Localization of cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP in cardiac and skeletal muscle: immunocytochemical demonstration

When rat cardiac and skeletal muscle are explored by immunocytochemical procedures designed to show sites of localization of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP), distinct staining patterns for the two nucleotides are seen. Antibody to cyclic AMP is found in the area of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, while antibody to cyclic GMP is found with a periodic distribution corresponding to that of the A band. This suggests a role for cyclic GMP in the regulation of myosin.

Solubilization and photoaffinity labeling of renal membrane cyclic AMP receptors

Renal cortical plasma membranes were solubilized with sodium deoxycholate. The membrane-bound cyclic AMP receptors retained biologic activity in the detergent-dispersed state exhibiting the properties of high affinity for cyclic AMP, saturability and specificity. Half-maximal binding of cycle [3H]-AMP to these receptors was found to occur at 0.06 muM and 1.5 pmol of cyclic [3H]AMP was bound per mg membrane protein at saturation (0.5 muM cyclic [3H]AMP). Sodium deoxycholate-solubilized membrane proteins were chromatographed on Biogel A-5m. Cyclic [3H]AMP receptors eluted in the internal volume at positions equivalent to molecular sizes of 50 000 and 20 000 daltons and in the void volume at molecular size greater than 450 000. After photoaffinity labeling the renal membrane receptors with cyclic [3H]AMP, we found peaks of tritium radioactivity which eluted at similar molecular size positions on this Bogel A-5m column. Further treatment of photoaffinity labeled membranes with sodium dodecyl sulfate, mercaptoethanol and urea, followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, showed bands of tritium-labeled receptor protein with relative mobilities corresponding to molecular sizes of 26 000 and 21 000 daltons. This study shows that porcine renal cortical membranes contain at least two molecular species of cyclic AMP receptors which may be associated with regulation of the membrane-bound cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase from normal human adrenal

The protein kinase of normal human adrenal cytosol has been resolved by DEAE-cellulose chromatography into two major components, the protein kinases I and II, which are both adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) dependent. Both enzymes have similar substrate specificities, cAMP-dependency, and sensitivity to the stimulation by this nucleotide, but differ in their states of activation after preincubation with histone. The DEAE--cellulose charomatography of dissociated cytosol protein kinase reveals only one peak of kinase activity and two peaks of cAMP binding activity (A and B). Both binding proteins are able to inhibit the kinase activity of the catalytic subunit. Recombination experiments suggest that the regulatory subunit A originated from protein kinase I and subunit B from protein kinase II. The phosphorylation of histone by adrenal protein kinases is inhibited by a heat-stable protein inhibitor isolated from human fetal brain and human adult adrenal.

Cyclic AMP binding to intracellular receptor proteins in rat myometrium. Effect of epinephrine and prostaglandin E1

In estrogen-pretreated rat myometrium, the relaxing effect exerted by theophylline or epinephrine has been correlated with their ability to raise cyclic AMP levels (Vesin and Harbon, 1974). The present study demonstrates that such a correlation can be quantitatively extended to the degree of saturation of intracellular cyclic AMP receptors. The rise in cyclic AMP induced by theophylline and/or epinephrine in intact myometrial strips was accompanied by a decrease in the ability of the corresponding extracts to bind exogenous 3H-labeled cyclic AMP. Total intracellular cyclic AMP binding sites were not modified and averaged a value of 0.22 muM. Accurate estimation of intracellular receptor-cyclic AMP complex has been correlated with the corresponding level of cyclic AMP in the tissue, the apparent intracellular Kd for cyclic AMP has been evaluated at 450 nm. Stimulation of myometrial strips with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) which has been shown previously to induce contractions, although elevating cyclic AMP levels, was accompanied by a parallel increase in the saturation of the endogenous receptor, in an identical manner to that found with epinephrine or theophylline. The postulated hypothesis for a compartmentalization of cyclic AMP, or an interference of PGE1 with the intracellular cyclic AMP binding equilibrium has not been verified. The cyclic AMP system cannot be considered as the exclusive mechanism regulating uterine relaxation.

The use of affinity chromatography in purification of cyclic nucleotide receptor proteins

Biospecific affinity chromatography has been used to purify specific cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP receptor proteins. Several variables are important for successful purification of the cyclic AMP receptor protein, the most critical being the length of the aliphatic spacer side arm. 8-(2-Aminoethyl)-amino-cyclic AMP coupled to the aliphatic spacer side arm. 8-(2-Aminoethyl)-amino-cyclic AMP coupled to agarose specifically retains the cyclic AMP receptor protein by interaction with the immobilized nucleotide. Binding of the cyclic AMP receptor subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase to the immobilized nucleotide results in dissociation of the catalytic protein phosphokinase subunit which is not retained. The retained cyclic AMP receptor protein is subsequently eluted by cyclic AMP. Homogeneous cyclic AMP receptor protein prepared from rabbit skeletal muscle by affinity chromatography has been characterized. The molecular weight of the native protein as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at varying acrylamide concentrations is 76 800 and 82 000, respectively. The protein is asymmetric with frictional and axial ratios of 1.64 and 12. SDS and urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicate that the native cyclic AMP receptor is composed of two identical subunits of 42 700 molecular weight. The native protein dimer binds 2 moles of cyclic AMP per mole of protein and is active in suppressing activity of isolated catalytic subunits of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Cyclic GMP receptor protein from bovine lung has been purified using the same affinity chromatography media. Since cyclic nucleotide binding to cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase does not result in dissociation of regulatory receptor and catalytic phosphotransferase subunits, the cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme is retained on the column and can be subsequently specifically eluted with cyclic GMP.

A study of adenosine 3'-5' cyclic monophosphate binding sites of human erythrocyte membranes using 8-azidoadenosine 3'-5' cyclic monophosphate, a photoaffinity probe

An earlier report (1a) has shown the utility of 8-N3cAMP (8-azidoadenosine-3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate) as a photoaffinity probe for cAMP binding sites in human erythrocyte membranes. The increased resolution obtained using a linear-gradient SDS polyacrylamide gel system now shows that: 1) both cAMP and 8-N3cAMP stimulate the phosphorylation by [gamma-32P]-ATP of the same red cell membrane proteins; 2) the protein of approximately 48,000 molecular weight whose phosphorylation by [gamma-32P]-ATP is stimulated by cAMP and 8-N3cAMP migrates at a slower rate than the protein in the same molecular weight range which is heavily photolabeled with [32P]-8-N3cAMP;3) other cyclic nucleotide binding sites exist besides those initially reported; 4) the variation in the ratio of incorporation of [32P]-8-N3cAMP into the two highest affinity binding sites appears to be the result of a specific proteolysis of the larger protein.