AMP-dependent Manner Research Articles

Crosstalk between purinergic receptor P2Y11 and chemokine receptor CXCR7 is regulated by CXCR4 in human macrophages

P2Y11 is a G protein-coupled ATP receptor that activates IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) in a cyclic AMP dependent manner. In human macrophages, P2Y11/IL-1R crosstalk with CCL20 as a prime target is controlled by phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), which mediates breakdown of cyclic AMP. Here, we used gene expression analysis to identify activation of CXCR4 and CXCR7 as a hallmark of P2Y11 signaling. We found that PDE4 inhibition with rolipram boosts P2Y11/IL-1R-induced upregulation of CXCR7 expression and CCL20 production in an epidermal growth factor receptor dependent manner. Using an astrocytoma cell line, naturally expressing CXCR7 but lacking CXCR4, P2Y11/IL-1R activation effectively induced and CXCR7 agonist TC14012 enhanced CCL20 production even in the absence of PDE4 inhibition. Moreover, CXCR7 depletion by RNA interference suppressed CCL20 production. In macrophages, the simultaneous activation of P2Y11 and CXCR7 by their respective agonists was sufficient to induce CCL20 production with no need of PDE4 inhibition, as CXCR7 activation increased its own and eliminated CXCR4 expression. Finally, analysis of multiple CCL chemokines in the macrophage secretome revealed that CXCR4 inactivation and CXCR7 activation selectively enhanced P2Y11/IL-1R-mediated secretion of CCL20. Altogether, our data establish CXCR7 as an integral component of the P2Y11/IL-1R-initiated signaling cascade and CXCR4-associated PDE4 as a regulatory checkpoint.

Tumor Microenvironment Responsive CD8+ T Cells and Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells to Trigger CD73 Inhibitor AB680-Based Synergistic Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer.

CD73 plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and immune escape in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). AB680, an exceptionally potent and selective inhibitor of CD73, is administered in an early clinical trial, in conjunction with gemcitabine and anti-PD-1 therapy, for the treatment of PDAC. Nevertheless, the specific therapeutic efficacy and immunoregulation within the microenvironment of AB680 monotherapy in PDAC have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, AB680 exhibits a significant effect in augmenting the infiltration of responsive CD8+ T cells and prolongs the survival in both subcutaneous and orthotopic murine PDAC models. In parallel, it also facilitates chemotaxis of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) by tumor-derived CXCL5 in an AMP-dependent manner, which may potentially contribute to enhanced immunosuppression. The concurrent administration of AB680 and PD-1 blockade, rather than gemcitabine, synergistically restrain tumor growth. Notably, gemcitabine weakened the efficacy of AB680, which is dependent on CD8+ T cells. Finally, the supplementation of a CXCR2 inhibitor is validated to further enhance the therapeutic efficacy when combined with AB680 plus PD-1 inhibitor. These findings systematically demonstrate the efficacy and immunoregulatory mechanism of AB680, providing a novel, efficient, and promising immunotherapeutic combination strategy for PDAC.

PTH regulates osteogenesis and suppresses adipogenesis through Zfp467 in a feed-forward, PTH1R-cyclic AMP-dependent manner.

Conditional deletion of the PTH1R in mesenchymal progenitors reduces osteoblast differentiation, enhances marrow adipogenesis, and increases zinc finger protein 467 (Zfp467) expression. In contrast, genetic loss of Zfp467 increased Pth1r expression and shifts mesenchymal progenitor cell fate toward osteogenesis and higher bone mass. PTH1R and ZFP467 could constitute a feedback loop that facilitates PTH-induced osteogenesis and that conditional deletion of Zfp467 in osteogenic precursors would lead to high bone mass in mice. Prrx1Cre; Zfp467fl/fl but not AdipoqCre; Zfp467fl/fl mice exhibit high bone mass and greater osteogenic differentiation similar to the Zfp467-/- mice. qPCR results revealed that PTH suppressed Zfp467 expression primarily via the cyclic AMP/PKA pathway. Not surprisingly, PKA activation inhibited the expression of Zfp467 and gene silencing of Pth1r caused an increase in Zfp467 mRNA transcription. Dual fluorescence reporter assays and confocal immunofluorescence demonstrated that genetic deletion of Zfp467 resulted in higher nuclear translocation of NFκB1 that binds to the P2 promoter of the Pth1r and increased its transcription. As expected, Zfp467-/- cells had enhanced production of cyclic AMP and increased glycolysis in response to exogenous PTH. Additionally, the osteogenic response to PTH was also enhanced in Zfp467-/- COBs, and the pro-osteogenic effect of Zfp467 deletion was blocked by gene silencing of Pth1r or a PKA inhibitor. In conclusion, our findings suggest that loss or PTH1R-mediated repression of Zfp467 results in a pathway that increases Pth1r transcription via NFκB1 and thus cellular responsiveness to PTH/PTHrP, ultimately leading to enhanced bone formation.

