Neomycin induces high-affinity agonist binding of G-protein-coupled receptors

cAMP guided his way: a life for G protein-mediated signal transduction and molecular pharmacology-tribute to Karl H. Jakobs

Karl H. Jakobs, former editor-in-chief of Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology and renowned molecular pharmacologist, passed away in April 2018. In this article, his scientific achievements regarding G protein-mediated signal transduction and regulation of canonical pathways are summarized. Particularly, the discovery of inhibitory G proteins for adenylyl cyclase, methods for the analysis of receptor-G protein interactions, GTP supply by nucleoside diphosphate kinases, mechanisms in phospholipase C and phospholipase D activity regulation, as well as the development of the concept of sphingosine-1-phosphate as extra- and intracellular messenger will presented. His seminal scientific and methodological contributions are put in a general and timely perspective to display and honor his outstanding input to the current knowledge in molecular pharmacology.

CNS-induced deficits of heavy particle irradiation in space: the aging connection

Our research over the last several years has suggested that young (3 mo) rats exposed to whole-body 56Fe irradiation show neuronal signal transduction alterations and accompanying motor behavioral changes that are similar to those seen in aged (22-24 mo) rats. Since it has been postulated that 1-2% of the composition of cosmic rays contain 56Fe particles of heavy particle irradiation, there may be significant CNS effects on astronauts on long-term space flights which could produce behavioral changes that could be expressed during the mission or at some time after the return. These, when combined with other effects such as weightlessness and exposure to proton irradiations may even supercede mutagenic effects. It is suggested that by determining mechanistic relationships that might exist between aging and irradiation it may be possible to determine the common factor(s) involved in both perturbations and develop procedures to offset their deleterious effects. For example, one method that has been effective is nutritional modification.

Effects of lithium on receptor-mediated activation of G proteins in rat brain cortical membranes

The underlying molecular mechanism of action of lithium in the treatment of manic-depressive illness is not clear. The effect of chronic lithium on GTP-binding and toxin-mediated ADP-ribosylation of specific G proteins in brain cortical membranes was examined. Incubation of cortical membranes with 5-HT increased [35S]GTPgammaS binding to Galphas, Galphai, Galphao and Galphaq proteins. Six weeks but not 1 week of lithium treatment reduced the increases in [35S]GTPgammaS binding to Galphas, Galphai and Galphao which are produced by 5-HT by 75-85%, whereas 5-HT stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding to Galphaq was reduced by 38%. No changes in membrane levels of Galpha and Gbeta proteins were noted in lithium-treated rats. Pertussis toxin (PTX)-mediated ADP-ribosylation of Galphai/o was increased by 60% in cortical membranes of chronically treated rats. Lithium treatment did not affect cholera toxin-mediated ribosylation of Galphas. Increases in [35S]GTPgammaS binding to Galpha proteins evoked by 5-HT were also inhibited by 0.5-2.0 mM lithium chloride added in vitro to the assay mixture. Rubidium and cesium did not change 5-HT-stimulated G protein activation. ADP-ribosylation of Galphai/o catalyzed by PTX was not changed by in vitro LiCl. The inhibitions of 5-HT-stimulated increases in [35S]GTPgammaS-binding to Galphas and Galphaq were completely suppressed by 2.4 mM MgCl2 this concentration of MgCl2 inhibited the effect of lithium on Galphai and Galphao by 50%. Similar findings were also noted when [alpha-32P]GTP was used in the binding assay. The results suggest that lithium interferes with receptor-G protein coupling via a Mg2+-sensitive mechanism. This action of the drug is more effective for Gs, Gi and Go than for Gq and may result from its interference with the recycling of trimeric G proteins.

