Cholesterol modulation of β-adrenergic receptor characteristics

Cholesterol, a major structural component of plasma membranes, has a profound influence on cell surface receptor characteristics and on adenylate cyclase activity. β-Adrenergic receptor number, adenylate cyclase activity, and receptor-cyclase coupling were assessed in rat lung membranes following preincubation with cholesteryl hemisuccinate. β-Adrenergic receptor number increased by 50% without a change in antagonist affinity. However, β-adrenergic receptor affinity for isoproterenol increased 2-fold as a result of an increase in the affinity of the isoproterenol high-affinity binding site. This increase in agonist affinity did not potentiate hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, which decreased 3-fold following cholesterol incorporation. However, the ratio of isoproterenol to GTP-stimulated activity was unchanged with cholesterol. Stimulation distal to the receptor by GTP, NaF, GppNHp, Mn²⁺ and forskolin also demonstrated 50–80% reduced enzyme activity following cholesterol incorporation. These data suggest that membrane cholesterol incorporation decreases catalytic unit activity without affecting transduction of the hormone signal.