PGE2accounts for bidirectional changes in alveolar macrophage self-renewal with aging and smoking

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are resident immune cells of the lung that are critical for host defense. AMs are capable of proliferative renewal, yet their numbers are known to decrease with aging and increase with cigarette smoking. The mechanism by which AM proliferation is physiologically restrained, and whether dysregulation of this brake contributes to altered AM numbers in pathologic circumstances, however, remains unknown. Mice of advanced age exhibited diminished basal AM numbers and contained elevated PGE2 levels in their bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as compared with young mice. Exogenous PGE2 inhibited AM proliferation in an E prostanoid receptor 2 (EP2)-cyclic AMP-dependent manner. Furthermore, EP2 knockout (EP2 KO) mice exhibited elevated basal AM numbers, and their AMs resisted the ability of PGE2 and aged BALF to inhibit proliferation. In contrast, increased numbers of AMs in mice exposed to cigarette smoking were associated with reduced PGE2 levels in BALF and were further exaggerated in EP2 KO mice. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that PGE2 functions as a tunable brake on AM numbers under physiologic and pathophysiological conditions.

Structural and functional insights into the unique CBS–CP12 fusion protein family in cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic organisms inhabiting a range of dynamic environments. This phylum is distinctive among photosynthetic organisms in containing genes encoding uncharacterized cystathionine β-synthase (CBS)-chloroplast protein (CP12) fusion proteins. These consist of two domains, each recognized as stand-alone photosynthetic regulators with different functions described in cyanobacteria (CP12) and plants (CP12 and CBSX). Here we show that CBS-CP12 fusion proteins are encoded in distinct gene neighborhoods, several unrelated to photosynthesis. Most frequently, CBS-CP12 genes are in a gene cluster with thioredoxin A (TrxA), which is prevalent in bloom-forming, marine symbiotic, and benthic mat cyanobacteria. Focusing on a CBS-CP12 from Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 encoded in a gene cluster with TrxA, we reveal that the domain fusion led to the formation of a hexameric protein. We show that the CP12 domain is essential for hexamerization and contains an ordered, previously structurally uncharacterized N-terminal region. We provide evidence that CBS-CP12, while combining properties of both regulatory domains, behaves different from CP12 and plant CBSX. It does not form a ternary complex with phosphoribulokinase (PRK) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Instead, CBS-CP12 decreases the activity of PRK in an AMP-dependent manner. We propose that the novel domain architecture and oligomeric state of CBS-CP12 expand its regulatory function beyond those of CP12 in cyanobacteria.

A presumed homologue of the regulatory subunits of eIF2B functions as ribose-1,5-bisphosphate isomerase in Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3

The homologues of the regulatory subunits of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) are assumed to be present in archaea. Likewise, an ORF, PH0208 in Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 have been proposed to encode one of the homologues of regulatory subunits of eIF2B. However, PH0208 protein also shares sequence similarity with a functionally non-related enzyme, ribose-1,5-bisphosphate isomerase (R15Pi), involved in conversion of ribose-1,5-bisphosphate (R15P) to ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) in an AMP-dependent manner. Herein, we have determined the crystal structure of PH0208 protein in order to decipher its true function. Although structurally similar to the regulatory subunits of eIF2B, the ability to bind R15P and RuBP suggests that PH0208 would function as R15Pi. Additionally, this study for the first time reports the binding sites of AMP and GMP in R15Pi. The AMP binding site in PH0208 protein clarified the role of AMP in providing structural stability to R15Pi. The binding of GMP to the ‘AMP binding site’ in addition to its own binding site indicates that GMP might also execute a similar function, though with less specificity. Furthermore, we have utilized the resemblance between PH0208 and the regulatory subunits of eIF2B to propose a model for the regulatory mechanism of eIF2B in eukaryotes.

