and is accounted for by an isoproterenol-promoted increase in the rate and extent of [35S]GTP gamma S binding to Ns. The co-insertion of the beta AR with Ni or transducin results in markedly lower stimulation by isoproterenol of both the GTPase activity and [35S]GTP gamma S binding to these nucleotide regulatory proteins indicating that their preferred order of interaction with beta AR is Ns much greater than Ni greater than T. This contrasts with the preferred order of interaction of these different nucleotide regulatory proteins with light-activated rhodopsin which we find to be T approximately equal to Ni much greater than Ns. Nonetheless the fold stimulation of GTPase activity and [35S]GTP gamma S binding in T, induced by light-activated rhodopsin, is significantly greater than the "fold" stimulation of these activities in Ni. This reflects the greater intrinsic ability of Ni to hydrolyze GTP and bind guanine nucleotides (at 10 mM MgCl2, 100-200 nM GTP or [35S] GTP gamma S) compared to T. The maximum turnover numbers for the rhodopsin-stimulated GTPase in both Ni and T are similar to those obtained for isoproterenol-stimulated activity in Ns. This suggests that the different nucleotide regulatory proteins are capable of a common upper limit of catalytic efficiency which can best be attained when coupled to the appropriate receptor.     

Effect of GDP on transducin interaction with cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and rhodopsin from bovine retinal rods

In the presence of guanyl nucleotides and rhodopsin-containing retinal rod outer segment membranes, transducin stimulates the light-sensitive cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 5.5-7 times. The activation constant (Ka) for GTP and Gpp(NH)p is 0.25 microM, that for GDP and GDP beta S is 14 and 110 microM, respectively. GDP purified from other nucleotide contaminations at concentrations up to 1 mM does not stimulate phosphodiesterase but binds to transducin and inhibits the Gpp(NH)p-dependent activation of phosphodiesterase. The mode of transducin interaction with bleached rhodopsin also depends on the nature of the bound guanyl nucleotide: in the presence of GDP rhodopsin-containing membranes bind 70-100% of transducin, whereas in the presence of Gpp(NH)p the membranes bind only 13% of the protein. The experimental results suggest that GDP and GTP convert transducin into two different functional states, i.e., the transducin X GTP complex binds to phosphodiesterase causing its stimulation, while the transducin X GDP complex is predominantly bound to rhodopsin.     

Stimulation and inhibition of human platelet adenylylcyclase by thiophosphorylated transducin beta gamma-subunits.

The effect of beta gamma-dimers isolated from the retinal guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) transducin eluted from illuminated bovine rod outer segment membranes with GTP, guanosine 5'-O-(beta, gamma-imino)triphosphate (Gpp(NH)p), or guanosine 5'-O-(gamma-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S) on basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylylcyclase activities in membranes of human platelets was studied. beta gamma-Subunits isolated from transducin eluted with GTP gamma S (TD beta gamma GTP gamma S) had a concentration-dependent stimulatory effect on basal adenylylcyclase activity. The stimulatory agonist prostaglandin E1 increased the potency and the maximum extent of stimulation due to TD beta gamma GTP gamma S). With a similar concentration dependence, TD beta gamma GTP gamma S exerted an inhibitory influence on forskolin-stimulated adenylylcyclase activity. At the same concentrations, beta gamma-dimers isolated with either GTP or Gpp(NH)p did not alter enzyme activities. The observed effects of TD beta gamma GTP gamma S were similar to those of directly added GTP gamma S with regard to maximum levels, time dependence, and persistence; however, TD beta gamma GTP gamma S was approximately 10-fold more potent than GTP gamma S. Treatment of TD beta gamma GTP gamma S, but not of free GTP gamma S, with hydroxylamine caused a loss of adenylylcyclase regulation by TD beta gamma GTP gamma S. The data presented indicated that TD beta gamma GTP gamma S potently and efficiently activates the stimulatory and inhibitory G proteins of adenylylcyclase in human platelet membranes. Furthermore, evidence is provided suggesting that the observed effects of TD beta gamma GTP gamma S, which can be thiophosphorylated by GTP gamma S at the beta-subunit (Wieland, T., Ulibarri, I., Gierschik, P., and Jakobs, K. H. (1991) Eur. J. Biochem. 196, 707-716), are due to formation of GTP gamma S at the G proteins.     

