Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R J Lefkowitz.
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Antibodies raised against purified beta-adrenergic receptors themselves specifically bind beta-adrenergic ligands. Digitonin-solubilized frog (Rana pipiens) erythrocyte beta-adrenergic receptors, purified 100- to 200-fold by adsorption to an alprenolol-agarose affinity support and specifically eluted from the affinity resin by 1-100 mM (+/-)-isoproterenol, were used to immunize six rabbits. All immune sera, in contrast to preimmune sera, bound the beta-adrenergic antagonist [(3)H]Dihydroalprenolol binding activity was due to immunoglobulins. By competition studies, antibody [(3)H]dihydroalprenolol binding was found to display a specificity and stereoselectivity resembling that of the beta-adrenergic receptor, [i.e., (-)-isoproterenol > (-)-epinephrine > (-)-norepinephrine; alprenolol approximately propranolol >> phentolamine = aloperidol; and (-) isomers of both agonists and antagonists 10-100 times more potent than (+) isomers]. A portion of the [(3)H]dihydroalprenolol binding antibodies could be specifically adsorbed onto purified frog erythrocyte membranes, whereas Xenopus and human erythrocyte membranes, both of which are almost devoid of beta-adrenergic receptors, were ineffective in adsorbing [(3)H]dihydroalprenolol binding antibodies. We suggest that the likely immunogen was a beta-adrenergic receptor-isoproterenol complex and that immunization with drugs noncovalently bound to their receptors might be a means of raising antibodies to biologically active otherwise nonimmunogenic small molecules. Such antibodies, whose specificity mimics that of a receptor, should also provide useful models for the study of the structure of the receptor binding sites.
Experimental myocardial ischemia produced in dogs by proximal left anterior descending coronary artery ligation is accompanied by relatively rapid (1 h) increases in the number of (-) [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding sites without changing their dissociation constants in ischemic left ventricular tissue. The changes, persist for at least 8 h and are accompanied by marked decreases in myocardial tissue ischemic region norepinephrine content. In contrast, in the same canine model 1 h of proximal left anterior descending coronary artery ligation did not result in a significant change in the number of [3H]quinuclidynl benzilate binding sites of their dissociation constants. However, the number of [3H]quinuclidynl benzilate binding sites (muscarinic cholinergic receptors) are 50--70% greater than (-) [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding sites (beta adrenergic receptors) in canine left ventricular tissue. Thus, the data suggest that proximal left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion for 1 h significantly increases the number of beta adrenergic receptors in ischemic left ventricular tissue without changing the number of muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Whether the ischemia-produced increase in cardiac beta-receptor content is causally related to increased cyclic AMP levels that develop in ischemic tissue and/or an etiologic factor in arrhythmias originating from ischemic myocardial tissue will have to be determined in additional studies.
Lymphocytes from 12 patients with untreated hyperthyroidism were compared to lymphocytes from age- and sex-matched euthyroid control subjects to test the hypothesis that alterations in beta-adrenergic response mechanisms occur in human hyperthyroidism. The binding of (-)[3H]dihydroalprenolol, a compound previously shown in these cells to label binding sites having the characteristics of beta-adrenergic receptors, was assayed and no significant difference was found between the two groups. In addition, the accumulation of cAMP in response to isoproterenol was determined by RIA and, again, no difference was found.
Recently developed radioligand binding techniques permit direct investigation of the alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors for catecholamines in a wide variety of tissues. These techniques allow the receptors to be quantitated, characterized, and studied under varying conditions of physiologic and pathophysiologic interest. They are providing fresh insights into the mechanisms by which endogenous catecholamines and other hormones regulate the properties of the adrenergic receptors and, in turn, control tissue sensitivity to catecholamine action.
Desensitization of catecholamine stimulated adenylate cyclase (AC) activity is demonstrated in membranes derived from turkey erythrocytes pre-treated with isoproterenol. Membranes from desensitized cells had a loss in maximal catecholamine stimulated adenylate cyclase activity of 104 +/- 13 (pmols/mg protein/10', p less than .001) compared with controls. When adenylate cyclase was maximally stimulated with NaF or Gpp(NH)p, the decrements were 84 +/- 19 (p less than .005) and 92 +/- 32 (p less than .05) pmol/mg protein/10' respectively. There was no change in beta-adrenergic receptor number in membranes derived from treated cells. While the molecular mechanism accounting for the desensitization is uncertain, the data is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a lesion distal to the beta-adrenergic receptor, possibly involving the nucleotide site or the catalytic subunit of adenylate cyclase, causing the desensitization in the isoproterenol treated cells.