Antimicrobial Peptide Resistance Mechanism Contributes to Staphylococcus aureus Infection.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute an important part of innate host defense. Possibly limiting the therapeutic potential of AMPs is the fact that bacteria have developed AMP resistance mechanisms during their co-evolution with humans. However, there is no direct evidence that AMP resistance per se is important during an infection. Here we show that the Staphylococcus aureus Pmt ABC transporter defends the bacteria from killing by important human AMPs and elimination by human neutrophils. By showing that Pmt contributes to virulence during skin infection in an AMP-dependent manner, we provide evidence that AMP resistance plays a key role in bacterial infection.

Ecklonia cava Polyphenol Has a Protective Effect against Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in a Cyclic AMP-Dependent Manner.

Previously, we showed that Ecklonia cava polyphenol (ECP) treatment suppressed ethanol-induced increases in hepatocyte death by scavenging intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and maintaining intracellular glutathione levels. Here, we examined the effects of ECP on the activities of alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and their regulating mechanisms in ethanol-treated hepatocytes. Isolated hepatocytes were incubated with or without 100 mM ethanol. ECP was dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide. ECP was added to cultured cells that had been incubated with or without ethanol. The cells were incubated for 0–24 h. In cultured hepatocytes, the ECP treatment with ethanol inhibited cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression and activity, which is related to the production of ROS when large quantities of ethanol are oxidized. On the other hand, ECP treatment with ethanol increased the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase. These changes in activities of CYP2E1 and ADH were suppressed by treatment with H89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A. ECP treatment with ethanol enhanced cyclic AMP concentrations compared with those of control cells. ECP may be a candidate for preventing ethanol-induced liver injury via regulating alcohol metabolic enzymes in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner.

The Prostaglandin Agonist Beraprost Aggravates Doxorubicin-mediated Apoptosis by Increasing iNOS Expression in Cardiomyocytes

Doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used as an anti-cancer agent although it causes irreversible cardiomyopathy by increasing oxidative stress and deregulating nitric oxide production. Beraprost (BPS), a stable prostacyclin (PGI2) analog, is a potent vasodilator that has beneficial effects on myocardial ischemia. The objectives of the present study were to delineate the uncertain effects of prostcyclin therapy on DOX induced cardiomyopathy and to explore the mechanisms underlying PGI2 and DOX interaction. For this reason, we stimulated endogenous PGI2 production using bicistronic COX-1/PGIS gene transfer and BPS supplementation, and investigated the effects on DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. Caspase-dependent protein content, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), DNA fragmentation, and TUNEL positive cells were elevated in DOX-treated cardiomyocytes. These indicators were further elevated by adenovirus-COX- 1/PGIS transfection or BPS supplementation. In addition, PGI2 overexpression further increased iNOS expression and superoxide accumulation in cardiomyocytes compared with DOX alone, which may be the reason for aggravated cytotoxicity. Moreover, BPS can induce cAMP response elements (CRE) binding to the iNOS promoter and phospho- cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) expression in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner. Our in vivo studies show that MnTBAP and aminoguanidine treatment of DOX and BPS co-administered in mice can attenuate caspase-3 and PARP-1 protein expression, and improve mouse survival, as observed in the iNOS gene-deleted mice. In conclusion, we demonstrated that BPS or adv-COX-1/PGIS increases PGI2 levels through iNOS expression and peroxynitrite production, via CREB protein phosphorylation; thereby aggravating DOX-mediated cardiotoxicity.

