title: Coupling of beta-adrenergic receptors to cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels: preferential coupling of the beta1 versus beta2 receptor subtype and evidence for PKA-independent activation of the channel.
abstract: Beta1- and beta2-adrenergic receptors (beta-ARs) co-exist in mammalian heart, and it is generally accepted that both activate adenylyl cyclase (AC), resulting in increased levels of cAMP and subsequent activation of L-type Ca2+ channels (CaCh). To investigate the contribution of each beta-AR subtype in AC and CaCh coupling, we stably expressed cardiac CaCh alpha1 and beta2 subunits along with either beta1-AR or beta2-AR in CHW fibroblasts. Co-expression of either beta-AR with CaCh subunits conferred responsiveness of AC and CaCh to isoproterenol (ISO), which was not observed in non-transfected cells. ISO-promoted cAMP formation occurred at a lower EC50 through the beta2-AR than through the beta1-AR (0.13 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.14 nM). In contrast, activation of CaCh was more efficacious via the beta1-AR than the beta2-AR (EC50 for CaCh activation = 238 +/- 33 vs. 1057 +/- 113 nM). Pre-treatment with pertussis toxin (PTX) had no effect upon the responsiveness of either cAMP formation or CaCh activation through either receptor. We conclude (1) that beta1-ARs exhibit preferential coupling to CaCh activation, versus that observed for the beta2-AR; (2) that this preferential coupling cannot be explained solely by cAMP-dependent processes; and (3) that the relative attenuation of beta2-AR-promoted CaCh activation is not due to receptor coupling to PTX-sensitive G proteins. Thus, it is likely that other subtype-specific, cAMP-independent coupling of the beta-AR to CaCh is present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0575, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yatani
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases