Cholera toxin affects nuclear ADP-ribosylation in GH1 cells

Nicotinamide analogs and DNA-damaging agents deplete thyroid hormone receptor and c-erbA mRNA levels in pituitary GH1 cells

Incubation of pituitary GH1 cells with N'-methylnicotinamide, nicotinamide and 3-acetylpyridine which inhibit nuclear ADP-ribosylation and/or the cellular concentration of its substrate NAD+ reduced the amount of nuclear thyroid hormone receptors in a time- and dose-dependent manner without altering the affinity of the receptors for the hormone. A transient activation of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase by methyl methanesulfonate, ultraviolet irradiation or spermine caused a rapid depletion of cellular NAD+ content and was followed by a strong inhibition of ADP-ribosylation. These agents also produced a very rapid and marked reduction of receptor numbers. The decrease of receptors caused by the different compounds is not secondary to a generalized inhibition of protein synthesis or to an alteration in hormone availability. The abundance of c-erbA alpha and beta mRNAs, which encode thyroid hormone receptors, was reduced in cells treated with the compounds that decrease receptor number, thus suggesting that this effect is caused by a decrease in the expression of c-erbA genes.

The thyroid hormone response element is required for activation of the growth hormone gene promoter by nicotinamide analogs

N'-Methylnicotinamide and nicotinamide, which decreased in vitro ADP-ribosylation of nuclear proteins and/or cellular NAD+ content, selectively increased the basal expression of the rat growth hormone (GH) gene promoter and its response to triiodothyronine (T3). This increase was not found when the thyroid hormone response element (TRE) was deleted from the promoter. Transfection with an expression vector for the T3 receptor inhibited basal activity of the TRE-containing promoter and repressed the stimulatory effect of N'-methylnicotinamide. The addition of hormone relieved this inhibition and enhanced transcription above levels found in the absence of the transfected receptors. These results suggest a modulatory role of ADP-ribosylation in hormonal regulation of gene expression.

Influence of thyroid hormone on ADP-ribosylation of nuclear proteins in cultured GH1 cells

We present evidence that T3 can alter the ADP-ribosylation of chromatin associated proteins. Nuclei from GH1 cells were incubated with [adenylate-32P]NAD and the radioactivity incorporated into histone and non-histone proteins was quantitated and analyzed by gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Incubation of GH1 cells for 24 h with T3 lowered by 40-70% the [32P]ADP-ribose incorporated into nuclear proteins. However, incubation for 3 h with T3 resulted in a stimulation instead of a decrease of in vitro [32P]ADP-ribose incorporation. The major ADP-ribosylated component electrophoresed as a 120,000 molecular mass non-histone protein, and radiolabeled histones were also observed. The same protein species were observed for all the experimental groups and T3 affected the extent of ADP-ribosylation but did not alter the sedimentation of the [32P]ADP-ribosylated components excised from chromatin after micrococcal nuclease digestion.

Regulation by butyrate of the cAMP response to cholera toxin and forskolin in pituitary GH1 cells

In pituitary GH1 cells, a rat growth hormone-producing cell line, butyrate elicited a dose-dependent increase in cholera toxin receptors as measured by an increased binding of 125I-labeled cholera toxin to the intact cells. Butyrate did not alter the affinity of cholera toxin binding, the dissociation constant being 0.4 nM for both control and butyrate-treated cells. Despite the increased binding, the cAMP response to cholera toxin was strongly reduced after exposure to butyrate. This reduction was dose-dependent and with butyrate 1--5 mM, intracellular and extracellular (medium) cAMP levels were decreased by more than 70% in cells incubated for 24 h with 1 nM cholera toxin. Forskolin (30 microM) elicited a cAMP response similar to that found with the toxin, and a similar inhibition of cAMP was also found after incubation of GH1 cells with butyrate. Butyrate also affected basal cAMP levels which were reduced by 40--60% in cells cultured for 24--48 h with the fatty acid. In order to study whether butyrate influenced cAMP synthesis and/or cAMP degradation, adenylyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase activities were determined in control cells and in cells incubated for 24 h with cholera toxin or forskolin. Butyrate had a dual effect since, besides activating phosphodiesterase by more than twofold, it also inhibited the cyclase by 40--50% in all groups. The in vitro response of adenylyl cyclase to stimulatory (NaF) and inhibitory (carbachol and adenosine) effectors was also examined. The absolute activity of the cyclase was always 40--50% lower in the cells incubated with butyrate, but the percentage change of activity obtained in butyrate-treated and untreated cells was unaltered. In addition, ADP-ribosylation of the guanine nucleotide stimulatory component of the cyclase (Gs) was not affected in the cells incubated with butyrate. These results suggest that the catalytic (C) subunit of adenylyl cyclase and/or its interaction with the regulatory components might be altered in butyrate-treated GH1 cells. The inhibition of the cAMP response in GH1 cells was accompanied by an inhibition of a biological action of the nucleotide, namely growth hormone (somatotropin) production which is primarily controlled by thyroid hormones in these cells. Forskolin alone did not affect the somatotropin levels but potentiated the growth hormone response to triiodothyronine. Butyrate produced a dose-dependent inhibition of this response, which was totally abolished at concentrations of butyrate higher than 1 mM.