Characterization of cholecystokinin receptors in toad retina

The cholecystokinin system in the rat retina: receptor expression and in vivo activation of tyrosine phosphorylation pathways

High levels of endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) are present in the rat retina and restricted to amacrine cells. Two types of CCK receptors exist but their expression and intracellular transduction pathways coupled in the rat retina are unknown. The aims of this study were to investigate CCK receptors expression in rat retina and to study downstream tyrosine phosphorylation pathways. For this purpose, total mRNA isolated from rat retina was subjected to RT-PCR analysis. Isolated rat retinas were incubated in presence of CCK. Soluble proteins in retinal homogenates were immunoprecipitated with anti-phoshpotyrosine or anti-p130(Cas) specific monoclonal antibodies and subjected to SDS-PAGE, followed by Western blotting analysis. Both types of CCK receptor mRNAs, A and B, are present in the rat retina. Incubation of retina with CCK induced a rapid increase in several phosphotyrosine-containing bands with molecular masses greater than 30 kDa. Western Blotting and immunoprecipitation with a specific monoclonal antibody identified one of the phosphotyrosine bands as the adapter protein p130(Cas). Tyrosine phosphorylation of p130(Cas) induced by CCK in rat retina was time and concentration dependent: CCK induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p130(Cas) occurred rapidly with the maximum effect observed at 2.5 min incubation with 1 microM CCK. Our data clearly identified CCK-A and CCK-B receptor mRNAs in the rat retina and demonstrated that they are functional, stimulating tyrosine phosphorylation pathways. Our results provide novel biochemical information to further understand the physiological role of CCK A and B receptors in rat retina.

Role of the extracellular domains of the cholecystokinin receptor in agonist binding

The cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor types A and B (CCKAR and CCKBR) are G protein-coupled receptors with approximately 50% amino acid identity; both have high affinity for the sulfated CCK octapeptide (CCK-8), whereas only the CCKBR has high affinity for gastrin. Previously, we identified five amino acids in the second extracellular loop (ECL) of the CCKBR that were essential for gastrin selectivity. Subsequent mutagenesis of one of these five amino acids (H207F) resulted in the loss of radiolabeled CCK-8 binding. CCK-8 stimulated total inositol phosphate accumulation in COS-1 cells transiently expressing the CCKBR-H207F with full efficacy and a 3044-fold reduced potency, which suggests that the loss of radioligand binding was caused by a loss in affinity. Alanine scanning mutagenesis was performed on the amino terminus near the top of transmembrane domain I (TMI) and on ECL1, two extracellular domains implicated in ligand binding by previous mutagenesis studies. 125I-Bolton-Hunter-CCK-8 binding to mutant receptors transiently expressed in COS-1 identified one nonconserved amino acid, R57A, at the top of TMI that caused a 21-fold reduction in CCK-8 affinity and four conserved amino acids, N115A, L116A, F120A and F122A, in the ECL1 that caused a 15.6-, 6-, 440-, and 8-fold reduction in affinity or efficacy. Alanine substitution of the equivalent amino acids in the CCKAR corresponding to each of the five amino acids in ECL1 and ECL2 affecting CCK-8 affinity for the CCKBR revealed only two mutations, L103A and F107A, that decreased CCK-8 affinity (68- and 2885-fold, respectively). These data suggest that CCK-8 interacts at multiple contact points in the extracellular domains of CCK receptors and that the CCKAR and CCKBR have distinct binding sites despite their shared high affinity for CCK-8.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 is a disulfide-linked dimer

The sequences of the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) show little homology with other members of the G protein-coupled receptor family and exhibit several distinctive features, including a large N-terminal extracellular domain with 17 cysteines in conserved positions. Here we demonstrate that mGluR5, as well as other mGluRs, behave as species approximately twice as large as expected from their sequence, but reducing conditions cause a decrease to the predicted molecular mass. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments using wild type and epitope-tagged receptors demonstrate that this is due to specific, disulfide-dependent dimerization of the receptor. The intermolecular disulfide that mediates dimerization occurs in the extracellular domain, within about 17 kDa from the N terminus.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide: an inhibitor of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) gallbladder contraction in vitro

The presence of a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like material was demonstrated in the gallbladder of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, using immunocytochemistry and confirmed by radioimmunoassay. An intense immunocytochemical reaction was observed in nerves located in the smooth muscle layers and associated with blood vessels. No immunoreactive nerve fibers were associated with ganglia, nor were immunoreactive cell bodies observed. Radioimmunoassay showed that 25.03 +/- 2.5 pmol/g tissue of CGRP-like material was present. In vitro tension studies using gallbladder strips showed that CGRP exerted an inhibitory effect on both acetylcholine- and cholecystokinin octapeptide-induced tension but had no effect on KCl-, norepinephrine-, or cerulein-induced tension. CGRP may act directly on the gallbladder smooth muscle to inhibit contraction.

