Nucleotide radiolabels as tools for studying P2Y receptors in membranes from brain and lung tissue

Kinetics of [35S]dATPalphaS interaction with P2Y1 purinoceptor in rat brain membranes

Kinetics of [35S]dATPalphaS (2'deoxyadenosine-5'-[alpha-35S]-thiotriphosphate) interaction with rat brain membrane fragments was studied at 25 degrees C and at radioligand concentrations from 2 to 250 nM. At least two different ways of [35S]dATPalphaS interaction with the membranes were distinguished on the basis of radioligand on-rate. Firstly, the binding sites characterized by 'fast' on-rate can be observed. Secondly, the 'slow' binding sites were kinetically identified and quantified. As in both cases the bound radioligand could be displaced by excess of ATP, all these binding sites can be defined as 'specific sites'. In the 'slow' binding sites isomerization of the receptor-ligand complex was observed, as is typical for interaction of antagonists with G-protein coupled receptors, and the kinetic parameters for this interaction were similar with the appropriate data for the hP2Y1 receptors expressed in 1321N1 astrocytoma cells Therefore these sites could be assigned to the same receptor subtype in brain membranes while the 'fast' binding sites belong to other membrane-bound proteins, also interacting with ATP and its analogues. The kinetic properties of the latter sites were not analysed in detail.

Kinetic analysis of [35S]dATP alpha S interaction with P2y(1) nucleotide receptor

The kinetics of 2'-deoxyadenosine-5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) ([(35)S]dATP alpha S) interaction with membrane fragments of transfected astrocytoma 1321N1 cells, expressing human P2Y(1) receptors, and the same wild-type cells, not expressing P2Y receptors were studied. Binding of this radioligand was observed with both types of membranes, but sites showing slow on-rate were found only on the transfected cells. These "slow" binding sites behaved as a kinetically homogeneous population and their interaction with the radioligand was shown to occur in two steps, R+A(K(A))<==>RA(k(i))<==>(k(-i))(RA), including the relatively slow isomerization of the complex RA into (RA). Evidence was obtained to assign the isomerized ("slow") binding sites on the transfected cells as P2Y(1) receptor sites, differentiated from other binding sites of non-receptor origin by kinetic analysis, and characterised by the kinetic parameters K(A)=59 +/- 19 nM, k(i)=(9.0 +/- 0.8)10(-3)s(-1) and k(-i)=(3.9 +/- 0.7)10(-3)s(-1). [(35)S]dATP alpha S binding, with kinetic criteria, can be of value for differentiation of the receptor sites from non-receptor sites and thus provides solid basis for radioligand assay of P2Y(1) receptors.

A chimeric rat brain P2Y1 receptor tagged with green-fluorescent protein: high-affinity ligand recognition of adenosine diphosphates and triphosphates and selectivity identical to that of the wild-type receptor

We tested how the green fluorescent protein (GFP) tag affects signaling of the nucleotide-activated P2Y1 receptor. Therefore, we generated stably transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing the rat P2Y1 wild-type receptor (rP2Y1-wt) or the receptor tagged at the C-terminus with the enhanced GFP (rP2Y1-eGFP). The chimeric rP2Y1-eGFP receptor is localized mainly to the plasma membrane as revealed by Western blotting of subcellular fractions. Both receptors were analyzed by measuring Ca2+ responses to short pulses of the agonists in single cells by continuous superfusion with medium. The rP2Y1-eGFP receptor was coupled to Ca2+ release as was the rP2Y1-wt receptor. 2-Methylthio adenosine 5'-diphosphate and -triphosphate (2-MeSATP and 2-MeSADP) were the most potent agonists at the heterologously expressed receptors, with EC50 values of 50 to 70 nM for rP2Y1-eGFP and 0.06 to 0.4 nM for rP2Y1-wt. These potencies of the two P2Y-selective agonists at rP2Y1-wt receptor-expressing cells are the highest values reported so far. This increase is probably due to a receptor reserve. In both rP2Y1-wt- and in rP2Y1-eGFP-expressing cells, the effect of 2-MeSATP was inhibited equally by the antagonist pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid. We established that ATP as well as adenosine 5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) (ATPalphaS) are full agonists at the rP2Y1 receptor at both transfected cell lines. The rP2Y1-eGFP receptor has the same ligand selectivity as the rP2Y1-wt receptor (2-MeSADP = 2-MeSATP > ADP > ATPalphaS, ATP >> UTP). Thus, the GFP-tagged P2Y1 receptor is fully active and shows regular signal transduction coupling. It provides the means for biochemical characterization, since it can be solubilized and is a tool for further physiological analysis.