The D2-dopamine receptor of anterior pituitary is functionally associated with a pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide binding protein.

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Dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin release from the anterior pituitary may be mediated through both the adenylate cyclase and Ca2+ mobilization/phosphoinositide pathways. The D2-dopamine receptor of the bovine anterior pituitary has been partially purified by affinity chromatography on CMOS-Sepharose (immobilized carboxymethyleneoximinospiperone). Reinsertion of these partially purified receptor preparations into phospholipid vesicles reconstituted guanine nucleotide-sensitive high affinity agonist binding, agonist-promoted GTPase and 35S-labeled guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) [( 35S]GTP gamma S) binding activity in these preparations. Pertussis toxin treatment of the purified receptor preparation abolished agonist-stimulated GTPase and guanine nucleotide-sensitive high affinity agonist binding. These observations suggest that the receptor copurifies with an endogenous, pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide binding protein (N). [32P]ADP-ribosylation of affinity-purified D2 receptor preparations by pertussis toxin revealed the presence of a substrate of Mr 39,000-40,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Peptide maps generated using elastase of the [32P]ADP-ribosylated endogenous N protein, transducin, and Ni and No from brain revealed similarities but not identity between the endogenous pituitary N protein and brain Ni and No. Immunoblotting of the partially purified D2 receptor preparations showed an Mr 39,000-40,000 band with an Ni-specific antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide, and with RV3, an No-specific anti-serum, but not with CW6, an antiserum strongly reactive with brain Ni. Several lines of evidence indicate that endogenous pituitary N protein is functionally coupled to the D2 receptor. As measured by [35S]GTP gamma S binding, ratios of 0.2-0.6 mol N protein/mol receptor were observed. Association of N protein with the D2 receptor was increased by agonist pretreatment and decreased by guanine nucleotides. These results suggest that No and/or a form of Ni distinct from the Mr 41,000 pertussis toxin substrate (Ni) is the predominant N protein functionally coupled with the D2-dopamine receptor of anterior pituitary.