Agonist-induced isomerization of the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor: kinetic analysis using broken-cell and solubilized preparations

Characterization of CD4-gp120 activation intermediates during human immunodeficiency virus type 1 syncytium formation

The mechanism by which cells expressing HIV envelope glycoproteins progress from binding CD4+ cells to syncytia formation is not entirely understood. The purpose of these investigations was to use physical and biochemical tools (temperature shifts, soluble CD4, protease inhibitors, and a battery of anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies) to isolate discrete steps during syncytia formation. Previously (Fu et al., J Virol 1993;67:3818), we found that preincubation of cells stably expressing HIV-1 gp 160 (TF228.1.16) with CD4+ SupT1 cells at 16 degrees C, a temperature that is nonpermissive for syncytia formation, resulted in an increased rate of syncytia formation when the cocultures were shifted to the syncytia-permissive temperature of 37 degrees C. We have since found that syncytia formation is further enhanced by shifting the cocultures from 16 to 4 degrees C prior to incubation at 37 degrees C. Together, these data suggest that two discrete states, which we term the first and second activation intermediates (FAI and SAI), are involved in syncytia formation. We have found that acquisition of the FAI (by preincubation at 16 degree C) is sensitive to some serine protease inhibitors (PI), soluble CD4 (sCD4), shedding of gp120, and anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies (MAb) directed toward the CDR-1/2 and CDR-3 regions of domain 1 on CD4. Expression of the FAI (formation of syncytia by shifting from 16 to 37 degrees C) remains sensitive to sCD4, shedding of gp120, and MAb directed toward CDR-1/2 but is less sensitive to MAb that bind CDR-3 and is insensitive to PI. Similarly, acquisition of the SAI (shifting cocultures from 16 to 4 degrees C), is sensitive to sCD4, shedding of gp120, and MAb directed toward CDR-1/2. In contrast, expression of the SAI (shifting cocultures from 16 to 4 to 37 degrees C) is sensitive only to MAb directed toward CDR-1/2 and cannot be blocked by sCD4, shedding of gp120, or PI. These data allow us to propose that syncytia formation, mediated by HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, proceeds by a multistep cascade.

Reduced high-affinity alpha 1-adrenoceptors in liver of senescent rats: implications of assessment at various temperatures

1. We investigated the changes occurring as a result of aging in alpha 1-adrenoceptors in the livers of Fisher 344 females rats. For comparison, we also measured beta-adrenoceptors in this tissue. Three age groups were studied, including young adults (aged 6 months), mature adults (aged 16 months) and senescent animals (aged 25 months). 2. The density of alpha 1-receptors was measured by use of [3H]-prazosin and was found to be reduced 39% (P less than 0.01) at 25 months compared with 6 months. The percentage of alpha 1-receptors displaying high affinity for adrenaline was also reduced from 85.6% at 6 months to 51.6% at 25 months (P less than 0.02). 3. In contrast, the density of beta-receptors, which was measured with [125I]-iodocyanopindolol, was increased 104% between 6 months and 25 months. The affinity of both alpha 1- and beta-adrenoceptors for antagonists was unchanged with age. 4. We found that receptor affinity for agonists may be measured accurately in binding studies conducted at 4 degrees C or 25 degrees C, but that the apparent affinity for agonist was artifactually reduced in studies conducted at 37 degrees C. This effect is poorly reversible, in that reduced agonist-affinity is also observed in tissue which has been incubated at 37 degrees C and then cooled to 4 degrees C before performing the binding studies. 5. It is concluded that liver alpha 1-adrenoceptor function is reduced and beta-adrenoceptor function increased in senescence.

