| Abstract: | Earlier we have shown that some non-hormonal activators of adenylyl cyclase (AC) and hormones of higher vertebrate animals are able to affect functional activity of the AC system in the infusorian Dileptus anser. In the present work, sensitivity of this infusorian AC to Ca2+ was studied and it was found that calcium cations at concentrations of 0.5-10 microM stimulated significantly the enzyme activity in D. anser partially purified membranes. An increase of Ca2+ concentrations to 100 microM and higher led to the complete block of their stimulatory effect. In the EDTA-treated membranes the enzyme activity was reduced markedly, but it was restored significantly by addition of Ca2+. Calmodulin antagonists--chlorpromazine, W-7, and W-5--caused a dose-dependent decrease of the enzyme activity stimulated by 5 microM Ca2+ with IC50 values of 35, 137, and 174 microM, respectively. The AC-stimulating effects of biogenic amines (serotonin and octopamine) were completely retained in the presence of 2.5 and 100 microM Ca2+, whereas effects of peptide hormones (relaxine and EGF) were hardly changed in the presence of 2.5 microM calcium ions, but were markedly inhibited by 100 microM Ca2+. In the EDTA-treated membranes, the AC effects of biogenic amines were reduced, while the effects of peptide hormones were not revealed. On addition of Ca2+, the AC effects of biogenic amines were completely restored, whereas the effects of peptide hormones were not detected or were restored to a non-significant degree. Calmodulin antagonists slightly affected the AC effects of peptide hormones at concentrations efficient in the case of vertebrate AC, but decreased them markedly at higher concentrations. The AC effects of biogenic amines were little sensitive even to high antagonist concentrations. The obtained data show that targets of action of peptide hormones in the infusorian D. anser cell culture are the AC forms whose activity does not D. depends on calcium cations and possibly is regulated by Ca2+/calmodulin, whereas targets of action of biogenic amines are calcium-independent enzyme forms. |
