cAMP induction of prespore and prestalk gene expression in Dictyostelium is mediated by the cell-surface cAMP receptor.

Extracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) is required for cell-type-specific gene expression in developing Dictyostelium discoideum. We have developed a microassay for the expression of these genes, using antibodies directed against their protein products. To characterize the transduction mechanism, we have used in this assay cAMP analogues that preferentially activate either the cell-surface cAMP receptor or the internal cAMP-dependent protein kinase. N6-(aminohexyl) cAMP activates the Dictyostelium cAMP-dependent protein kinase but does not bind to the cell-surface cAMP receptor and does not cause cell-type-specific gene expression. 2'-Deoxy-cAMP does not activate the cAMP-dependent protein kinase but binds to the receptor and causes cell-type-specific gene expression. Cyclic AMP-induced accumulation of prestalk mRNA in shaking cultures still occurs in the presence of caffeine, which blocks the receptor-coupled activation of adenyl cyclase. This suggests that the extracellular cAMP induction of cell-type-specific gene expression in developing Dictyostelium cells is mediated by the cell-surface cAMP receptor and that activating adenyl cyclase by this receptor is not essential. Using the N6-(aminohexyl) cAMP to competitively inhibit phosphodiesterase, we show that 30 nM cAMP is sufficient to induce prestalk or prespore gene expression.     

Recovery of responsiveness to ACTH and cAMP in a protein kinase-defective adrenal cell mutant following transfection with a protein kinase gene

The cause and effect relationship between mutations in cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and resistance of adrenocortical tumor cells to ACTH and cAMP was evaluated by transfection with cloned cDNAs encoding subunits of the mouse cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Protein kinase defective, Kin 8 adrenocortical tumor cells were transfected with pRev [an expression vector encoding the regulatory subunit of the type 1 cAMP-dependent protein kinase (RI)] or with pC alpha ev [an expression vector encoding the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (C)]. The pC alpha ev transformant recovered cAMP responsive protein kinase activity, whereas the pRev transformant recovered cAMP-binding activity, but did not recover cAMP responsive protein kinase activity. The pC alpha ev transformant concomitantly recovered steroidogenic and morphologic responsiveness to ACTH- and 8-bromo-cAMP, whereas the pRev transformant remained resistant to these effects of the hormone and cyclic nucleotide. Since Kin 8 cells recovered their responsiveness to ACTH and 8-bromo-cAMP following transfection with pC alpha ev we suggest that the defect in cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity is directly responsible for the ACTH- and cAMP-resistant phenotype of the Kin 8 mutant.     

Activity ratio measurements reflect intracellular activation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase in osteoblasts

Parathyroid hormone, prostaglandin E2, and prostacyclin activate cAMP-dependent protein kinase in osteoblast-rich normal rat calvarial cells and in clonal rat osteogenic sarcoma cells of osteoblastic phenotype. The present study was undertaken to determine the activation of the enzyme in relation to cellular cAMP concentrations at increasing doses of the three hormones and also to test that the activity ratio measurement of the enzyme (ratio of the activity in the absence of cAMP to the activity in the presence of excess cAMP) was a true reflection of intracellular activation of the enzyme. With each hormone, using either normal or malignant osteoblasts, activation of the enzyme took place at hormone concentrations lower than those required to produce detectable changes in cAMP concentrations in the incubations. Stimulation of activity was abolished by addition of the heat-stable inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, indicating that activation was of cAMP-dependent protein kinase alone. To demonstrate that protein kinase activation occurred intracellularly and not during sample preparation, charcoal was added at the time of cell disruption to absorb free cAMP. Under these conditions, no change was observed in the concentration of bovine parathyroid hormone required to cause activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Finally, addition of purified cAMP-dependent protein kinase type I or type II to treated cells at the time of lysis did not result in significant activation of added isoenzyme, except at hormone concentrations sufficient to increase the total cAMP concentration of incubations. It is concluded that activity ratio measurement reflects the intracellular state of activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the osteoblast-like cells treated by hormones and, furthermore, that only a fraction of the maximally generated cAMP is necessary for full enzyme activation.     

Regulation of the content and phosphorylation of RII by adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, follicle-stimulating hormone, and estradiol in cultured granulosa cells

The mechanisms by which FSH and cAMP induce receptors for LH (RLH) and increase progesterone (P) production in estradiol (E)-primed ovarian granulosa cells remain unclear, but may involve increases in the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase II (RII) and the phosphorylation of specific cellular proteins. To examine the relationship of these events, primary cultures of granulosa cells (10(6) cells/ml) from E-treated (1.5 mg/day for 3 days) immature female rats were incubated with 10 nM E with or without FSH (25 ng/ml) for 0-120 h. The cytosolic content of RII was analyzed by four techniques: 1) immunoblotting using an antibody to bovine heart RII; 2) photoaffinity labeling with [32P]8-azido-cAMP; 3) phosphorylation with [gamma-32P]ATP with or without 2 microM cAMP or with the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase; and 4) phosphorylation of intact cells with [32P] orthophosphate. All approaches revealed a time-dependent 5- to 6-fold increase in RII content in granulosa cells cultured for 48 h with E and FSH compared to that in cells treated with E alone. The content of RI, the regulatory subunit of protein kinase type I, remained low throughout the culture period regardless of hormone treatment. Granulosa cells were also cultured with E (10 nM) and 8-bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP; 0.25-3 mM) or forskolin (0.5-100 microM), agents that increase intracellular cAMP, for 48 or 72 h. The cytosolic content and phosphorylation of RII were increased by culturing granulosa cells in E and 8-Br-cAMP (1 mM) or forskolin (50 microM) for 48 h. The increase in RII was associated with a FSH-mediated increase in the content and phosphorylation of other cAMP-dependent phosphoproteins. The increases in RII and cAMP-dependent phosphoproteins were associated with specific alterations in granulosa cell function: a FSH-mediated rise in 1) RLH [59.3 +/- 7.4 cpm/micrograms DNA (without FSH) to 1171.5 +/- 157 cpm/micrograms DNA (with FSH]) and 2) P accumulation in the medium [0.05 +/- 0.03 ng/ml (without FSH) to 25.3 +/- 4.6 ng/ml (with FSH]) at 48 h. A dose-dependent increase in the RLH and P accumulation in the medium was observed at 48 h of culture with E and 8-Br-cAMP or E and forskolin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)