Gonadotropin and prostaglandins binding sites in rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi fractions of bovine corpora lutea

Role of luteal cell nucleus in the expression of gonadotropin action

Gonadotropin receptors are not only present in cell membranes, but also in nuclei of bovine and human luteal cells. hCG/hLH can directly regulate several nuclear functions. To further investigate the role of luteal cell nucleus in the expression of gonadotropin action, the effect of enucleation of luteal cells on gonadotropin receptors and gonadotropin response was studied. Luteal cytoplasts were prepared by colchicine treatment of purified whole luteal cells followed by centrifugation at 37 C in a Percoll gradient. The cytoplasts were 85 to 90% pure with a recovery of about 57%. Cytoplasts were viable as determined by trypan blue exclusion (87%) and metabolically competent as determined by 3H-leucine incorporation into proteins. On the day of preparation, the viability and metabolic competency of cytoplasts were similar to control cells, i.e. untreated and colchicine treated whole luteal cells. In addition, cytoplasts and control cells showed a similar decline in number and viability during storage at 4 C. While control cells continue to be metabolically competent, cytoplasts showed a dramatic decline by 48 h of storage at 4 C. Neither the cytoplasts nor control cells degraded 125I-hCG. The kinetics of 125I-hCG association and dissociation, specificity and affinity of binding to cytoplasts were similar to control cells. However, the number of available gonadotropin receptors in cytoplasts was significantly lower than in control cells. Cytoplasts contained lower progesterone levels and more importantly, they could not be stimulated by 10 nM hCG or 10 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP to produce more progesterone. Controls cells, on the other hand, contained higher progesterone levels and responded to hCG and dibutyryl cyclic AMP stimulation. In summary, removal of nuclei from luteal cells results in a partial loss of gonadotropin receptors and complete loss of steroidogenic response to hCG and dibutyryl cyclic AMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of cytokines on prostaglandin E and cAMP levels in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts in vitro

The stimulation of PGE synthesis and cAMP production by cytokines have important physiological effects in many target tissues. The effects of interleukin-1 alpha and -1 beta, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma on PGE and cAMP production by periodontal ligament fibroblasts were studied. Fibroblasts in the 4th-6th passage, grown and maintained in DMEM supplemented with 10% equine serum, were incubated with graded doses of the various cytokines for 0.25, 0.5, 1.2, 4, 24, 48 or 72 h. At the end of each incubation, PGE in the medium and the cellular content of cAMP were evaluated by a combined immunohistochemical microphotometric procedure, and conventional radiometric assays. The fibroblasts responded to all the cytokines with a dose- and time-related increase in the levels of PGE and cAMP. Such increases were inhibited by the inclusion of indomethacin in the medium. The addition of exogenous PGE reversed that inhibition in respect of cAMP production. Immunohistochemical localization showed PGE predominantly in the cytoplasm and cAMP in the nucleus. These findings indicate that: (1) human periodontal ligament fibroblasts respond to these cytokines by increased synthesis of PGE and the production of cAMP; and (2) the cAMP production is secondary to the PGE synthesis. They suggest that these cytokines may regulate the function of these fibroblasts in physiological remodelling of the periodontium, as well as in inflammatory reactions.

Localization and characterization of prostaglandin E1 receptors in rat small intestine

While prostaglandins of the E series are known to affect several small intestinal functions, their cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. The purposes of our study were to determine whether receptors for PGE are present in rat small intestine and to locate and characterize the receptor binding in the subcellular fractions. Small intestinal binding of prostaglandin E1 was significantly higher than that of prostaglandin E2. Highest receptor binding for prostaglandin E1 was found in the plasma membrane fraction of isolated small intestinal enterocytes. Curvilinearity of prostaglandin E1 binding in plasma membranes upon Scatchard analysis indicated two receptor binding sites in rat small intestine. Competitive binding studies demonstrated that receptor binding was highest for prostaglandins of the E series. These studies are the first to demonstrate specific prostaglandin E1 receptors in different subcellular fractions of rat small intestine. We suggest that receptor binding of prostaglandin E may be an important initial step in the mechanism of prostaglandin-E-induced responses in the small intestine.

