scholarly journals Insulation of a G protein-coupled receptor on the plasmalemmal surface of the pancreatic acinar cell.

1995 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
pp. 579-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
B F Roettger ◽  
R U Rentsch ◽  
E M Hadac ◽  
E H Hellen ◽  
T P Burghardt ◽  
...  

Receptor desensitization is a key process for the protection of the cell from continuous or repeated exposure to high concentrations of an agonist. Well-established mechanisms for desensitization of guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors include phosphorylation, sequestration/internalization, and down-regulation. In this work, we have examined some mechanisms for desensitization of the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor which is native to the pancreatic acinar cell, and have found the predominant mechanism to be distinct from these recognized processes. Upon fluorescent agonist occupancy of the native receptor, it becomes "insulated" from the effects of acid washing and becomes immobilized on the surface of the plasma membrane in a time- and temperature-dependent manner. This localization was assessed by ultrastructural studies using a colloidal gold conjugate of CCK, and lateral mobility of the receptor was assessed using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Of note, recent application of the same morphologic techniques to a CCK receptor-bearing Chinese hamster ovary cell line demonstrated prominent internalization via the clathrin-dependent endocytic pathway, as well as entry into caveolae (Roettger, B.F., R.U. Rentsch, D. Pinon, E. Holicky, E. Hadac, J.M. Larkin, and L.J. Miller, 1995, J. Cell Biol. 128: 1029-1041). These organelles are not observed to represent prominent compartments for the same receptor to traverse in the acinar cell, although fluorescent insulin is clearly internalized in these cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. In this work, the rate of lateral mobility of the CCK receptor is observed to be similar in both cell types (1-3 x 10(-10) cm2/s), while the fate of the agonist-occupied receptor is quite distinct in each cell. This supports the unique nature of desensitization processes which occur in a cell-specific manner. A plasmalemmal site of insulation of this important receptor on the pancreatic acinar cell could be particularly effective to protect the cell from processes which might initiate pancreatitis, while providing for the rapid resensitization of this receptor to ensure appropriate pancreatic secretion to aid in nutrient assimilation for the organism.

2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (6) ◽  
pp. C1986-C1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rammohan V. Rao ◽  
Eileen L. Holicky ◽  
Susan M. Kuntz ◽  
Laurence J. Miller

Agonist-stimulated phosphorylation of guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors has been recognized as an important mechanism for desensitization by interfering with coupling of the activated receptor with its G protein. We recently described a mutant of the CCK receptor that modified two of five key sites of phosphorylation (S260,264A) and eliminated agonist-stimulated receptor phosphorylation, despite normal ligand binding and signaling (20). As expected, this nonphosphorylated mutant had impaired rapid desensitization but was ultimately able to be desensitized by normal receptor internalization. Here we demonstrate that this mutant receptor is also defective in resensitization, with abnormal recycling to the cell surface. To explore this, another receptor mutant was prepared, replacing the same serines with aspartates to mimic the charge of serine-phosphate (S260,264D). This mutant was expressed in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line and shown to bind CCK normally. It had accelerated kinetics of signaling and desensitization and was phosphorylated in response to agonist occupation, with all other normal sites of phosphorylation modified. It was internalized like wild-type receptors and was resensitized and trafficked normally. This provides evidence for an additional important function for phosphorylation of G protein-coupled receptors. Phosphorylation may induce a conformational change in the receptor to expose other potential sites of phosphorylation and to expose domains involved in the targeting and trafficking of endosomes. The hierarchical phosphorylation of these sites may play a key role in receptor regulation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (5) ◽  
pp. G840-G847 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. K. Gates ◽  
C. D. Ulrich ◽  
L. J. Miller

The cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor on the rat pancreatic acinar cell is a guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptor, which was recently demonstrated to be phosphorylated in response to agonist stimulation (Klueppelberg et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266: 17744-17746, 1991). In this work, we establish that this receptor is phosphorylated in response to a variety of homologous and heterologous secretagogues and that these phosphorylation events represent action by more than one protein kinase. One subgroup of kinases includes one or more isotype of protein kinase C (PKC), and is capable of playing a role in homologous and heterologous desensitization. A second subgroup of kinases that acts on the CCK receptor was defined by its resistance to 10 microM staurosporine, which was shown to inhibit all PKC in these cells. The activity of the second group of kinases was observed only in response to occupation of the CCK receptor by high concentrations of native hormone, raising the possibility of a "receptor-specific kinase." Similar to the prototypical kinase, beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (beta-ARK), this activity was inhibited in permeabilized cells by heparin. Furthermore, like this enzyme activity, beta-ARK was shown to be resistant to staurosporine. Based on its action on a G protein-coupled receptor, its activation at high concentrations of native agonist, and its pattern of inhibition, we believe that the staurosporine-insensitive CCK receptor kinase activity represents either beta-ARK or a closely related member of the receptor-specific kinase enzyme family.


2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 508-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Kuohung ◽  
Maria Burnett ◽  
Deepa Mukhtyar ◽  
Eli Schuman ◽  
Jake Ni ◽  
...  