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The molecular size of adenylate cyclase solubilized from frog erythrocyte membranes by digitonin extraction has been determined by chromatography on Sepharose 6B. Regardless of whether the membranes are exposed to catecholamines, GPP(NH)P, NaF or no effector prior to solubilization, the apparent molecular size of the adenylate cyclase enzyme is the same. Furthermore, a similar elution profile for the enzyme is observed when the catalytic activity in the eluates is measured in the presence of Mn++, rather than Mg++. Since it is generally assumed that the persistent activation of adenylate cyclase by GPP(NH)P requires interaction of the catalytic moiety with the guanine nucleotide regulatory site, it appears that the adenylate cyclase activity detected in the column eluates represents an intact catalytic-regulatory site complex. The adenylate cyclase activity derived from catecholamine pretreated frog erythrocyte membranes does not co-elute with catecholamine-occupied beta-adrenergic receptors, indicating that the agonist-promoted increase in apparent receptor size observed here and in earlier studies does not represent a physical coupling of the receptor and the adenylate cyclase enzyme.
Recently, several workers have shown that adrenergic control of hepatic carbohydrate metabolism has the characteristics of an alpha-receptor-mediated process. Using the rat liver membrane preparation of Neville (Neville, D. (1968) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 154, 540-552), alpha-adrenergic receptors have been identified using the ligand [3H]dihydroergocryptine. The receptors are saturable and of high affinity. Scatchard analysis yields a KD of 1.8 nM with 1.7 +/- 0.55 pmol of sites/mg of protein. Competition of dihydroergocryptine binding with various pharmacologic agents yields the typical (alpha-adrenergic potency series: (-)-epinephrine greater than (-)-norepinephrine greater than (-)-isoproterenol. (-)-Isomers are more potent than (+)-isomers. The alpha-blocker phentolamine is 3.4 orders of magnitude more potent than the beta-blocker propranolol. To determine subcellular localization of alpha-adrenergic receptors, livers were fractionated into a crude homogenate, a 1500 X g pellet, and the purified membrane preparation used previously for binding. Specific dihydroergocryptine binding, ouabain-inhibitable (Na,K)-ATPase, and F--stimulated adenylate cyclase activities, were followed in these fractions. Specific binding was enriched, relative to that in the crude homogenate, 2.88-fold in the pellet and 6.28-fold in the membranes. Similarly, (Na,K)-ATPase acticity was enriched 2.6-fold in the pellet and 7.1-fold in the membranes while adenylate cyclase activity was enriched 2.9-fold in the pellet and 3.5-fold in the membranes. It is concluded that hepatic alpha-adrenergic receptors are likely concentrated in the plasma membranes.
The specific beta-adrenergic agonist radioligand (+/-)-[3H]hydroxybenzylisoproterenol ([3H]HBI) was used to investigate alterations in the beta-adrenergic receptors of frog erythrocytes occurring during the process of agonist-induced, receptor-specific desensitization. There was close agreement between the percentage fall in [3H]HBI binding and that in catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity following periods of preincubation of up to 7 h with 0.1 mM (-)-isoproterenol. Desensitization was maximal by 5 h, resulting in a 69% reduction in [3H]HBI binding and a 67% reduction in isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. In contrast, binding of the beta-adrenergic antagonist (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol was significantly less affected by desensitization (p is less than 0.05 at 2 1/2, 5, and 7 h), showing a maximum reduction in binding of only 35% in these experiments. The consistent close agreement of reduction in agonist binding with that in hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, together with the significant difference observed between agonist and antagonist binding, implies that an alteration occurs during desensitization which preferentially interferes with agonist binding, while antagonist binding is less affected. The locus of this agonist-specific alteration may be the receptor binding site or a site involved in receptor-enzyme coupling. Agonist binding studies may now be used to assess more completely the desensitized state of beta-adrenergic receptors in systems in which marked desensitization of beta-adrenergic responses is associated with little or no reduction in antagonist binding.
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Direct radioligand binding studies have been used to probe the molecular mechanisms whereby agonist catecholamines regulate the function of beta-adrenergic receptors in a model system, the frog erythrocyte. The unique characteristics of agonist as opposed to antagonist action are first, the ability to stimulate the adenylate cyclase through the receptor and second, the ability to desensitize the system by alterations induced in beta-adrenergic receptors. These properties of agonist are not shared by antagonist despite the high affinity and specificity of antagonist binding to the beta-adrenergic receptors. Agonist and antagonist receptor complexes may be distinguished in a variety of ways including differences in their sensitivity to regulatory guanine nucleotides and also by gel chromatography on AcA 34 Ultragel. The agonist receptor complex appears to elute from the columns with an apparently increased size. A "dynamic receptor affinity model" of beta-adrenergic receptor action is proposed which features several distinct conformational states of the receptor. Agonists have much higher affinity for the physiologically active or coupled state of the receptor, whereas antagonists have equal affinity for both. In addition, a third "desensitized" state of the receptor is also postulated to exist.