Immunohistochemical assessment of the effect of chemical and mechanical stimuli on cAMP and prostaglandin E levels in human gingival fibroblasts in vitro

These were evaluated by: (1) a combined immunohistochemical-microphotometric procedure (IH) and (2) conventional radiometric assays. Human gingival fibroblasts were in the sixth passage, grown and maintained in Dulbecco minimal essential medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10 per cent horse serum. For chemical and hormonal stimuli, cells (2 x 10(4] were seeded on tissue-culture chamber/slides, and incubated with graded doses of either parathyroid hormone (PTH) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) for assessment of their adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) levels, and with indomethacin or colchicine for their effect on PGE levels. For mechanical stimuli, cells (1 x 10(6] were seeded on culture dishes with a flexible plastic membrane and stretched for 5, 30, 60 or 120 min by placing the membrane over a convex surface and weighting the dish cover. After freeze drying, cells were stained by an immunoperoxidase technique for either cAMP or PGE, using monoclonal antibodies. The staining intensity of fibroblasts was determined at 600 nm wavelength. Per cent light absorbance of 15 cells in each slide was measured and the results tested by analysis of variance. The gingival fibroblasts responded to the drugs and hormones in a dose- and time-related fashion. Stretching significantly increased their synthesis of PGE with concomitant increase in cAMP. The IH results were compared with the radiometric assays to confirm the validity of this technique; both assays were valid for describing the quantitative responses of these cells to the stimuli. In particular, the IH method could localize those intracellular sites which demonstrated chances in relative cAMP and PGE concentrations in response to hormonal stimuli.

A quantitative electron microscope autoradiographic study on [3H]prostaglandin E1 and F2 alpha internalization in bovine luteal slices

Very few silver grains were seen on the luteal cell surface and none intracellularly after incubation for 2 h at 4 degrees C with 10 nM [3H]prostaglandin (PG) E1 or [3H]PGF2 alpha. However, incubation at 22 degrees C or 38 degrees C for 2 h resulted in association of numerous grains on the luteal cell surface as well as in several intracellular organelles. Qualitatively, the grain distribution was similar at 22 degrees C and 38 degrees C, but quantitatively there were fewer grains at 22 degrees C than at 38 degrees C. In addition to luteal cells, the grains were also found on erythrocytes, platelets, fibroblasts and capillary endothelial cells in luteal tissue incubated with [3H]PGE1. Grain association with non-luteal cells was never seen with [3H]PGF2 alpha. Coincubation of [3H]PGE1 or [3H]PGF2 alpha with only corresponding excess unlabeled PGs resulted in complete disappearance of silver grains from all the subcellular organelles. In autoradiographs, grains were seen on plasma membranes, nuclei, lysosomes, mitochondria, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi. Three-step mask analysis, which effectively corrects for radiation spread, revealed that the grains found on mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum in the case of [3H]PGE1, and those found on mitochondria, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi in the case of [3H]PGF2 alpha, were due to the radiation spread. For both [3H]PGE1 and [3H]PGF2 alpha the plasma membrane associated grains progressively decreased, while the intracellular organelle associated grains increased with time at 38 degrees C. There were no grains in nuclei at 5 min but they appeared at 10 min and increased until 60 or 120 min. The optimized source density following 2 h of incubation at 38 degrees C with [3H]PGE1 was Golgi greater than plasma membranes greater than lysosomes = nuclei, and for [3H]PGF2 alpha, lysosomes greater than plasma membranes greater than nuclei. In summary, the present studies demonstrate for the first time that exogenously added [3H]PGE1 and [3H]PGF2 alpha internalize in bovine luteal cells in a ligand-specific, time- and temperature-dependent manner. The observations that the internalized [3H]PGE1 does not associate with rough endoplasmic reticulum and that [3H]PGF2 alpha does not associate with rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi, even though they contain the binding sites, suggest the presence of mechanism(s) to direct the internalized [3H]PGs to only certain intracellular organelles of luteal cells.

Internalization of 125I-human choriogonadotropin in bovine luteal slices. A biochemical study

Various intracellular organelles as well as outer cell membranes of bovine corpora lutea intrinsically contain gonadotropin receptors (Rao et al., J biol chem 256 (1981) 2628 [5]). In order to investigate whether exogenously added human choriogonadotropin (hCG) can internalize and bind to the intracellular sites, bovine luteal slices that had been carefully checked with respect to structural and functional integrity were incubated with 0.1 nM 125I-hCG. Following incubation, specific radioactivity was found to be associated with various intracellular organelles, but not with cytosol. The order of radioactivity uptake by subcellular organelles following a 2-h incubation was: Golgi medium greater than Golgi heavy greater than Golgi light greater than plasma membranes = rough endoplasmic reticulum greater than mitochondria-lysosomes- greater than nuclei. The 5'-nucleotidase activity and electron microscopic examination of the fractions revealed that the presence of radioactivity in the intracellular organelles cannot be attributed solely to plasma membrane contamination. The internalization and intracellular binding of 125I-hCG was time and temperature-dependent. Only excess unlabeled hCG and hLH (but not hCG subunits, FSH and PRL) competed with 125I-hCG for internalization in luteal slices. Very little or no 125I-hCG added was internalized in liver or kidney slices; luteal, liver and kidney slices accumulated neither 125I-BSA nor 125I. The radioactivity eluted from various luteal subcellular organelles was able to rebind to fresh corresponding organelles and came off Sepharose 6B columns in a position corresponding to native 125I-hCG. The gel filtration profile of detergent-solubilized radioactivity revealed that 125I-hCG was macromolecular bound. The degraded and altered 125I-hCG was found in the incubation media.