Recent data have shown that the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR54 (also known as KiSS-1 receptor) regulates GnRH release from the hypothalamus. This essential role of GPR54 in controlling the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis makes it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in reproductive and cancer medicine. Currently, there are no small-molecule modulators of GPR54 function for experimental or clinical use. To identify small-molecule compounds that modify GPR54 signal transduction, the authors have adapted a cell-based functional assay for high-throughput screening (HTS) using a commercially available homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assay for inositol phosphate accumulation. They generated stable Chinese hamster ovary cell transfectants that express human GPR54 for use in this assay. After optimization in an automated HTS environment, they screened a library of 110,000 small-molecule compounds using 2 protocols, one to identify agonists and one to identify antagonists. Hits obtained in the primary screen were confirmed to be active in secondary in vitro assays. Compounds identified as agonists or antagonists from HTS and secondary screening will be characterized to identify agents with the potential to be developed as novel orally active agents to treat hormone-dependent disorders such as abnormal puberty, infertility, endometriosis, and sex steroid-dependent tumors.


1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Abdennebi ◽  
L Couture ◽  
D Grebert ◽  
E Pajot ◽  
R Salesse ◽  
...  

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) via interaction with G-protein coupled specific receptors plays a central role in the control of gametogenesis in mammals of both sexes. In females, FSH is crucial for follicle growth, follicle maturation and ovulation. FSH receptors, together with luteinizing hormone-chorionic gonadotropin and thyrotropin receptors belong to a subfamily of structurally related receptors within the seven transmembrane receptor family. Among several other regions, the N-terminus of these receptors is believed to be responsible for important specific hormone-receptor contact sites. Recombinant filamentous phages displaying at their surface three overlapping N-terminal decapeptides of the FSH receptor, peptides A18-27, B25-34 and C29-38 were constructed. Ewes and female mice were immunized against the three FSH receptor (FSHR) recombinant phages. Immunoglobulins purified from immunized animals were analyzed for their biochemical properties on a Chinese hamster ovary cell line expressing the porcine FSH receptor. AntiA and antiB immunoglobulins (IgGs) behave as antagonists for 125I-FSH binding and for FSH-dependent cAMP production, while antiC IgGs did not compete for hormone binding. By contrast, antibodies against the C29-38 peptide displayed FSH agonist activity and stimulated the FSH receptor, whereas antiA and antiB IgGs did not. Furthermore, when the FSHR phages were used as peptidic vaccines, they induced a reversible inhibition of ovulation rate in ewes, and impaired fertility in female mice.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1525-1525
Author(s):  
Dongjun Li ◽  
Donna S. Woulfe

Abstract Arrestins have been shown to play important roles in G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) function in many cells, but their roles in platelets remain uncharacterized. While the classical role of arrestins is considered to be the internalization and desensitization of GPCRs, more recent studies suggest that arrestins can serve as scaffolds to recruit phosphatidyl inositol-3 kinases (PI3K)s to Gq-coupled receptors and promote PI3K-dependent signaling. Thrombin stimulates the PI3K-dependent activation of Akt in platelets in a Gq-dependent manner. Therefore, we sought to determine whether arrestins are involved in the PI3K-dependent activation of Akt in platelets. Comparative immunoblots show that of the two non-visual mammalian arrestins, only one, arrestin-2 (β-arrestin-1), is expressed in human and mouse platelets. Immunoprecipitation of arrestin-2 or p85-PI3K from platelet lysates demonstrated that arrestin-2 associates with the p85 subunit of PI3Ka/b in thrombin or ADP-stimulated platelets, but not resting cells. The association can be inhibited by inhibitors of the P2Y12 receptor for ADP, but not by P2Y1 inhibitors. p85-arrestin association is also blocked by inhibitors of src family kinases, as is Akt phosphorylation. To determine whether src family members were part of the p85-arrestin complexes, immunoblots were re-probed with antibodies to src, lyn and fyn. The results show that Lyn is incorporated into thrombin-stimulated arrestin complexes in a P2Y12-dependent manner. To determine whether arrestin-2 is important for Akt phosphorylation in platelets, megakaryocytes differentiated in culture from mouse embryonic stem cells were used as models of platelet signaling, since these cells are amenable to genetic manipulation. Arrestin-2 was inhibited in the cultured megakaryocytes using a siRNA approach, then cells were stimulated with thrombin and Akt phosphorylation was assessed by immunoblotting. Arrestin-2 expression in the cultured megakaryocytes treated with arrestin-2 specific siRNA was suppressed by an average of 53% compared to cells treated with scrambled siRNA, while thrombin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation was suppressed by 98% compared to scrambled siRNA-treated control cells (n=3 experiments, difference is significant, p=.01, unpaired student’s t-test). In conclusion, the results show that arrestin-2, lyn and PI3Kform a tri-molecular complex following stimulation of platelets with ADP or thrombin. Formation of arrestin complexes at activated receptor sites is important for the localized recruitment and src-dependent activation of p85-PI3K, thus promoting activation of Akt by G protein-coupled receptors.


