Stimulation of adenylate cyclase by adenosine and other agonists in mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells in culture

An adenosine-sensitive adenylate cyclase has been characterized in cultured mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells. N-Ethylcarboxamide-adenosine (NECA), N-Methylcarboxamide-adenosine (MECA), L-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA) and 2-chloroadenosine (2-cl-Ado) all stimulated adenylate cyclase in a concentration dependent manner. NECA was the most potent analog (EC50, 1 microM), whereas PIA (EC50, 15 microM), 2-Cl-Ado (EC50, 15 microM) and MECA (EC50, 24 microM), were less potent and had efficacies relative to NECA of 0.61, 0.61 and 0.65, respectively. Adenosine showed a biphasic effect: stimulation at lower concentrations and inhibition at higher concentrations, whereas 2' deoxyadenosine only inhibited adenylate cyclase activity. The stimulatory effect of NECA on adenylate cyclase was dependent on metal ion concentration and was blocked by 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX) and 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT). Adenylate cyclase from these cultured cells was also stimulated by other agonists such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, prostaglandins, dopamine, NaF and forskolin. The stimulation of adenylate cyclase by isoproterenol, epinephrine and norepinephrine was blocked by propranolol but not by phentolamine. On the other hand, phentolamine, propranolol and flupentixol all inhibited dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. In addition, the stimulation by an optimal concentration of PIA was additive or almost additive with maximal stimulation caused by catecholamines and prostaglandins. These data indicate the presence of adenosine (Stimulatory "Ra"), catecholamine and prostaglandin receptors in mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells and suggest that these agents may exert their physiological actions through their interaction with their respective receptors coupled to adenylate cyclase.     

Differences in the cation sensitivity of adenylate cyclase from heart and skeletal muscle: modification by guanyl nucleotides and isoproterenol

Low concentrations of Mn²⁺ supported the basal adenylate cyclase activity in crude and purified sarcolemmal membranes from cardiac muscle more effectively than did relatively high concentrations of Mg²⁺; at saturating concentrations the cyclase activities obtained with Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺ were similar. In contrast, Mg²⁺ supported the basal cyclase activities of crude membrane fractions and purified sarcolemmal membranes from skeletal muscle far more effectively than did Mn²⁺; at saturating concentrations of either metal ion the Mg²⁺-supported cyclase activities were 5- to 10-fold greater than Mn²⁺-supported activities. Further, compared to Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺ supported the cyclase activities very poorly in all the primary subcellular fractions of skeletal muscle, whereas this cation was at least as effective as Mg²⁺ in all fractions of cardiac muscle. The apparent affinities of the cyclase for Mn²⁺ in heart as well as skeletal muscle appeared to be greater compared to those for Mg²⁺. The skeletal muscle cyclase displayed greater apparent affinity for MnATP^2? (app. K_m 0.10 mm) compared to MgATP^2? (app. K_m 0.32 mm) whereas the heart enzyme displayed greater apparent affinity for MgATP^2? (app. K_m 0.07 mm) compared to MnATP^2? (app. K_m 0.19 mm). Following preactivation with guanyl-5′-yl imidodiphosphate and isoproterenol, Mn²⁺ (0.15 to 2 mm) supported the cyclase activity of skeletal muscle even more effectively than did optimally effective concentrations of Mg²⁺. With the heart enzyme the relatively greater potency of Mn²⁺ persisted following preactivation. Significant enhancement in the Mn²⁺-sensitivity of skeletal muscle cyclase was also observed when assayed in the presence of GTP and isoproterenol or in the presence of NaF. Preactivation of both heart and skeletal muscle cyclases caused selective enhancement in the enzyme's apparent affinity for free Me²⁺ (Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺) without influencing the apparent K_m for MeATP^2? (MgATP^2? or MnATP^2?). Evidences were obtained to show that the poor effectiveness of Mn²⁺ in supporting the basal activity of skeletal muscle cyclase is not related to (a) potentiation by Mn²⁺ of adenosine-mediated inhibition of the cyclase, (b) Mn²⁺-induced lability of the cyclase, (c) indirect effects of Mn²⁺ on ATP-regenerating system, or (d) the presence of different cation-specific molecular forms of the cyclase. It is also shown that the onset of enhanced Mn²⁺ sensitivity of the skeletal muscle enzyme following preactivation is not accompanied by a general loss of cation specificity of the cyclase. These results suggest that cations support the catalytic activity of adenylate cyclase by interacting with an enzymeregulatory free metal binding site and that the differential cation sensitivity of nonactivated (basal) cyclases from heart and skeletal muscle is likely due to differences in the properties of such an allosteric metal site. Furthermore, the metal site appears to undergo a conformational change following interaction of the cyclase system with the guanyl nucleotide and isoproterenol since the cation sensitivity of the cyclase and the relative potency of cations depend on the conformational status of the enzyme.     

