Abstract
Internalization and down-regulation of human muscarinic acetylcholine m2 receptors (hm2 receptors) and a hm2 receptor mutant lacking a central part of the third intracellular loop (I3-del m2 receptor) were examined in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells stably expressing these receptors and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2). Agonist-induced internalization of up to 80-90% of hm2 receptors was demonstrated by measuring loss of [3H]N-methylscopolamine binding sites from the cell surface, and transfer of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites from the plasma membrane into the light-vesicle fractions separated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Additionally, translocation of hm2 receptors with endocytic vesicles were visualized by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. Agonist-induced down-regulation of up to 60-70% of hm2 receptors was demonstrated by determining the loss of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites in the cells. The half-time (t1/2) of internalization and down-regulation in the presence of 10(-4) M carbamylcholine was estimated to be 9.5 min and 2.3 h, respectively. The rates of both internalization and down-regulation of hm2 receptors in the presence of 10(-6) M or lower concentrations of carbamylcholine were markedly increased by coexpression of GRK2. Agonist-induced internalization of I3-del m2 receptors was barely detectable upon incubation of cells for 1 h, but agonist-induced down-regulation of up to 40-50% of I3-del m2 receptors occurred upon incubation with 10(-4) M carbamylcholine for 16 h. However, the rate of down-regulation was lower compared with wild type receptors (t1/2 = 9.9 versus 2.3 h). These results indicate that rapid internalization of hm2 receptors is facilitated by their phosphorylation with GRK2 and does not occur in the absence of the third intracellular loop, but down-regulation of hm2 receptors may occur through both GRK2-facilitating pathway and third intracellular loop-independent pathways.
Highlights
Internalization and down-regulation of human muscarinic acetylcholine m2 receptors and a hm2 receptor mutant lacking a central part of the third intracellular loop (I3-del m2 receptor) were examined in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells stably expressing these receptors and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2)
In previous studies [23], we have shown that sequestration of m2 receptors transiently expressed in COS-7 and BHK-21 cells was facilitated by coexpression of GRK2, an effect of which was evident only at low concentrations of carbamylcholine
The sequestration assessed as the loss of [3H]NMS binding sites from the cell surface was confirmed to represent the internalization of hm2 receptors from plasma membranes into cytoplasmic vesicles by analyses involving sucrose density gradient centrifugation of membrane fractions and confocal microscopy
Summary
Internalization and down-regulation of human muscarinic acetylcholine m2 receptors (hm2 receptors) and a hm2 receptor mutant lacking a central part of the third intracellular loop (I3-del m2 receptor) were examined in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells stably expressing these receptors and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2). Similar results were obtained in COS-7 cells expressing m2 receptors, where GRK2 stimulated the sequestration of [3H]NMS binding sites in the presence of low, but not high, concentrations of carbamylcholine.
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