Membrane localization of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3). Two N-terminal domains are required for the efficient targeting to, and association of, PDE3 with endoplasmic reticulum

Subcellular localization of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) may be important in compartmentalization of cAMP/cGMP signaling responses. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, mouse (M) PDE3B was associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as indicated by its immunofluorescent colocalization with the ER protein BiP and subcellular fractionation studies. In transfected NIH 3006 or COS-7 cells, recombinant wild-type PDE3A and PDE3B isoforms were both found almost exclusively in the ER. The N-terminal portion of PDE3 can be arbitrarily divided into region 1 (aa 1-300), which contains a large hydrophobic domain with six predicted transmembrane helices, followed by region 2 (aa 301-500) containing a smaller hydrophobic domain (of approximately 50 aa). To investigate the role of regions 1 and 2 in membrane association, we examined the subcellular localization of a series of catalytically active, Flag-tagged N-terminal-truncated human (H) PDE3A and MPDE3B recombinants, as well as a series of fragments from regions 1 and 2 of MPDE3B synthesized as enhanced green fluorescent (EGFP) fusion proteins in COS-7 cells. In COS-7 cells, the localization of a mutant HPDE3A, lacking the first 189 amino acids (aa) and therefore four of the six predicted transmembrane helices (H3A-Delta189), was virtually identical to that of the wild type. M3B-Delta302 (lacking region 1) and H3A-Delta397 (lacking region 1 as well as part of region 2) retained, to different degrees, the ability to associate with membranes, albeit less efficiently than H3A-Delta189. Proteins that lacked both regions 1 and 2, H3A-Delta510 and M3B-Delta604, did not associate with membranes. Consistent with these findings, region 1 EGFP-MPDE3B fusion proteins colocalized with the ER, whereas region 2 EGFP fusion proteins were diffusely distributed. Thus, some portion of the N-terminal hydrophobic domain in region 1 plus a second domain in region 2 are important for efficient membrane association/targeting of PDE3.

Functions of the N-terminal region of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE 3) isoforms

The N-terminal portion of phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 was arbitrarily divided into region 1 (amino acids 1-300), which contains a large hydrophobic domain with six predicted transmembrane helices, and region 2 (amino acids 301-500), with a smaller hydrophobic domain ( approximately 50 residues). To analyze these regions, full-length human (H)PDE3A and mouse (M)PDE3B and a series of N-terminal truncated mutants were synthesized in Sf9 cells. Activities of HPDE3A, H3A-Delta189, MPDE3B, and M3B-Delta196, which retained all or part of the hydrophobic domain in region 1, were recovered almost entirely in particulate fractions. H3A-Delta321 and M3B-Delta302, containing region 2, were recovered essentially equally in particulate and cytosolic fractions. H3A-Delta397 and H3A-Delta457, lacking both hydrophobic domains, were predominantly cytosolic. H3A-Delta510 and M3B-Delta604, lacking both regions 1 and 2, were virtually completely cytosolic. M3B-Delta196 eluted as a large aggregated complex during gel filtration. With removal of greater amounts of N-terminal sequence, aggregation of PDE3 decreased, and H3A-Delta607, H3A-Delta721, and M3B-Delta604 eluted as dimers. Truncated HPDE3A proteins were more sensitive than full-length HPDE3A to inhibition by lixazinone. These results suggest that the hydrophobic domains in regions 1 and 2 contain structural determinants important for association of PDE3 with intracellular membranes, as well for self-association or aggregation during gel filtration and sensitivity to a specific inhibitor.

Adenylyl cyclase inhibitory pathway is differentially modified in rat white and brown fat by high-energy diets

Incubation of white adipose tissue (WAT) adipocytes from rats fed a high-energy diet (Exp group) with antilipolytic Gi-coupled adenylyl cyclase inhibitory agonists, nicotinic acid (Nic) and N8-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (PIA), resulted in lower cellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels than in stimulated adipocytes from rats fed a nutritionally balanced diet (Con group). In contrast to WAT, incubation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) adipocytes with Nic yielded higher cAMP levels in the Exp vs. Con rats. In both WAT and BAT adipocytes, pertussis toxin treatment abolished the differences in Nic- and PIA-inhibited cAMP formation between Exp and Con animals. Immunoblotting of adipocyte membranes indicated a lower content of Gi alpha but not Gs alpha in BAT membranes of Exp vs. Con animals after 6 and 10 wk of feeding. No such differences were found in the Gs alpha or Gi alpha contents of WAT membranes. Thus the inhibitory pathway of adenylyl cyclase is proposed to be sensitized in WAT and desensitized in BAT of rats fed high-energy diets. These modifications in sensitivity are in line with reduced cAMP and lipolysis in WAT and increased cAMP and thermogenesis in BAT during obesity.

Differential post-receptor responses of adenylate cyclase in white and brown adipose tissue membranes of rats fed high-energy diets

1. Adenylate cyclase activity was determined in membranes of white and brown adipose tissue (WAT and BAT, respectively) from rats fed a high-energy diet (EXP group) vs those fed a nutritionally balanced one (CON group). 2. The isoproterenol- and guanine nucleotide-induced adenylate cyclase activity in WAT membranes of EXP rats was lower than that in CON rats. 3. Relative adenylate cyclase activity in like treated BAT membranes was higher in EXP than in CON rats. 4. It is concluded that feeding high-energy diets to rats induces similar post-receptor modifications of adenylate cyclase as found in genetic obese rodents.