Mechanism and Regulation of Mycobactin Fatty Acyl-AMP Ligase FadD33

Mycobacterial siderophores are critical components for bacterial virulence in the host. Pathogenic mycobacteria synthesize iron chelating siderophores named mycobactin and carboxymycobactin to extract intracellular macrophage iron. The two siderophores differ in structure only by a lipophilic aliphatic chain attached on the ε-amino group of the lysine mycobactin core, which is transferred by MbtK. Prior to acyl chain transfer, the lipophilic chain requires activation by a specific fatty acyl-AMP ligase FadD33 (also known as MbtM) and is then loaded onto phosphopantetheinylated acyl carrier protein (holo-MbtL) to form covalently acylated MbtL. We demonstrate that FadD33 prefers long chain saturated lipids and initial velocity studies showed that FadD33 proceeds via a Bi Uni Uni Bi ping-pong mechanism. Inhibition experiments suggest that, during the first half-reaction (adenylation), fatty acid binds first to the free enzyme, followed by ATP and the release of pyrophosphate to form the adenylate intermediate. During the second half-reaction (ligation), holo-MbtL binds to the enzyme followed by the release of products AMP and acylated MbtL. In addition, we characterized a post-translational regulation mechanism of FadD33 by the mycobacterial protein lysine acetyltransferase in a cAMP-dependent manner. FadD33 acetylation leads to enzyme inhibition, which can be reversed by the NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase, MSMEG_5175 (DAc1). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that bacterial siderophore synthesis has been shown to be regulated via post-translational protein acetylation.

Genistein reduces agonist-induced contractions of porcine coronary arterial smooth muscle in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner

Low concentrations of genistein enhance the vasodilatation induced by endothelium-independent vasodilators. The present study examined whether or not low concentrations of genistein modulate contractions in isolated porcine coronary arteries. The role of second messengers in the response to genistein was also assessed. Arterial rings were studied in organ baths and contracted with KCl, U-46619 (9,11-dideoxy-9α, 11α-methanoepoxy prostaglandin F 2α), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) or endothelin-1 in the absence or presence of genistein (≤3 μM). Genistein significantly reduced agonist-induced but not KCl-induced contraction. Inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and disruption of endothelial function by Triton-X100 did not affect the modulation of contraction by genistein. The genistein-induced attenuation of contraction could be mimicked by both cAMP and cGMP analogs. However, only the cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, Rp-8-Br-cAMPS, abolished the effect of genistein. These results suggest that genistein reduces agonist-induced contraction by an endothelium-independent manner. This action is mediated via the cAMP-dependent signal transduction pathway.

Cancer anorexia and cachexia

Patients with cancer cachexia experience a profound wasting of adipose tissue and lean body mass. Anorexia, although often present, is insufficient to account for tissue wasting because 1) cachexia involves massive depletion of skeletal muscle that does not occur during anorexia, 2) nutritional supplementation cannot replenish the loss of lean body mass, 3) cachexia can occur without anorexia, and 4) food intake might be normal for the lower weight of the cancer patient. Anorexia can arise from 1) decreased taste and smell of food, 2) early satiety, 3) dysfunctional hypothalamic membrane adenylate cyclase, 4) increased brain tryptophan, and 5) cytokine production. Appetite stimulants such as cyproheptadine, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and megestrol acetate do not significantly improve lean body mass. Tumor products might be more important in the development of cachexia. Cachectic patients excrete in their urine a lipid-mobilizing factor that directly stimulates lipolysis in a cyclic AMP–dependent manner and increases energy expenditure. Loss of skeletal muscle in cachexia is caused by upregulation of the ubiquitin–proteasome catabolic pathway. Cachexia-inducing tumors elaborate a sulfated glycoprotein, which directly initiates protein catabolism in skeletal muscle. The action of this proteolysis-inducing factor is attenuated by the polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid, which is also effective in preventing loss of skeletal muscle in cancer patients. Antagonists of tumor catabolic factors will provide important new agents in the treatment of cancer cachexia.

Interaction between phosphofructokinase and aldolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae studied by aqueous two-phase partitioning

Phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) and aldolase (EC 4.1.2.13) have been highly purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by improved protocols. Partitioning of the enzymes in aqueous polymer two-phase systems was used to detect complex formation. The partition of each enzyme was found to be affected by the presence of the other enzyme. AMP affected the partition of the individual enzymes as well as the mixture of the two. The activities of the respective enzymes were stimulated in the putative complex in an AMP-dependent manner. Two strictly conserved residues belonging to an acidic surface loop of class II aldolases, are a potential site for electrostatic interaction with the positively charged regions close to the active site in phosphofructokinase.