An antibody-induced enhancement of the transducin-stimulated cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activity

In this work we have characterized the ability of a carboxyl peptide-specific antibody (AS/7), raised against the alpha subunit of transducin (alpha T), to potentiate the stimulation of the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) by transducin. The complexation of the purified guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S)-bound form of alpha T (alpha T.GTP gamma S) with AS/7 results in a 2-5-fold enhancement in the total levels of cyclic GMP hydrolysis measured after 1 min. This potentiation by AS/7 cannot be attributed simply to an increase in the apparent affinity of alpha T.GTP gamma S for the effector enzyme, nor to an increased affinity of the enzyme for the substrate cyclic GMP. The AS/7-induced potentiation is specific for alpha T.GTP gamma S-PDE interactions; this antibody has no effect on the activity of the trypsin-activated PDE nor on the ability of the GDP-bound form of alpha T to inhibit the trypsin-activated enzyme (Kroll, S., Phillips, W. J., and Cerione, R. A. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 4490-4497). Phosphatidylcholine vesicles also will enhance the alpha T.GTP gamma S-stimulated PDE activity (1.5-2-fold) relative to that measured in the absence of a lipid milieu. However, the potentiations of alpha T-stimulated cyclic GMP hydrolysis elicited by AS/7 and lipids represent separate events. Titration profiles describing the AS/7-induced potentiation, as a function of the amount of antibody added to the assay mixtures, indicate that maximal activity occurs when there is one molecule of AS/7 per two molecules of alpha T.GTP gamma S; the AS/7-induced potentiation is lost when AS/7 much greater than alpha T. GTP gamma S, i.e. conditions which favor the formation of monovalent AS/7-alpha T.GTP gamma S complexes. When the AS/7 is papain-treated to yield monovalent antibody molecules, complexation between these monovalent antibodies and alpha T still occurs (as reflected by the ability of these antibodies to block rhodopsin-alpha T coupling); however, the potentiation of the alpha T.GTP gamma S-stimulated PDE activity is lost. Taken together, these results suggest that the AS/7-induced potentiation of alpha T-stimulated activity is dependent on the bivalent nature of the antibody, and maximal stimulation of PDE activity is achieved by the interactions of two activated-alpha T molecules with a single molecule of PDE.     

Regulation of retinal cGMP cascade by phosducin in bovine rod photoreceptor cells. Interaction of phosducin and transducin.

Photoexcitation of retinal rod photoreceptor cells involves the activation of cGMP enzyme cascade in which sequential activation of rhodopsin, transducin, and the cGMP phosphodiesterase in the rod outer segment constitutes the signal amplification mechanism. Phosducin, a 33-kDa phosphoprotein, has been shown to form a tight complex with the T beta gamma subunit of transducin. In this study, we examined the interaction of phosducin-T beta gamma and the possible regulatory role of phosducin on the cGMP cascade. Addition of phosducin to photolyzed rod outer segment (ROS) membrane reduced the GTP hydrolysis activity of transducin as well as the subsequent activation of the cGMP phosphodiesterase. Phosducin also inhibited the pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of transducin, indicating that the interaction between the T alpha and T beta gamma subunits of transducin was interrupted upon binding of phosducin. The inhibitory effects of phosducin were reversed by the addition of exogenous T beta gamma. These results suggest that phosducin is capable of regulating the amount of T beta gamma available to interact with T alpha to form the active transducin complex and thereby functions as a negative regulator of the cGMP cascade. The phosducin-induced alteration of the subunit organization of transducin was examined by chemical cross-linking method using para-phenyl dimaleimide as cross-linker. It was found that the cross-linking among T alpha and T beta gamma was blocked in the presence of phosducin. This result implies that T beta gamma may undergo a conformational change upon phosducin binding which leads to the release of T alpha. Since phosducin is a soluble protein, the interaction with transducin only occurs when transducin is dissociated from ROS disc membrane. Indeed, phosducin failed to dissociate membrane-bound transducin and did not inhibit the initial cycle of transducin activation as measured by the presteady state GTP hydrolysis. However, phosducin interacts effectively with transducin released into solution after the initial activation and blocks the re-binding of T alpha. T beta gamma to ROS membrane by forming a tight complex with T beta gamma. This interaction may play an important role in regulating the turnover of the cGMP cascade in photoreceptor cells.     

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.