Functional and molecular characterization of CCK receptors in the rat pancreatic acinar cell line AR 4-2J

Competitive inhibition binding studies on membranes from the rat pancreatic AR 4-2J cell line revealed the predominance (80%) of low selectivity CCK receptors (KD of 1 nM and 4 nM for, respectively, CCK-8 and gastrin-17I (G-17I] over selective receptors (20% with a KD of 1 nM and 1 microM for, respectively, CCK-8 and G-17I). Amylase secretion was stimulated by low concentrations of CCK-8, G-17I and CCK-4. G-17I-induced amylase secretion was unaffected by 100 nM of the selective peripheral CCK-A receptor antagonist L-364,718, suggesting that amylase hypersecretion followed non-selective CCK receptor activation, a function normally assumed by selective CCK-A receptors in rat pancreatic acini. Direct ultraviolet irradiation of AR 4-2J cell membranes preloaded with 125I-BH-CCK-33 or 125I(Leu)G(2-17)I resulted in covalent cross-linking with, respectively, a 90 kDa protein and a 106 kDa protein, both distinct from the 81 kDa CCK binding species revealed in normal rat pancreatic membranes. Gpp[NH]p increased the dissociation rate of CCK-8 and G-17I from AR 4-2J cell membranes, indicating a coupling of receptors with guanyl nucleotide regulatory protein(s) G. [32P]ADP-ribosylation of AR 4-2J cell membranes allowed to detect the presence of two Gs alpha (the 50 kDa form predominating over the 45 kDa form) and one Gi alpha (41 kDa). However, Gi and Gs may not be involved in gastrin stimulation of amylase secretion, as Bordetella pertussis toxin and cholera toxin pretreatment of cells did not suppress G-17I-dependent amylase secretion.

Characterization of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors in retina

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide having a wide range of effects on a large number of tissues. To gain insight into the role VIP plays in retinal function, VIP receptors in bovine retinal membranes were analyzed in competition binding assays and by affinity labeling studies and compared to VIP receptors in rat liver membranes. In both membrane preparations, high affinity VIP binding sites (KD approximately 1 nM) were detected. Secretin and glucagon, each having close structural homology to VIP, were found to have negligible effects on [125I]VIP binding in retina. In contrast, secretin (KD = 70 nM) was modestly effective in inhibiting [125I]VIP binding to rat liver membranes. Affinity labeling analysis revealed a VIP binding site of 59 kDa in both bovine retinal and rat liver membranes. Digestion of affinity-labeled receptor proteins with endoglycosidase F generated final cleavage products of approx. 45 kDa for both receptors. These results indicate that the retina expresses a high affinity, highly selective VIP receptor thereby supporting a specific function for VIP in this tissue.

Photoaffinity labelling of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)-R1 receptor by underivatized 125I-ANF. Involvement of lipid peroxidation

In bovine adrenal zona glomerulosa, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) exerts its physiological effect through high-affinity binding to specific membrane receptors. On studying further the molecular properties of the ANF receptor binding domain, we have observed that incubation of intact or solubilized bovine adrenal zona glomerulosa membranes with 125I-ANF-(99-126) followed by u.v. irradiation results in the irreversible labelling of a 130 kDa protein corresponding to the ANF-RI receptor. This process is time-, protein- and 125I-ANF-dependent. The apparently covalent nature of this complex is documented by its resistance to heat, guanidine hydrochloride, urea and trichloroacetic acid denaturation. Photolabelling with underivatized 125I-ANF is much more efficient with the ANF-R1 than with the ANF-R2 receptor. After photolysis, the covalently linked 125I-ANF is still sensitive to digestion by carboxypeptidase A, suggesting that ANF is linked by its N-terminal end to the receptor upon u.v. irradiation and that its C-terminal end is still freely accessible. Aerobic conditions and lipids are required for the photolabelling, suggesting a role in this process for malondialdehyde, a highly reactive secondary product associated with u.v.-induced lipid peroxidation. This simple method should provide a powerful tool in the accurate characterization of the hormone-binding domain of the ANF receptor.