title: Characterization of an altered membrane form of the beta-adrenergic receptor produced during agonist-induced desensitization.
abstract: Incubation of 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells with 1 microM isoproterenol rapidly results in the conversion of a portion of the beta-adrenergic receptors to a membrane form that can be separated from markers for the plasma membrane by sucrose density gradient or differential centrifugation. This "light peak" form of the receptor reaches a maximal level within 10 min of incubation of cells with catecholamine. Two types of experiments suggest that the early phase of catecholamine-induced desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor-linked adenylate cyclase can be separated into at least two reactions. First, the agonist-induced loss of catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity precedes the appearance of beta-adrenergic receptors in the light peak fraction by 1-2 min. Second, pretreatment of cells with concanavalin A prior to induction of desensitization blocks the formation of the light peak form of beta-adrenergic receptors without blocking the "uncoupling" reaction as measured by catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Specificity for the reaction that converts beta-adrenergic receptors to the light peak form is indicated by the lack of a catecholamine-induced alteration in the sucrose density gradient distribution of muscarinic cholinergic receptors, adenylate cyclase or the guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, Ns and Ni. The light peak of beta-adrenergic receptors migrates at a density similar to that of at least a portion of the activity of galactosyltransferase, a marker for Golgi. Enzyme marker activities for lysosomes and endoplasmic reticulum are not associated with this population of beta-adrenergic receptors. Taken together, these and other data suggest that incubation of 1321N1 cells with isoproterenol results in a rapid uncoupling of beta-adrenergic receptors from adenylate cyclase which is followed by a change in the membrane form of the receptor. This latter step most likely represents internalization of receptors into a vesicular form which may then serve as the precursor state from which receptors are eventually lost from the cell.
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010869:Pindolol / Q000378:metabolism; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D010869:Pindolol; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D007545:Isoproterenol