G-Protein antagonist peptide

The insect oocyte sequesters nutritive proteins during patency, which is facilitated as a result of intercellular spaces occurring between follicular epithelial cells under the influence of juvenile hormone (JH). Patency was analyzed in the moth, Heliothis virescens, using a pharmacological approach, in which we used different JH homologues and chemicals that specifically target elements of two second-messenger pathways in vertebrates, the cAMP-dependent and inositol triphosphate/diacylglycerol signaling pathways. JH I and JH III evoked dose-dependent patency in H. virescens oocyte follicles, which was suppressed by the Na/K-ATPase inhibitor, ouabain. Patency was observed in follicular epithelial cells treated with either protein kinase C activator, PDBu, or protein kinase A activator, 8-Br-cAMP, by itself. The protein kinase C inhibitor, H-7, preferentially suppressed patency evoked by JH III, whereas the protein kinase A inhibitor, H89, preferentially suppressed that evoked by JH I. Additionally, patency was triggered by the adenylate cyclase activator, NKH 477, or peptide Gs-protein activator, cholera toxin, alone. Patency evoked by JH I was suppressed by the adenylate cyclase inhibitor, SQ 22,536, and GPAnt-2, a peptide antagonistic to Gs proteins that stimulates adenylate cyclase.

1. The intrinsic properties of muscarinic ligands were studied through their binding properties and their abilities to modulate the GTPase activity of G proteins coupled to muscarinic M2 receptors in pig atrial sarcolemma. 2. Competition binding experiments were performed with [3H]-oxotremorine-M to assess the affinity of receptors coupled to G proteins (R*), with [3H]-N-methylscopolamine ([3H]-NMS) to estimate the affinities of coupled and uncoupled receptors (R*+R) and with [3H]-NMS in the presence of GppNHp to assess the affinity of uncoupled receptors (R). 3. The ranking of Ki values for the agonist carbachol was R*R (174, 155, 115 nM), suggesting inverse agonism. 4. The Vmax of the basal high affinity GTPase activity of pig atrial sarcolemma was increased by mastoparan and decreased by GPAnt-2 indicating the relevance of this activity to G proteins coupled to receptors (R*). The K(M) value (0.26-0.33 microM) was not modified by mastoparan or GPAnt-2. 5. Carbachol increased the Vmax of GTP hydrolysis (EC50 8.1+/-0.3 microM), whereas atropine and AF-DX 116, up to 1 mM, did not modify it. Pirenzepine decreased the Vmax of GTP hydrolysis (EC50 77.5+/-10.3 microM). This effect was enhanced when KCI was substituted for NaCl (EC50 11.

Regulated exocytosis requires both calcium and MgATP. Although the biochemical events responsible for ATP-dependent calcium-activated secretion have not been elucidated yet, some progress has been made in determining the relative order of the ATP- and calcium-dependent steps. Studies on permeabilized secretory cells have shown that MgATP acts before calcium and maintains the secretory apparatus in a "primed" state. In this paper, we examine the possible role of heterotrimeric G-proteins in these two steps of exocytosis in permeabilized chromaffin cells. We show that mastoparan and other activators of heterotrimeric G-proteins inhibit the MgATP-dependent reaction, but stimulate the late calcium-dependent step of exocytosis. Non-hydrolyzable GTP analogues (GTP-gamma-S and GMP-PNP) mimic the dual effects of mastoparan on secretion, but with different potencies, suggesting the involvement of two distinct heterotrimeric G-proteins in regulated exocytosis. GPAnt-2, a substance P related peptide known to inhibit the stimulation of Gi and Go by mastoparan, reverses, in a dose-dependent manner, both the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of mastoparan on secretion. These results indicate that two distinct heterotrimeric G-proteins from the Gi/o family may act in series in the exocytotic pathway in chromaffin cells: one controls the ATP-dependent priming step, whereas the second is involved in the late calcium-dependent fusion step which does not require ATP.