Endocrinology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 152 (4) ◽  
pp. 1562-1571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinyang Bai ◽  
Fei Chang ◽  
Rong Zhou ◽  
Peng-Peng Jin ◽  
Hirokazu Matsumoto ◽  
...  

Abstract Perinatal exposure to environmental levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) impairs sexually dimorphic behaviors in rodents. Kisspeptin neurons in anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), which plays an important role in the activation of GnRH neurons and the initiation of LH-surge, have been suggested to be sexual dimorphism in rats. This study focused on exploring the influence of a perinatal exposure to an environmental dose of BPA on the development and maturation of male AVPV kisspeptin neurons and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. Female rats were injected sc with 2 μg BPA/kg·d from gestation d 10 through lactation d 7. Anatomical and functional changes in AVPV kisspeptin neurons and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis were examined in prepubertal, pubertal, and adult male rats exposed perinatally to BPA (BPA-rats). Here, we show that in postnatal d (PND)30/50/90 BPA-rats, the number of AVPV kisspeptin-immunoreactive cells was persistently increased in comparison with age-matched control male rats. The number of GnRH-immunoreactive cells in PND30 BPA-rats declined approximately 40% compared with control male rats, whereas that in PND50/90 BPA-rats was increased in a G protein-coupled receptor 54-dependent manner. Estradiol could induce a stable LH-surge in PND90 BPA-rats and control female rats, which was sensitive to the G protein-coupled receptor 54 inhibitor. In PND30/50 BPA-rats, plasma level of LH was higher, but the level of testosterone was lower than control male rats. These findings provide evidence that perinatal exposure to an environmental dose of BPA causes a sustained increase in AVPV kisspeptin neurons in male rats, leading to the generation of estradiol-induced LH-surge system.


2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 1473-1483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Li ◽  
Xian Xuan Chi ◽  
Wenrui Xie ◽  
J. A. Strong ◽  
J.-M. Zhang ◽  
...  

Previously we demonstrated that sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) played a prominent, but not exclusive, role in enhancing the excitability of small-diameter sensory neurons, suggesting that other S1PRs can modulate neuronal excitability. To examine the potential role of S1PR2 in regulating neuronal excitability we used the established selective antagonist of S1PR2, JTE-013. Here we report that exposure to JTE-013 alone produced a significant increase in excitability in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in 70–80% of recorded neurons. Internal perfusion of sensory neurons with guanosine 5′- O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP-β-S) via the recording pipette inhibited the sensitization produced by JTE-013 as well as prostaglandin E2. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin or the selective S1PR1 antagonist W146 blocked the sensitization produced by JTE-013. These results indicate that JTE-013 might act as an agonist at other G protein-coupled receptors. In neurons that were sensitized by JTE-013, single-cell RT-PCR studies demonstrated that these neurons did not express the mRNA for S1PR2. In behavioral studies, injection of JTE-013 into the rat's hindpaw produced a significant increase in the mechanical sensitivity in the ipsilateral, but not contralateral, paw. Injection of JTE-013 did not affect the withdrawal latency to thermal stimulation. Thus JTE-013 augments neuronal excitability independently of S1PR2 by unknown mechanisms that may involve activation of other G protein-coupled receptors such as S1PR1. Clearly, further studies are warranted to establish the causal nature of this increased sensitivity, and future studies of neuronal function using JTE-013 should be interpreted with caution.


2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (16) ◽  
pp. 8141-8152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph D. Sherrill ◽  
Melissa P. Stropes ◽  
Olivia D. Schneider ◽  
Diana E. Koch ◽  
Fabiola M. Bittencourt ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The presence of numerous G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) homologs within the herpesvirus genomes suggests an essential role for these genes in viral replication in the infected host. Such is the case for murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), where deletion of the M33 GPCR or replacement of M33 with a signaling defective mutant has been shown to severely attenuate replication in vivo. In the present study we utilized a genetically altered version of M33 (termed R131A) in combination with pharmacological inhibitors to further characterize the mechanisms by which M33 activates downstream signaling pathways. This R131A mutant of M33 fails to support salivary gland replication in vivo and, as such, is an important tool that can be used to examine the signaling activities of M33. We show that M33 stimulates the transcription factor CREB via heterotrimeric Gq/11 proteins and not through promiscuous coupling of M33 to the Gs pathway. Using inhibitors of signaling molecules downstream of Gq/11, we demonstrate that M33 stimulates CREB transcriptional activity in a phospholipase C-β and protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent manner. Finally, utilizing wild-type and R131A versions of M33, we show that M33-mediated activation of other signaling nodes, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase family member p38α and transcription factor NF-κB, occurs in the absence of Gq/11 and PKC signaling. The results from the present study indicate that M33 utilizes multiple mechanisms to modulate intracellular signaling cascades and suggest that signaling through PLC-β and PKC plays a central role in MCMV pathogenesis in vivo.


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