Characterization of an ATP-dependent type I DNA ligase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Here we report the purification and biochemical characterization of recombinant Arabidopsis thaliana DNA ligase I. We show that this ligase requires ATP as a source for adenylation. The calculated Km [ATP] for ligation is 3 microM. This enzyme is able to ligate nicks in oligo(dT)/poly(dA) and oligo(rA)/poly(dT) substrates, but not in oligo(dT)/poly(rA) substrates. Double-stranded DNAs with cohesive or blunt ends are also good substrates for the ligase. These biochemical features of the purified enzyme show the characteristics typical of a type I DNA ligase. Furthermore, this DNA ligase is able to perform the reverse reaction (relaxation of supercoiled DNA) in an AMP-dependent and PPi-stimulated manner.

DNA-induced conformational changes in cyclic AMP receptor protein: detection and mapping by a protein footprinting technique using multiple chemical proteases

Cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) is a regulator of transcription in Escherichia coli which mediates its activity by binding specific DNA sequences in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner. The interaction of CRP with specific DNA was probed by a protein footprinting technique using chemical proteases of different charge, size, and hydrophobicity. The experimental data were compared with known crystal structures of cAMP-CRP and cAMP-CRP-DNA complexes to determine a correlation between the structure of the complexes, the nature of the chemical protease and protein cleavage patterns. In addition, such comparison allowed us to determine if DNA binding in solution induced conformational changes in the protein not apparent in the crystal structure. In the cAMP-CRP-DNA complex, both the protections and the enhancements of proteolytic cleavage were observed outside of the known CRP-DNA interface, suggesting that CRP undergoes a conformational change upon binding DNA. Among the observed changes, the most interesting were those around the B α-helix and β-strand 8, since this region overlaps with the activation region 2 which CRP uses for protein-protein interactions with RNA polymerase. DNA-induced changes were observed also in the region involved in CRP-CytR interaction and in CRP intersubunit contact regions. These data suggest that binding of DNA in solution induces conformational changes in CRP which can be transmitted via intersubunit contacts to regions of the protein involved in interactions with other members of transcriptional machinery.

14-3-3 inhibits the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy-chain-specific protein kinase C activity by a direct interaction: identification of the 14-3-3 binding domain.

Myosin II heavy chain (MHC) specific protein kinase C (MHC-PKC), isolated from Dictyostelium discoideum, regulates myosin II assembly and localization in response to the chemoattractant cyclic AMP. Immunoprecipitation of MHC-PKC revealed that it resides as a complex with several proteins. We show herein that one of these proteins is a homologue of the 14-3-3 protein (Dd14-3-3). This protein has recently been implicated in the regulation of intracellular signaling pathways via its interaction with several signaling proteins, such as PKC and Raf-1 kinase. We demonstrate that the mammalian 14-3-3 zeta isoform inhibits the MHC-PKC activity in vitro and that this inhibition is carried out by a direct interaction between the two proteins. Furthermore, we found that the cytosolic MHC-PKC, which is inactive, formed a complex with Dd14-3-3 in the cytosol in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner, whereas the membrane-bound active MHC-PKC was not found in a complex with Dd14-3-3. This suggests that Dd14-3-3 inhibits the MHC-PKC in vivo. We further show that MHC-PKC binds Dd14-3-3 as well as 14-3-3 zeta through its C1 domain, and the interaction between these two proteins does not involve a peptide containing phosphoserine as was found for Raf-1 kinase. Our experiments thus show an in vivo function for a member of the 14-3-3 family and demonstrate that MHC-PKC interacts directly with Dd14-3-3 and 14-3-3 zeta through its C1 domain both in vitro and in vivo, resulting in the inhibition of the kinase.

Phosphorylation by protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase of synthetic peptides derived from the linker region of human P-glycoprotein.

