Forskolin regulation of liver membrane adenylyl cyclase

The effects of forskolin on rat liver plasma membrane adenylyl cyclase were studied. The diterpene stimulated the Vmax of the enzyme system with apparent Km values of 3-5 microM. Stimulations were marked both in the absence (20-fold over control) as well as in the presence of various stimulators such as GTP, GuoPP[NH]P, NaF alone or in combination with glucagon. Except with GTP, where stimulations of activities by forskolin and the nucleotide were synergistic (more than additive), stimulations of combinations of GuoPP[NH]P, NaF or glucagon with forskolin were additive. Forskolin did not alter significantly the apparent Km values of the enzyme for MgATP or MnATP or the apparent Ka values (concentrations giving stimulations that are 50% of maximum) for Mg or Mn ions, GTP, GuoPP[NH]P or NaF. Forskolin caused a decrease in the concentration of glucagon required for half-maximal stimulation from 5 microM to 1.5 microM. Except for this effect on the Ka for the glucagon, the only kinetic parameter altered was the Vmax under all conditions tested. Although proteolysis stimulated liver membrane adenylyl cyclase under control conditions, it did not enhance forskolin-stimulated activities. More extensive proteolysis, which resulted in decreased activities in the absence of forskolin, also resulted in reduced forskolin-stimulated activities. 'Uncoupling' of the guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory component, that mediates guanine nucleotide stimulation by addition of 30 mM MnCl2, did not result in 'uncoupling' of forskolin stimulation. The data indicate that the diterpene forskolin stimulates adenylyl cyclase activity by a novel mechanism that differs from that by which NaF or guanylyl nucleotides affect this membrane-bound system and that the diterpene should be a useful tool with which to explore as yet unrecognized modes of regulation of cyclic AMP production.

Forskolin requires more than the catalytic unit to activate adenylate cyclase

Forskolin, a natural diterpene, is a novel, potent activator of a variety of adenylate cyclase systems; its mechanism and site of action are still disputed. We report here that, while forskolin activates liver adenylate cyclase up to 15-fold, it does not activate cyclase of ram sperm which comprises a pure catalytic subunit. However, forskolin activation of sperm adenylate cyclase activity could be observed after reconstitution with the regulatory component-enriched membrane from human erythrocytes. The diterpene weakly (3-5-fold) activated the cytosolic, soluble cyclase found in rat and ram tests, but this effect was lost when the cyclase was purified by gel chromatography. Our data are not compatible with the hypothesis that forskolin acts directly on the catalytic subunit, but rather suggest that it acts via another regulatory component, part of, or different from, the GTP-binding regulatory complex.

The catalytic unit of ram sperm adenylate cyclase can be activated through the guanine nucleotide regulatory component and prostaglandin receptors of human erythrocyte

Ram sperm adenylate cyclase is insensitive to fluoride, guanine nucleotides, cholera toxin, and hormones, and appears devoid of the guanine nucleotide regulatory component. In this paper, we demonstrate that human erythrocyte membranes are capable of restoring guanine nucleotide regulation and fluoride sensitivity to ram sperm adenylate cyclase. The reconstitution process in the presence of guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate or NaF is time-dependent, directly proportional to the quantity of erythrocyte protein added to the reconstitution system, and is only observed when Mg-ATP is used as substrate. Furthermore, the guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate-reconstituted activity can be activated by prostaglandin E1 or prostaglandin E2 through the binding sites normally present in human erythrocyte membranes. It therefore appears that reconstitution of the adenylate cyclase system can be readily performed in normal membranes which are deficient in regulatory component, and not only using defective cultured cell lines.

Proteolytic activation of rat liver adenylate cyclase by a contaminant of crude collagenase from Clostridium histolyticum

Treatment of rat liver plasma membranes with various commercial preparations of crude collagenase from Clostridium histolyticum at concentrations as low as 1 mug/ml, resulted in activation of the adenylate cyclase system. Maximal activation occurred at 50 to 100 mug/ml of collagenase, and promoted a 2- to 3-fold increase in the basal activity as well as in the activities stimulated by catecholamines, glucagon, fluoride, or GTP. This was due to an increase in the maximal velocity of the cyclizing reaction without any increase in the affinity of the enzyme for its substrate. Treatment of plasma membranes with crude collagenase did not induce gross structural modifications as judged by electron microscopic examination. 5'-Nucleotidase activity was slightly inhibited and ATPase activity remained unaffected. The stimulatory substance was nondialyzable, thermolabile, and inhibited by both EDTA and -SH reagents, thus appearing to be a protein. The following observations suggest the effects observed were due to other protease(s) present in crude collagenase: (a) only crude collagenase was active on liver adenylate cyclase: treatment with purified collagenase from C. histolyticum or from Achromobacter iophagus gave no stimulation; (b) the stimulatory activity was irreversible since washing of the membranes after treatment was without effect; (c) crude collagenase contained no lecithinase or sphingomyelinase activity under our conditions of adenylate cyclase assay; (d) after chromatography on Sephadex G-100, the activator appeared as a peak in the 30,000-dalton region and was clearly separated from the collagenase and clostripain peaks, but coincident with elastolytic and caseinolytic activities; (e) the effect of crude collagenase could be prevented by addition of elastin in vitro and was mimicked by purified elastase from hog pancreas. It remains to be seen whether the effects observed result from an increase in the catalytic constant of adenylate cyclase, or an unmasking of new catalytic sites.