The interactions between the activatory guanine nucleotide binding protein and the catalytic subunit of adenylate cyclase in rat liver plasma membranes

Three GTP-binding proteins of 50 kDa, 45 kDa and 28 kDa were identified by photoaffinity labelling with [gamma-32P]GTP-gamma-azidoanilide (A-GTP) in the rat liver plasma membrane. Pertussis toxin catalysed ADP-ribosylation of a single protein of 40 kDa. A-GTP had no effect on the basal labeling by pertussis toxin. After u.v. irradiation of the membrane in the presence of A-GTP, the GTP-dependent ADP-ribosylation by cholera toxin was increased, while the basal labelling was not affected. These results suggest that A-GTP interacts specifically with the activatory GTP-binding protein (Gs) and does not interact with the inhibitory GTP-binding protein (Gi). The effects of partial photoinactivation of Gs of the rat liver plasma membrane adenylate cyclase system by A-GTP were studied. U.v. irradiation in the presence of increasing concentrations of the analogue caused progressive decrease in the maximal extent of activation by guanosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate, but the Ka was not affected. The rate of activation of liver adenylate cyclase by guanosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate is temperature-dependent. The lag time increased from 0.5 min at 30 degrees C to 2.0-2.5 min at 15 degrees C in the presence of 10 microM-guanosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate. However, Ka remains unaffected by lowering the temperature. Photoinactivation by A-GTP or competitive inhibition by guanosine 5′-[β-thio]diphosphate decreases the maximal extent of activation by guanosine 5′-[γ-thio] triphosphate, but the lag time remains unaffected. The present results support the idea that Gs is tightly associated with the catalytic subunit under basal conditions. The present results also indicate that the transition of an inactive Gs to its active form is the rate-limiting step of the activation of adenylate cyclase by guanosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate in the intact rat liver plasma membranes.