Hepatic sexual dimorphism: ontogeny and influence of adult gonadectomy

The ontogeny of alpha 1- and beta-adrenergic receptors and their relative stimulation of phosphorylase alpha activity in hepatic tissue from male and female rats were compared. A decrease in beta-adrenergic receptor concentration and 4-(t-butylamino-2-hydroxypropoxy)-[5,7-3H]benzimidazol-2-one HCl affinity for these sites was found in males and females, when data from membranes of 20- to 22-day animals was compared with that from neonates. No subsequent decline in receptor concentration was noted in the female; however, the beta-mediated phosphorylase activation was further diminished by 49-56 days, suggesting maturational changes beyond the receptor-adenylate cyclase system. Although high-affinity beta-adrenergic receptors were documented in membranes from pubertal males, they were not identified on the intact cells, and activation of phosphorylase alpha via the beta-pathway was minimal. This suggests the majority of the beta-receptors are sequestered in cellular sites not accessible to the hydrophilic ligand or epinephrine in the sexually mature male. Ontogeny of the alpha 1-adrenergic receptors was similar in males and females. Gonadectomy of mature males and females did not eliminate the sexual differences in adrenergic response. However, the ovariectomized females developed an enhanced basal and alpha-adrenergic stimulated phosphorylase activity. The rise in cytosolic free calcium in response to epinephrine was increased in the ovariectomized females to values seen in the intact male, whereas the response in the castrate male was depressed. The results suggest the dimorphism in alpha 1- and beta-adrenergic receptor function is determined by factors other than the ambient concentration of sex steroids in the adult.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alpha 1-adrenoceptors of rat myocardium: comparison of agonist binding and positive inotropic response

Binding of agonists to alpha 1-adrenoceptors labelled by 3H-prazosin was investigated in membranes of rat myocardium and compared to the inotropic response elicited by alpha 1-adrenoceptor activation on isolated right ventricles. 1. At 30 degrees C the full agonists, adrenaline and phenylephrine, displaced 3H-prazosin with a shallow inhibition curve. The data are compatible with the assumption that 32% of the binding sites were in a state of high affinity for the agonist adrenaline (KI 85 nmol/l) and 68% in a low affinity state (KI 1738 nmol/l). GTP transformed all binding sites into the low affinity form suggesting that at least some of the cardiac alpha 1-adrenoceptors are coupled to N-proteins. 2. At 0 degree C most of the binding sites (86%) were in a state of high affinity for agonists (KI for adrenaline: 91 nmol/l). 3. For several partial agonists and antagonists (cirazoline, methoxamine, indanidine (Sgd 101-75), oxymetazoline and phentolamine) no such distinct temperature- and GTP-shifts could be demonstrated suggesting a different kind of interaction with alpha 1-binding sites. 4. When temperature was changed during incubation with adrenaline, a rise of temperature (from 0 degrees C to 30 degrees C) converted high affinity sites into the low affinity form, whereas a decrease in temperature (from 30 degrees C to 0 degrees C) failed to induce the high affinity state for agonists. Short term incubation (0.5 min) with adrenaline at 30 degrees C resulted in significantly lower IC50 values as compared to equilibrium conditions at the same temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Temperature effects on alpha 2-adrenergic receptor-Gi interactions

The effect of temperature on the binding of alpha 2-adrenergic agonists and antagonists to human platelet membranes was studied. Equilibrium binding of the alpha 2 antagonist, [3H]yohimbine, was affected minimally, whereas the rate of dissociation changed 40-fold over a temperature range of 5-35 degrees. The antagonist dissociation rates were characterized by a linear Arrhenius plot and an activation energy of 20.5 kcal/mol. The equilibrium binding of the full alpha 2 agonist, [3H]UK 14,304 [5-bromo-6-N-2-4,5-dihydroimidazolyl)quinoxaline tartrate] showed a 50% decrease in Bmax at 5 degrees as well as a 2-fold decrease in affinity. The kinetics of [3H]UK 14,304 binding were affected more significantly by decreases in temperature. The agonist exhibited fast and slow phases of binding. The fast binding was minimally sensitive to temperature in the range of 0-30 degrees with only a 6-fold change in rate. The slow binding rates changed nearly 100-fold over the same temperature range. Also, the slow rate of agonist binding was characterized by a nonlinear Arrhenius plot with a "break" at approximately 17 degrees, which was found previously to be the phase transition temperature of platelet membrane lipids [Lohse et al., Molec. Pharmac. 29, 228 (1986)]. Despite the reduction of high affinity [3H]UK 14,304 binding at 5 degrees, approximately half of the binding remained sensitive to guanine nucleotides. The data are interpreted in the context of a model in which the fast agonist binding represents a bimolecular interaction of ligand with two pre-existing conformations of the alpha 2 receptor, one coupled to Gi and the other permanently uncoupled. The slow binding of agonist appears to require protein diffusion in the lipid membrane or a protein conformational change which is dependent on the lipid environment.

