Inhibition by dexamethasone of beta 3-adrenergic receptor responsiveness in 3T3-F442A adipocytes. Evidence for a transcriptional mechanism

Structure, function, and regulation of adrenergic receptors

Adrenergic receptors for adrenaline and noradrenaline belong to the large multigenic family of receptors coupled to GTP-binding proteins. Three pharmacologic types have been identified: alpha 1-, alpha 2-, and beta-adrenergic receptors. Each of these has three subtypes, characterized by both structural and functional differences. The alpha 2 and beta receptors are coupled negatively and positively, respectively, to adenylyl cyclase via Gi or Gs regulatory proteins, and the alpha 1 receptors modulate phospholipase C via the Go protein. Subtype expression is regulated at the level of the gene, the mRNA, and the protein through various transcriptional and postsynthetic mechanisms. Adrenergic receptors constitute, after rhodopsin, one of the best studied models for the other receptors coupled to G proteins that are likely to display similar structural and functional properties.

Characterization of propranolol-resistant (-)-[125I]-cyanopindolol binding sites in rat soleus muscle

1. The characteristics of a propranolol-resistant (-)-[125I]-cyanopindolol (CYP) binding site in rat soleus muscle were determined. 2. Saturation studies performed on homogenates of rat soleus muscle showed two phases of (-)-[125I]-CYP binding, a high affinity site (KD1 30.5 +/- 16.3 pM, Bmax 9.4 +/- 1.38 fmol mg-1 protein) and a lower affinity site (KD2 522.5 +/- 29.1 pM, Bmax 62.19 +/- 11.76 fmol mg-1 protein, n = 4). 3. In rat soleus muscle homogenates labelled with (-)-[125I]-CYP (500 pM), (-)-propranolol competition curves were biphasic with pKD values of 8.30 +/- 0.19, and 5.33 +/- 0.08, n = 7. 4. Competition between (-)-[125I]-CYP (500 pM) and (+/-)-tertatolol, (+/-)-nadolol, (+/-)-alprenolol, (+/-)-CYP, and (-) and (+)-pindolol showed that these compounds competed for binding at the propranolol-resistant site with affinities lower than those displayed at typical beta-adrenoceptors. The atypical beta-adrenoceptor agonists BRL 37344, SR58611A and ICI D7114 and the partial agonist (+/-)-CGP 12177 also competed for (-)-[125I]-CYP binding. 5. Stereoselectivity was demonstrated for the stereoisomers of alprenolol and tertalolol. The (-)-isomers of alprenolol and tertalolol had higher affinity than their corresponding (+)-isomers (3.1 and 2.6 fold respectively). These low stereoselectivity values are a characteristic of atypical beta-adrenoceptors. 6. The beta-adrenoceptor agonists, (-)-adrenaline, (-)-isoprenaline and (-)-noradrenaline, all showed lower affinity than the atypical beta-adrenoceptor agonists and competition curves appeared biphasic in nature. 7. These results confirm the presence of a propranolol-resistant (- )-[125I]-CYP binding site in rat soleus muscle. The affinities of the tested compounds at the propranolol-resistant (- )-[125I]-CYP binding site show similarities to their affinities at 'atypical' beta-adrenoceptors in adipocytes and gastrointestinal tissues and at the cloned beta 3-adrenoceptor.

The promoter and intron/exon structure of the human and mouse beta 3-adrenergic-receptor genes

Transcription-start sites for the mouse and human beta 3-adrenergic-receptor mRNA have been localized in a region comprised between 150 and 200 nucleotides 5' from the ATG translation-start codon. Motifs potentially implicated in heterologous regulation of beta 3-adrenergic-receptor expression by glucocorticoids and by beta-adrenergic agonists have been identified upstream from these cap sites. In mouse, a second mRNA initiation region is postulated to exist further upstream. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the 3' end of the human and mouse beta 3-adrenergic-receptor genes to those of the corresponding cDNA revealed that in contrast to beta 1 and beta 2 adrenergic receptors, the beta 3-adrenergic-receptor genes comprise several exons. A large exon (1.4 kb) encodes the first 402 and 388 amino-acid residues of the human and mouse beta 3 adrenergic receptor, respectively. In man, a second exon (700 bp) contains the sequence coding for the six carboxy-terminal residues of the receptor and the entire mRNA 3' untranslated region. In mouse, a second exon (68 bp) codes for the 12 carboxy-terminal residues of the receptor and a third exon contains the beta 3-adrenergic-receptor mRNA 3' untranslated region. The use of alternate acceptor splice sites generates two forms of exon 3 (600 bp and 700 bp), yielding two beta 3-adrenergic-receptor transcripts which are differentially expressed in white and brown adipose tissues. Human beta 3-adrenergic-receptor transcripts with different 3' untranslated regions are produced by continuation of transcription beyond termination signals. Together, our results suggest that utilization of alternate promoters and/or 3' untranslated regions may allow tissue-specific regulation of beta 3-adrenergic-receptors expression.