Miller, Laurence J.

Cellular handling of receptor molecules is an important mechanism for the regulation of appropriately sensitive hormone-stimulated signaling. Until now, our understanding of the cellular handling of the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor has been largely limited to following a tagged ligand through the cell. In the present work, we report the application of unique CCK receptor antisera directed toward intracellular domains, which permitted the immunolocalization of this molecule independently of its occupation with ligand. The CCK receptor antisera were also useful in Western blotting and immunoprecipitation of this receptor. Unstimulated CCK receptors remained on the surface of both recombinant stable rat CCK-A receptor-bearing Chinese hamster ovary cell line (CHO-CCKR) cells and native rat pancreatic acinar cells and did not constitutively internalize. Agonist stimulation of the CHO-CCKR cells resulted in the prompt internalization of a subset of surface receptors, representing those that were occupied with ligand. Unoccupied receptors remained on the surface, uninfluenced by the stimulated signaling pathways. Consistent with this, CCK receptor phosphorylation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment did not stimulate receptor internalization. After internalization, we observed substantial receptor recycling to the plasma membrane. These insights provide the first evidence that CCK receptor internalization occurs as a direct result of an induced conformational change and presumed bimolecular interaction, rather than as an effect of a signaling event.

In contrast to the extensive experience culturing vascular smooth muscle cells, little is known about the culture behavior of gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells. In this work, we have studied smooth muscle cells from bovine gallbladder muscularis in culture. Properties reflecting their state of differentiation, including cellular morphology, multicellular arrangements, intermediate filament protein expression, and content of contractile proteins, were studied after dispersed cell preparations were placed into short- and long-term culture on a variety of substrates. Immunocytochemical analysis of intact healthy gallbladder wall demonstrated that the muscularis smooth muscle cells express actin and the intermediate filament protein desmin, while being vimentin-negative. In this tissue they are, however, surrounded by sheets of vimentin-positive fibroblasts. Optimal microdissection of mucosa and serosa from the muscularis therefore still produced a combination of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts; however, multiple strategies for enriching the yield and purity of muscularis smooth muscle cells for culture were partially successful. Like vascular smooth muscle cells in culture, these visceral smooth muscle cells rapidly underwent morphological dedifferentiation, losing their contactile phenotype. By 5 days in culture, the desmin-positive muscle cells took on a spread, fibroblast-like morphology, likely representing modulation to a proliferative, dedifferentiated state. After long-term culture, the muscle cells were observed to regain some markers of differentiation, but they were never observed to attain complete morphological and functional redifferentiation.

Although the gallbladder was the first recognized target of the peptide hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) and is a physiologically important target, only one preliminary report of the biochemical characterization of this receptor exists. Recently, a series of molecular probes for the affinity labeling of different domains of the pancreatic CCK receptor have been developed. In this work we report the application of several of those probes toward the biochemical characterization of the bovine gallbladder muscularis receptor. These include "long" (125I-Bolton-Hunter-CCK-33) and "short" (125I-D-Tyr-Gly-[Nle28,31)CCK-(26-33)]) probes chemically cross-linkable through their amino-terminal amino groups and monofunctional probes with their photolabile moieties at their amino terminus (2-diazo-3,3,3-trifluoropropionyl-125I-D-Tyr-Gly-[(Nle28,31) CCK-(26-33)]) and carboxyl terminus (125I-D-Tyr-Gly-[(Nle28,31,pNO2-Phe33)CCK-(26-33)]), that span the receptor-binding region. Each of these bound specifically and saturably to a preparation enriched in plasma membranes from bovine gallbladder muscularis (mean inhibitor constants: 5.2, 1.1, 0.8, and 1.8 nM, respectively). A major relative molecular weight (Mr) 70,000-85,000 band was specifically and reproducibly labeled with the appropriate apparent affinity by each of the probes, whereas labeling of minor bands of Mr 40,000-50,000, Mr 92,000, Mr 120,000, and Mr 200,000 was dependent on cross-linker type or concentration. These observations support the identification of the Mr 70,000-85,000 protein as the bovine gallbladder CCK-binding subunit and, since this is a different size from the pancreatic CCK-binding subunit, provide biochemical evidence for molecular heterogeneity of peripheral CCK receptors.

Human gastric smooth muscle tumors (leiomyosarcomas) have been shown to express cholecystokinin (CCK) binding sites that are functionally similar to physiologically important receptors present on their cells of origin. In this work, we have applied affinity-labeling techniques using 125I-D-Tyr-Gly-[Nle28,31]CCK-(26-33) to attempt to define the ligand-binding subunit of this receptor, and we have used the receptor antagonist L364,718 and deglycosylating enzymes to compare this molecule with well-defined CCK receptors on the classical peripheral targets (pancreas and gallbladder) of this hormone. To validate the use of 125I-D-Tyr-Gly-[Nle28,31]CCK-(26-33) for this tissue, we demonstrated that it bound to leiomyosarcoma membranes in a rapid, reversible, saturable, specific, and high-affinity manner (Kd = 0.8 nM). Although previous affinity labeling of this tissue with a CCK-33-based probe identified multiple bands, only one of those candidate proteins was predominantly labeled in the present work (Mr 100,000) by using a probe that is cross-linked through a site in greater proximity to the receptor-binding domain. Labeling was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by CCK-8 but not by structurally unrelated ligands. Although endo-beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase F digestion shifted this band by Mr 5,000, demonstrating that it was a glycoprotein, the deglycosylation product was very different from other CCK receptors studied. Also, unlike pancreatic and gallbladder CCK receptors, affinity labeling of this receptor was not affected by L364,718. These observations confirm that the gastric smooth muscle tumor CCK receptor represents a receptor subtype that is distinct from other peripheral CCK receptors, biochemically as well as functionally.

