Isolation of an inhibitory protein for the cyclic guanosine 3','5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase of bovine rod outer segments

Cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase in crude extracts from bovine rod outer segments can be activated by the addition of bleached rod outer segment membranes and GTP. In the absence of rhodopsin-containing membranes, the phosphodiesterase specific activity decreases with increasing concentration. A trypsin-sensitive inhibitor believed to be responsible for this phenomenon can be separated from the phosphodiesterase by DEAE-cellulose chromatography of the crude extract. Phosphodiesterase eluted from the DEAE-cellulose column shows considerably less concentration-dependence than in the crude extract. This partially purified phosphodiesterase was used as the substrate to assay for inhibitor. A GTPase which is active only in the presence of bleached rod outer segment membranes coelutes with the phosphodiesterase and is distinct from the phosphodiesterase inhibitor we have isolated.