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The human calcitonin receptor (hCTR) is expressed in polarized cells of the kidney, bone, and nervous system. In the kidney, hCTRs are found in cells of the distal nephron to which blood-borne calcitonin has access only at the basolateral surface. We expressed hCTR subtypes 1 and 2 in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells to establish a cell model useful for delineating the molecular mechanisms underlying hCTR polarity. Selective cell surface incubation demonstrated functional polarity of hCTRs by equilibrium binding or cross-linking of radioiodinated salmon calcitonin (125I-sCT) and cAMP accumulation stimulated by sCT. We estimated that at the steady state there are 40-fold more hCTRs on the basolateral than on the apical side. Domain-selective cell surface biotinylation followed by immunoblotting of streptavidin-agarose-fractionated biotinylated glycoproteins independently confirmed the polarized distribution of FLAG epitope-tagged hCTR-2 in the basolateral domain. Confocal microscopy of immunostained receptors revealed that hCTRs are concentrated on a lateral subdomain of the basolateral membrane. Cell surface arrival assay of newly formed receptors demonstrated that direct delivery to the basolateral domain is the mechanism by which hCTRs become polarized. Measurement of receptor turnover on the basolateral surface showed that retention contributes to hCTR distribution at the steady state.

The human CT receptor (hCTR), which is found as three isoforms, belongs to a small, recently described subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Several mutant GPCRs have been shown to exhibit constitutive (or agonist-independent) signaling activity and cause disease in humans, but only a few GPCRs have been identified with agonist-independent activity in the wild-type (or native) form. In the hCTR subfamily, no wild-type receptor has been shown to exhibit constitutive activity and only one, a mutated receptor for PTH/PTH-related peptide, has been found with constitutive activity to cause disease in humans. We demonstrate that two wild-type isoforms of hCTR, hCTR-1 and hCTR-2, exhibit constitutive activity by showing that they cause elevation of cAMP and induction of a cAMP-responsive gene in two cell types in culture in the absence of agonist. The identical mutation that caused the PTH/PTH-related peptide receptor to be constitutively active was made in hCTR-2 and shown to have no effect on signaling. We suggest that constitutive activity of wild-type hCTR-1 and hCTR-2 may reflect an adaptation of their signaling properties to exert their regulatory function in the absence of agonist in some cell types.

Overexpression of native and epitope-tagged human calcitonin (CT) receptors (hCTR-2) in COS-1 cells was performed to permit identification of the receptor protein and begin studies of receptor turnover. Data obtained with immunological techniques and cross-linking of radiolabeled salmon CT ([125I]sCT) revealed two forms of hCTR-2 in transfected cells: a larger, mature cell surface receptor (apparent size, 81 kDa) and a smaller, intracellular form (apparent size, 66 kDa). These conclusions are based on the following observations. 1) Only the larger hCTR-2 was visualized by cell surface [125I]sCT binding, whereas both species were identified by [125I]sCT binding to cell lysates. 2) Immunofluorescence studies with antibodies directed against the epitope confirmed the presence of cell surface and intracellular hCTR-2s; there were apparently many more receptors intracellularly than on the cell surface. 3) Both hCTR-2 forms were changed to a similar size of approximately 57-60 kDa by deglycosylation with endoglycosidase F; this size is consistent with that predicted by the amino acid sequence. Metabolic studies with radioactive amino acids labeled only the intracellular form. This immature form exhibited a rapid half-life of 30 min. We conclude that overexpression of native and epitope-tagged hCTR-2s in COS-1 cells leads to their intracellular retention and rapid degradation.

Receptors for calcitonin (CTRs) have been cloned from several species, and two isoforms have been found to be expressed in human tissue. One human CTR isoform (hCTR-1) contains a 16-amino acid insertion in its first intracellular (I1) loop that is not present in porcine CTR (pCTR), rat CTR, or the other human CTR (hCTR-2). To facilitate the study of CTRs by mutational analysis, we have constructed synthetic hCTR-1 and hCTR-2 genes. Activation of hCTR-1 expressed transiently in COS-1 cells stimulates the formation of cAMP but not of inositol phosphates (IPs) whereas pCTR, a chimeric CTR in which the I1 loop of pCTR was substituted for the I1 loop of hCTR-1, and hCTR-2 stimulate cAMP and IP formation. A series of chimeric CTRs in which intracellular loops 1, 2, and 3 and the carboxyl tail of pCTR were substituted individually or in combination for those of hCTR-1 were constructed. All chimeras stimulated cAMP formation whereas chimeras containing the I1 loop of hCTR-1 with its 16-amino acid insertion were incapable of stimulating IP formation. There was no correlation between maximal stimulation of cAMP and IP formation by these CTRs. Thus, an inserted sequence in the I1 loop of hCTR-1 abolishes stimulation of the IP signal transduction pathway while allowing stimulation of the cAMP pathway.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, pyroglutamic acid-histidine-proline-amide) binds to a seven-transmembrane-spanning, G protein-coupled receptor. We tested the hypothesis that Tyr106 of the third transmembrane helix of the TRH receptor (TRH-R) binds pyroglutamyl of TRH by mutating Tyr106 to Phe and replacing the ring carbonyl of the TRH pyroglutamyl moiety with a methylene group ([Pro1]TRH). Compared to the affinity of wild-type TRH-R for TRH, the affinities of [Phe106]TRH-R for TRH and of wild-type TRH-R for [Pro1]TRH were 100,000- and 110,000-fold lower, respectively. The affinity of [Phe106]TRH-R for [Pro1]TRH was only 16-fold lower than that for TRH, demonstrating a lack of additivity of the effects of these changes in the receptor and ligand. These data provide compelling evidence that the hydroxyl group of Tyr106 of the TRH-R binds the TRH pyroglutamyl carbonyl group. To our knowledge, this represents the highest affinity, non-covalent bond yet observed between single functional groups of a GPCR and ligand and is the first delineation of a direct binding interaction between a residue in the transmembrane core of a GPCR and a specific moiety of a peptide agonist.