Tyrosine phosphorylation is involved in the respiratory burst of electropermeabilized human neutrophils at a step before diacylglycerol formation by phospholipase C

We studied a step where tyrosine phosphorylation is involved in a signaling pathway for the activation of the superoxide (O2-)-generating NADPH oxidase using electropermeabilized human neutrophils. The permeabilized cells produced O2- by the addition of a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, vanadate, as well as N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) and protein kinase C (PKC) activators such as phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and L-alpha-1-oleoyl-2-acetoyl-sn-3-glycerol (OAG). The O2- production by the stimulants was completely inhibited by PKC inhibitors such as calphostin C and staurosporine and was not affected by 1% ethanol, a metabolic modulator of phospholipase D (PLD). Furthermore, the O2- production by vanadate and fMLP, but not by OAG and PMA, was inhibited by both an inhibitor of phospholipase C (PLC), neomycin, and an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, ST-638. These findings suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation is involved in the activation of the oxidase at a step before diacylglycerol formation by PLC, and that PLD may not be involved in the signaling pathway in permeabilized cells.

Signal amplification in HL-60 granulocytes. Evidence that the chemotactic peptide receptor catalytically activates guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins in native plasma membranes

Receptors for the chemotactic peptide fMet-Leu-Phe (fMet, N-formylmethionine) are present in membranes of myeloid differentiated human leukemia (HL-60) cells and stimulate phospholipase C via a pertussis-toxin-sensitive guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory protein(s) [G-protein(s)]. We have developed methods for the assessment of formyl-peptide-receptor-stimulated binding of radiolabeled guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate ([35S]GTP[S]) to native HL-60 membranes. Agonist stimulation of [35S]GTP[S] association with the membrane was minimal (less than or equal to 20%) when GTP[S] was the sole nucleotide present in the incubation medium. In contrast, receptor activation led to a marked (up to sixfold) stimulation of [35S]GTP[S] binding when GDP or GTP were present in high (greater than 100-fold) excess of [35S]GTP[S]. The increase in [35S]GTP[S] binding caused by the chemotactic agonist was strictly dependent on the presence of Mg2+ and was significantly increased by Na+. Agonist-independent binding of [35S]GTP[S] and the increase due to the chemotactic agonist were markedly attenuated by both pertussis and cholera toxin. Comparison of the number of chemotactic-peptide-sensitive [35S]GTP[S]-binding sites to the number of chemotactic peptide receptors present in HL-60 membranes provided direct evidence that a single formyl-peptide receptor is capable of catalyzing the binding of [35S]GTP[S] to, and thus the activation of, multiple (up to 20) G-proteins in native plasma membranes.

Neomycin is a potent secretagogue of mast cells that directly activates a GTP-binding protein involved in exocytosis

When loaded alongside GTP-gamma-S into ATP-permeabilized cells, neomycin, at concentrations below 1 mM, inhibits GTP-gamma-S-induced histamine secretion and phosphatidic acid formation (Cockcroft, S., and B. D. Gomperts, 1985. Nature (Lond.). 314: 534-536; Aridor, M., L. M. Traub, and R. Sagi-Eisenberg. 1990. J. Cell Biol. 111:909-917). However, at higher concentrations internally applied neomycin induces histamine secretion in a process that is: (a) dose dependent; (b) dependent on the internal application of GTP; (c) independent of phosphoinositide breakdown; and (d) inhibited by pertussis toxin (PtX) treatment. These results indicate that neomycin can stimulate histamine secretion in a mechanism that bypasses phospholipase C (PLC) activation and yet involves a PtX-sensitive GTP-binding protein (G protein). Unlike its dual effects, when internally applied, neomycin induces histamine secretion from intact mast cells in a dose-dependent manner. Half-maximal and maximal effects are obtained at 0.5 and 1 mM neomycin, respectively. This process is rapid (approximately 30 s), is independent of external Ca2+, and is associated with phosphatidic acid formation, implying that neomycin can activate histamine secretion by a mechanism similar to that utilized by other basic secretagogues of mast cells. Neomycin stimulates fourfold the GTPase activity of cholate-solubilized rat brain membranes in a PtX-inhibitable manner. In addition neomycin, as well as the basic secretagogues of mast cells, compound 48/80, and mastoparan, significantly reduce (by approximately 80%) the ADP ribosylation of PtX substrates present in rat brain membranes. Taken together these data suggest that neomycin can stimulate secretion from mast cells by directly activating G proteins that play a role in stimulus-secretion coupling. When internally applied, neomycin presumably stimulates secretion by activating a G protein that is located downstream to PLC. This G protein serves as a substrate for PtX.