title: Cellular distribution of G protein Go alpha in pituitary lactotrophs: effects of dopamine.
abstract: Membrane-bound GTP-binding (G) proteins mediate signal transduction in a variety of cell systems. The exact mechanisms of G proteins action are still under investigation but they appear to involve effectors located in the plasma membrane as well as in other parts of the cell. With this study, we investigated the cellular and ultrastructural localization of G protein subunits, and particularly of Go alpha, in normal rat anterior pituitaries and in estrone-induced rat adenomatous lactotrophs. We also evaluated the effects of Go alpha cellular redistribution in rat adenomatous lactotrophs following short-term exposure to dopamine (DA). Using the Protein A-gold (PAG) methodology, Go alpha was found to be present in the cysternae of the endoplasmic reticulum of normal pituitary cells and of adenomatous lactotrophs. In the latter, Go alpha could be co-localized with prolactin (PRL). By immunoblots, using specific antisera, significant amounts of Go alpha and Gs42 alpha, together with smaller amounts of Gi alpha, Gs47 alpha and G beta were found to be present in the uncontaminated supernatant fraction of adenomatous lactotrophs. Unexpectedly, exposure of the cells to DA induced a rapid and short-lived decrease in the cytosolic fraction of Go alpha and G beta associated with a decrease of PRL release. Since cytosolic Go alpha can be ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin (PT) and is therefore in a heterotrimeric form, our data suggest that the soluble Go protein may play a role during lactotrophs' exposure to an inhibitor of PRL release, perhaps through its relocalization after being internalized with the D2 receptor or by being used for interaction with intracellular and/or membrane-bound effectors.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit on Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Hôpital Ste-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Painson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wenger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lagacé
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Collu
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000246:Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007700:Kinetics; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000246:Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose; D011388:Prolactin; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; D004298:Dopamine