Activation of prostacyclin synthesis by mechanical stimulation in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila

Dynamin-association with agonist-mediated sequestration of beta-adrenergic receptor in single-cell eukaryote Paramecium

Evidence that dynamin is associated with the sequestration of the Paramecium beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) immunoanalogue is presented. We previously reported a dramatic change in the distribution of betaAR analogue in the subcellular fractions upon isoproterenol treatment: it is redistributed from the membraneous to the cytosolic fraction, as revealed by quantitative image analysis of western blots. Here we confirm and extend this observation by laser scanning confocal and immunogold electron microscopy. In the presence of isoproterenol (10 micro mol l(-1)) betaAR translocated from the cell surface into dynamin-positive vesicles in the cytoplasmic compartment, as observed by dual fluorochrome immunolabeling in a series of the confocal optical sections. Colocalization of betaAR and dynamin in the tiny endocytic vesicles was detected by further electron microscopic studies. Generally receptor sequestration follows its desensitization, which is initiated by receptor phosphorylation by G-protein-coupled receptor kinase. We cloned and sequenced the gene fragment of 407 nucleotides homologous to the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (betaARK): its deduced amino acid sequence shows 51.6% homology in 126 amino acids that overlap with the human betaARK2 (GRK3), and may participate in Paramecium betaAR desensitization. These results suggest that the molecular machinery for the desensitization/sequestration of the receptor immunorelated to vertebrate betaAR exists in unicellular PARAMECIUM:

External GTP binding and induction of cell division in starved Tetrahymena thermophila

The extracellular nucleotide, guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) is known to be a chemorepellent for ciliated protozoa such as Paramecium and Tetrahymena. Here, we studied the surface localization of GTP binding sites and also its effects on the cell division of Tetrahymena thermophila. When a ribose-modified and fluorescent analog of GTP, 2'-(or -3')-O-trinitrophenyl (TNP)-GTP was added to the cells starved in non-nutrient buffer, a remarkable fluorescence was observed at the compound cilia of the oral area, while it was weak at other cilia and the somatic membrane. Following transfer of the cells to the starvation medium, the intensity of TNP-GTP fluorescence at the oral area gradually increased and was saturated at 3-4 hours. Addition of GTP to the starved cell induced not only an avoiding reaction in swimming, but also induced a synchronous cell division that occurred 2 hours later. An attempt to search for other stimuli, which induced cell division, revealed that mechanical stimulation by a short period of centrifugation was almost as effective as the addition of GTP. The supernatant after centrifugation had the ability to induce cell division, and such activity was abolished after the supernatant was treated with the phosphatase, apyrase, suggesting the release of GTP by the mechanical stimulation. These results indicate that the released GTP binds mainly to the oral area and this then induces the cell division of starved T. thermophila.