Specific sites in the linker region of human P-glycoprotein phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) were identified by means of a synthetic peptide substrate, PG-2, corresponding to residues 656-689 from this region of the molecule. As PG-2 has several sequences of the type recognized by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), PG-2 was also tested as a substrate for PKA. PG-2 was phosphorylated by purified PKC in a Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent manner, with a Km of 1.3 microM, and to a maximum stoichiometry of 2.9 +/- 0.1 mol of phosphate/mol of peptide. Sequence analysis of tryptic fragments of PG-2 phosphorylated by PKC identified Ser-661, Ser-667 and Ser-671 as the three sites of phosphorylation. PG-2 was also found to be phosphorylated by purified PKA in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner, with a Km of 21 microM, and to a maximum stoichiometry of 2.6 +/- 0.2 mol of phosphate/mol of peptide. Ser-667, Ser-671 and Ser-683 were phosphorylated by PKA. Truncated peptides of PG-2 were utilized to confirm that Ser-661 was PKC-specific and Ser-683 was PKA-specific. Further studies showed that PG-2 acted as a competitive substrate for the P-glycoprotein kinase present in membranes from multidrug-resistant human KB cells. The membrane kinase phosphorylated PG-2 mainly on Ser-661, Ser-667 and Ser-671. These results show that human P-glycoprotein can be phosphorylated by at least two protein kinases, stimulated by different second-messenger systems, which exhibit both overlapping and unique specificities for phosphorylation of multiple sites in the linker region of the molecule.

Binding of the cyclic AMP receptor protein of Escherichia coli to RNA polymerase.

Fluorescence polarization studies were used to study the interaction of a fluorescein-labelled conjugate of the Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (F-CRP) and RNA polymerase. Under conditions of physiological ionic strength, F-CRP binds to RNA polymerase holoenzyme in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner; the dissociation constant was about 3 microM in the presence of cyclic AMP and about 100 microM in its absence. Binding to core RNA polymerase under the same conditions was weak (Kdiss. approx. 80-100 microM) and independent of cyclic AMP. Competition experiments established that native CRP and F-CRP compete for the same binding site on RNA polymerase holoenzyme and that the native protein binds about 3 times more strongly than does F-CRP. Analytical ultracentrifuge studies showed that CRP binds predominantly to the monomeric rather than the dimeric form of RNA polymerase.

Prostaglandin E 2 induced the cyclic AMP-dependent release of acetylcholine in circular muscles of the isolated guinea pig ileum

Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) induced a dose-dependent increase in tone of the circular muscles of guinea pig ileum in vitro. These actions of PGE 2 were deleted in the cold-stored preparations and blocked by tetrodotoxin. Atropine reduced the effects of PGE 2 and physostigmine potentiated the PGE 2-induced contractions. The release of acetylcholine (ACh) by PGE 2 was responsible for initiating this contraction. The effect of PGE 2 was compared with that of an electrical stimulation which also initiated a non-receptor-mediated release of ACh. Hexamethonium abolished the effect of PGE 2 but did not influence the actions of the electrical stimulations. Synaptosomal fractions of the circular muscles were prepared to study the release of [ 14C]ACh. However, PGE 2 failed to evoke a marked increase in the efflux of radioactivity, even at the maximal concentration. Damage and/or removal of the myenteric plexus may be responsible for this result because electrical stimulations that exert a powerful spasmogenic effect on longitudinal muscles also induced an insensitive response. Alloxan and ethacrynic acid, inhibitors of adenylate cyclase, reduced the activity of PGE 2 at a concentration insufficient to modify either the actions of ACh or the electrical stimulations. 3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) potentiated the responses to PGE 2 at a dose sufficient to block the activity of phosphodiesterase (PDE). Imidazole, a stimulator of PDE, decreased the actions of PGE 2 in a dose-dependent manner. IBMX, like imidazole, failed to modify the activities of both ACh and the electrical stimulations. These results indicate that PGE 2 may function as a releaser of ACh in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner in the circular muscles of guinea pig ileum.

Müllerian inhibiting substance as oocyte meiosis inhibitor

Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) inhibited the resumption of meiosis in both denuded and cumulus cell-enclosed rat oocytes in vitro. Spontaneous germinal vesicle breakdown was prevented in both types of oocytes treated by a purified MIS preparation at protein concentrations of 15 μg to 150 pg/ml. The inhibiting effect of MIS on the resumption of meiosis was dose dependent, reversible and cyclic AMP independent. Neither follicular-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone, estradiol, nor testosterone acted significantly to influence MIS-mediated inhibition of rat oocyte maturation. In contrast, MIS had no influence on meiosis in the mouse, where other protein has been reported to inhibit the cumulus cell-enclosed oocyte in a cyclic AMP-dependent fashion. Thus MIS may be yet another inhibitor of oocyte meiosis, acting in the rat by a mechanism different from those inhibitors known, in the mouse ovary, to exert their effect in a cyclic AMP-dependent manner.