Calmodulin-dependent glycogen synthase kinase: Identification in liver of normal and phosphorylase kinase-deficient rats

We have purified a calmodulin-dependent glycogen synthase kinase from livers of normal and phosphorylase kinase-deficient (gsd/gsd) rats. No differences between normal and gsd/gsd rats were apparent in either (a) the ability of liver extracts to phosphorylate exogenous glycogen synthase in a Ca²⁺- and calmodulin-dependent manner or (b) the purification of the calmodulin-dependent synthase kinase. Although extracts from rat liver, when compared to rabbit liver extracts, had a significantly reduced ability to phosphorylate exogenous synthase, the calmodulin-dependent synthase kinase could be purified from rat liver using a protocol identical to that described for rabbit liver. Moreover, the synthase kinase purified from rat liver had properties very similar to those of the rabbit liver enzyme. The enzyme was completely dependent on calmodulin for activity against glycogen synthase, was unable to phosphorylate phosphorylase b, catalyzed the rapid incorporation of 0.4 mol phosphate/mol of glycogen synthase subunit, selectively phosphorylated sites 1b and 2 in the glycogen synthase molecule, had a Stokes' radius of about 70 Å, and appeared to be composed of subunits of M_r 56,000 and 57,000. These observations led us to conclude that (1) calmodulin-dependent glycogen synthase kinase is distinct from other kinases previously described and (2) the rat liver kinase and the rabbit liver kinase are very similar enzymes.     

Induction of suppressor T cells and tolerant B cells in vitro by DNP-IgG

Intravenous injection at proper time of irradiated reticulum cell sarcoma cells into SJL mice immunized with dinitrophenylated (DNP) keyhole limpet hemocyanin inhibits the production of anti-DNP IgG₁ and IgG₂ antibodies.     

Identification and estimation of the proportion of limiting cell types involved in the phytohemagglutinin response by limiting cell dose-response analysis

Fluoresceinated peanut agglutinin (PNA-FITC) and a monoclonal anti-T-cell antibodies were used to identify human thymocyte subpopulations. The phenotypes of PNA+ and PNA? thymocytes were studied using two different techniques: agglutination with PNA and double-labeling immunofluorescence. The mitogen-responsive PNA- subset was shown to include early thymocytes bearing the OKT9 antigen as well as lymphocytes with the OKT3 phenotype. Nearly all PNA+ thymocytes were found to bind simultaneously OKT4, OKT6, and OKT8 antibodies, whereas about 30% of them weakly bind the OKT3 antibody. These data suggest the existence of several intermediate stages of intrathymic differentiation, including a subset simultaneously bearing the OKT6- and OKT3-defined antigens.     

Sterol-phospholipid interactions in model membranes Effect of polar group substitutions in the cholesterol side-chain at C20 and C22

The interactions of phospholipids with four different cholesterol derivatives substituted with one OH or one keto group at position C₂₀ or C₂₂ of the side-chain were studied. The derivatives were the 22,R-hydroxy; 22,S-hydroxy; 22-keto- and 20,S-hydroxycholesterol. Two aspects of the interactions were investigated: (1) the effect of the cholesterol derivatives on the gel → liquid crystalline phase transition of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and of dielaidoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DEPE) monitored by differential scanning calorimetry and (2) The effect on the lamellar → hexagonal H_II phase transition of DEPE monitored by DSC and by ³¹P-NMR to determine structural changes. The gel → liquid crystalline phase transition was affected by the cholesterol derivatives to a much larger extent in the case of DPPC than of DEPE. In both cases, there was a differential effect of the four derivatives, the 22,R-hydroxycholesterol being the less effective. In DPPC-sterol 1:1 systems, 22,R-hydroxycholesterol does not suppress the melting transition, the ΔH values becomes 7.1 kcal · mol^?1 as compared to 8.2 kcal · mol^?1 for the pure lipid. 22,S-OH cholesterol has a much stronger effect (ΔH = 3.1 kcal · mol^?1) and 22-ketocholesterol suppresses the transition completely. In DEPE mixtures of all these compounds, the melting transition of the phospholipid is still observable. The transition temperature was shifted to lower values (?13.5°C in the presence of 20,S-OH cholesterol). The ΔH of the transition was lowered by these compounds except in DEPE-22,R-OH cholesterol mixtures and the cooperativity of the transition (reflected by the width at half peak height) was reduced. The lamellar → hexagonal H_II phase transition was also affected by the presence of these cholesterol derivatives. The transition temperature value was depressed with all these compounds. 20,S-OH cholesterol was the most effective followed by 22,R-OH cholesterol. The ΔH of the transition was not strongly affected. The molecular interfacial properties of these derivatives were studied by the monomolecular film technique. It is most likely that 22,R-OH cholesterol due to the hydroxyl groups at the 3β- and 22,R-positions orients with the sterol nucleus lying flat at the air/water interface, since the compression isotherm of either the pure sterol or the DOPC-sterol mixture (molar ration, 1:1) monomolecular film exhibits a transition at approx. 103 Ų, corresponding to the area of revolution of the sterol nucleus. This remarkable property, due probably to the existence of a kink between the side-chain and the long axis of the steroid nucleus, might explain the smaller effect of this sterol on the melting transition of either PC or PE systems.