Adrenergic receptor properties of hepatocytes from male and female rats

alpha 1- and beta-adrenergic receptor properties of intact hepatocytes from adult male and female rats were evaluated in ligand binding studies using [3H]prazosin and [3H]CGP-12177 (4-(t-butylamino-2-hydroxypropoxy)-[5,7-3H]benzimidazole-2-one-HCl), a hydrophilic beta antagonist. Prior work had suggested that the response of hepatocytes from males to alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation was greater than that of cells from females. However, little sexual difference in prazosin affinity, number of binding sites or kinetics of association/dissociation with the cells was found. Epinephrine, [3H]prazosin competition for binding sites on intact cells was performed at 2 degrees C and 80-90% of agonist sites remained in a high affinity state with an epinephrine Kd comparable to that previously found in glucose release and phosphorylase alpha activation studies. Agonist Kd inferred from these competition experiments also showed no sexual dimorphism. These data suggest that the greater rise in the concentration of cytosolic free calcium and release of 45Ca from cells of males in response to epinephrine stimulation is not due to male/female alpha 1-receptor differences but, rather, may be a function of the previously observed sexual difference in cell calcium metabolism. [3H]CGP binding to hepatocytes from females was stereospecific, saturable and identified a single, high affinity site. Comparable sites were not found on cells from males, however, [3H]CGP binding to crude membrane preparations from both sexes was identical. This suggests that the loss of hepatic beta-receptor function in the adult male is due to an inaccessibility of beta-receptors at the external surface of the plasma membrane of the intact cell. Further studies with other beta-receptor ligands are being carried out to confirm these initial findings.

Coupling of the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor to a guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein by a discrete domain distinct from its ligand recognition site

At rat hepatic membrane alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, the nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue p[NH]ppG causes a rightward shift of agonist competition curves and a loss of high-affinity binding. This p[NH]ppG effect is consistent with the involvement of a guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G-protein) in alpha 1-adrenergic receptor signalling. Although readily apparent in membranes prepared to avoid retention of endogenous nucleotides and activation of Ca2+-sensitive proteinases (+pi), this p[NH]ppG effect is not observed in membranes prepared without proteinase inhibitors (-pi), or in -pi membranes treated with Ca2+ (-pi, +Ca2+). In these various membrane preparations, different Mr forms of the receptor are also identified by photoaffinity labeling with [125I]CP65526, an aryl azide analog of the alpha 1-selective antagonist, prazosin, followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Whereas a predominant Mr = 80,000 subunit is identified in +pi membranes, in -pi membranes a proteolytic Mr = 59,000 fragment is also observed. In -pi, +Ca2+ membranes, only this latter peptide is detected. To evaluate the ability of each of these forms of the receptor to couple with a G-protein, the effect of p[NH]ppG on the agonist-inhibition of [125I]CP65526 labelling was determined by laser densitometry scanning and computer analysis. At the Mr = 80,000 subunit, p[NH]ppG causes a rightward shift of agonist competition curves and a loss of high-affinity binding, even in -pi membranes. By contrast, agonist-binding at the Mr = 59,000 subunit is of low-affinity and was not affected by p[NH]ppG. These data indicate that the cleaved Mr = 59,000 fragment, while retaining hormone binding activity is unable to undergo G-protein coupling. Thus, the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor appears to contain a discrete domain necessary for G-protein coupling that is distinct from its ligand recognition site.