A quantitative electron microscope autoradiographic study on 125I-human choriogonadotropin internalization in bovine luteal slices

Very few silver grains were seen on the cell surface and none intracellularly after incubation for 2 h at 4 degrees C. However, numerous grains were seen in various subcellular organelles when the tissues were incubated for 2 h at 22 degrees or 38 degrees C. The grain distribution was qualitatively similar, but quantitatively, there were fewer grains at 22 degrees than at 38 degrees C. Co-incubation of 125I-hCG with excess unlabelled hCG resulted in the virtual disappearance of silver grains from all the subcellular organelles. Excess unlabelled human luteinizing hormone (but not follicle-stimulating hormone or prolactin) inhibited the appearance of silver grains in luteal tissue. There were no silver grains in bovine liver slices incubated with 125I-hCG. The plasma membrane-associated grains progressively decreased, while intracellular organelle-associated grains increased with time at 38 degrees C. There were no grains in nuclei at 5 min, but they appeared at 10 min and increased until 120 min. After correction for radiation spread by three-step mask analysis, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria did not contain any grains. The grain density was the highest in Golgi, followed by lysosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, nuclei, and plasma membranes after incubation for 2 h at 38 degrees C. Thus, the electron microscope autoradiography approach confirmed our biochemical data in the preceding paper (Chegini et al., Exp cell res 151 (1984) 466 [5]) on time, temperature dependency and specificity of 125I-hCG internalization, association of internalized hormone with a variety of intracellular organelles, and the highest uptake in Golgi.

The presence of gonadotropin binding sites in the intracellular organelles of human ovaries

The nuclei (N), plasma membranes (PM), mitochondria-lysosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and combined (light, medium, and heavy) Golgi (G) fractions were isolated from human ovaries. The purities of these fractions were evaluated by assays of appropriate marker enzymes, which revealed that some fractions were very pure but that others had minor contamination. When tested, all of the fractions exhibited 125I-labeled human chorionic gonadotropin (125I-hCG)-specific binding. This intracellular 125I-hCG binding was not due to PM contamination because: (1) N, which had no detectable 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NE) activity, a marker for PM, exhibited 125I-hCG-specific binding; (2) the G, which had only a fraction of the 5'-NE activity of PM, exhibited as much binding as PM; and (3) the ratios between specific 125I-hCG binding and 5'-NE activity in other fractions were not the same as for PM. They should have been the same if PM contamination was responsible for the 125I-hCG binding observed in other organelles. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that gonadotropin-binding sites are present in various intracellular organelles as well as in PM of human ovaries.

Gonadotropin and prostaglandins binding sites in nuclei of bovine corpora lutea

Highly purified nuclei isolated from bovine corpora lutea showed marked enrichment of NAD pyrophosphorylase, a marker for this organelle. Rough endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomal markers were undetectable, whereas plasma membrane and Golgi markers were detectable but not enriched in nuclei. These highly puridied nuclei exhibited specific binding with 125I-labeled human choriogonadotropin, [3H]prostaglandin E1 and [3H]prostaglandin F2 alpha. However, these bindings were only 15.4% (human choriogonadotropin), 7.9% (prostaglandin E1) and 8.9% (prostaglandin F2 alpha) of the plasma membrane binding observed under the same conditions. Washing of nuclei and plasma membranes twice with buffer containing 0.1% Triton X-100 resulted in gonadotropin and prostaglandin F2 alpha binding site and 5'-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) losses from nuclei that were different from those observed for plasma membranes. More importantly, the washed nuclei exhibited 44% (human choriogonadotropin), 21--26% (prostaglandins) of original specific binding despite virtual disappearance of 5'-nucleotidase activity. The nuclear membranes isolated from nuclei, specifically bound 125I-labeled human choriogonadotropin and [3H]prostaglandin F2 alpha to the same extent or significantly more ([3H]prostaglandin E1, P less than 0.05) than nuclei themselves, despite the marked losses of chromatin. In summary, our data suggest that gonadotropin and prostaglandins bind to nuclei and that this binding was intrinsic and was primarily associated with the nuclear membrane.