We compared responses of the gallbladder to graded intravenous infusions of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-OP) in normal controls (n = 8) and patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with predominant constipation (n = 8) or diarrhea (n = 8). The doses of CCK-OP ranged from subphysiological (negligible contraction of the gallbladder) to supraphysiological (90% contraction of gallbladder and abdominal side effects) amounts. All gallbladders contracted progressively in response to CCK-OP, and a Weibull model (power exponential function) described precisely the gallbladder's response to CCK-OP. Patients with IBS responded differently from normal patients; those with constipation contracted their gallbladders more and those with diarrhea contracted less in response to the peptide. Gallbladders were also stimulated with a high-fat, liquid meal; all patients' gallbladders contracted, but clear differences between groups could not be demonstrated postprandially. The results suggest that the smooth muscle of the gallbladder in IBS has an abnormal sensitivity to CCK-OP, and the results support the concept that IBS can be a generalized abnormality of the smooth muscle of the digestive tract.

The cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor on the rat pancreatic acinar cell is a guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptor, which was recently demonstrated to be phosphorylated in response to agonist stimulation (Klueppelberg et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266: 17744-17746, 1991). In this work, we establish that this receptor is phosphorylated in response to a variety of homologous and heterologous secretagogues and that these phosphorylation events represent action by more than one protein kinase. One subgroup of kinases includes one or more isotype of protein kinase C (PKC), and is capable of playing a role in homologous and heterologous desensitization. A second subgroup of kinases that acts on the CCK receptor was defined by its resistance to 10 microM staurosporine, which was shown to inhibit all PKC in these cells. The activity of the second group of kinases was observed only in response to occupation of the CCK receptor by high concentrations of native hormone, raising the possibility of a "receptor-specific kinase." Similar to the prototypical kinase, beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (beta-ARK), this activity was inhibited in permeabilized cells by heparin. Furthermore, like this enzyme activity, beta-ARK was shown to be resistant to staurosporine. Based on its action on a G protein-coupled receptor, its activation at high concentrations of native agonist, and its pattern of inhibition, we believe that the staurosporine-insensitive CCK receptor kinase activity represents either beta-ARK or a closely related member of the receptor-specific kinase enzyme family.

We have described previously that the gallbladder responds abnormally to infusions of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). To confirm these results and to examine the possible mechanisms, patients with IBS and predominant symptoms of diarrhea or constipation were compared with matched controls. During infusions of CCK-8 at one of three doses, the response of the gallbladder was measured ultrasonographically. The levels of CCK-8 reached in the peripheral circulation and degradation of the peptide in vitro and in vivo were used to evaluate metabolism of cholecystokinin. We confirmed that the gallbladders of patients with IBS responded abnormally to CCK-8; however, the differences were not due to any prereceptor event. Instead, this abnormality in IBS must be explained by an atypical response at the level of the target tissues.

Molecular mechanisms for the regulation of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) gene expression remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of glucose and forskolin on IAPP gene regulation in the INS-1 islet β-cell line. Both glucose and forskolin increased the level of expression of this gene, as measured by Northern blot analysis, and increased IAPP gene transcription in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, as demonstrated in a reporter gene assay. Although inhibition of protein kinase A activity with H-89 eliminated the effect of forskolin on this gene, the glucose effect was unaffected. This supported the predominant use of a protein kinase A-independent signaling pathway for glucose regulation of the IAPP gene. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay further indicated that glucose and forskolin regulated expression of this gene by targeting different elements of the promoter. Mutation of the cAMP regulatory element flanking the IAPP coding region resulted in the loss of most of the forskolin-stimulated IAPP gene promoter activity, whereas glucose-enhanced IAPP gene transcription was unaffected. These results demonstrate parallel and distinct regulatory pathways involved in glucose- and forskolin-induced IAPP gene expression in this model β-cell system.

Drug development targeting GPCRs often utilizes model heterologous cell expression systems, reflecting an implicit assumption that the membrane environment has little functional impact on these receptors or on their responsiveness to drugs. However, much recent data have illustrated that membrane components can have an important functional impact on intrinsic membrane proteins. This review is directed toward gaining a better understanding of the structure of the plasma membrane in health and disease, and how this organelle can influence GPCR structure, function and regulation. It is important to recognize that the membrane provides a potential mode of lateral allosteric regulation of GPCRs and can affect the effectiveness of drugs and their biological responses in various disease states, which can even vary among individuals across the population. The type 1 cholecystokinin receptor is reviewed as an exemplar of a class A GPCR that is affected in this way by changes in the plasma membrane.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Molecular Pharmacology of GPCRs. To view the other articles in this section visithttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.21/issuetoc