TRH stimulates a biphasic increase in intracellular free calcium ion, [Ca2+]i. Cells stably transfected with TRH receptor cDNA were used to compare the response in lines with and without L type voltage-gated calcium channels. Rat pituitary GH-Y cells that do not normally express TRH receptors, rat glial C6 cells, and human epithelial Hela cells were transfected with mouse TRH receptor cDNA. All lines bound similar amounts of [3H][N3-Me-His2]TRH with identical affinities (dissociation constant = 1.5 nM). Both pituitary lines expressed L type voltage-gated calcium channels; depolarization with high K+ increased 45Ca2+ uptake 20- to 25-fold and [Ca2+]i 12- to 14-fold. C6 and Hela cells, in contrast, appeared to have no L channel activity. GH4C1 cells responded to TRH with a calcium spike (6-fold) followed by a sustained second phase. When TRH was added after 100 nM nimodipine, an L channel blocker, the initial calcium burst was unaffected but the second phase was abolished. GH-Y cells transfected with TRH receptor cDNA responded to TRH with a 6-fold [Ca2+]i spike followed by a plateau phase (>8 min) in which [Ca2+]i remained elevated or increased. Nimodipine did not alter the peak TRH response or resting [Ca2+]i but reduced the sustained phase, which was eliminated by chelation of extracellular Ca2+. In the transfected glial C6 and Hela cells without calcium channels, TRH evoked transient, monophasic 7- to 9-fold increases in [Ca2+]i, and [Ca2+]i returned to resting levels within 3 min. Thapsigargin stimulated a gradual, large increase in [Ca2+]i in transfected C6 cells, and subsequent addition of TRH caused no further rise. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ from transfected C6 cells shortened the [Ca2+]i responses to TRH, to endothelin 1, and to thapsigargin. The TRH responses were pertussis toxin-insensitive. In summary, TRH can generate a calcium spike in pituitary, C6, and Hela cells transfected with TRH receptor cDNA, but the plateau phase of the [Ca2+]i response is not observed when the receptor is expressed in a cell line without L channel activity.

We showed previously that 5'-CMP activates PtdIns-Ins base exchange and reversal PtdIns synthase in permeabilized rat pituitary GH3 cells. Here we report another effect of 5'-CMP on PtdIns metabolism in these cells. In permeabilized GH3 cells prelabelled with [3H]Ins and incubated in buffer with LiCl and a free Ca2+ concentration of 0.1 microM but without added Ins, 5'-CMP stimulated formation of glycerophospho[3H]inositol (GroP[3H]Ins) after a lag period of at least 5 min. This effect was concentration-dependent; the apparent Km was 0.30 +/- 0.02 mM. CDP and CTP stimulated GroPIns formation less effectively than did 5'-CMP, but cytidine, 2'-CMP, 3'-CMP, 5'-AMP and 5'-GMP had no effect. 5'-CMP stimulated formation of lysoPtdIns also. In permeabilized GH3 cells prelabelled with [3H]arachidonic acid, 5'-CMP stimulated release of [3H]arachidonic acid without a measurable lag period. These data show that 5'-CMP stimulates a phospholipase A activity in permeabilized GH3 cells that hydrolyses PtdIns.

TRH, which does not elevate cyclic AMP, and elevation of cellular cyclic AMP decrease the density (down-regulate) of TRH receptors (TRH-Rs) on pituitary (GH3) cells. In this study we measured the effects of TRH and elevation of cyclic AMP on TRH-Rs expressed in non-pituitary cells transfected with a recently cloned mouse pituitary TRH-R complementary DNA. In stably transfected rat glioma (C6-2) cells and transiently transfected COS-1 cells TRH caused TRH-R down-regulation while elevation of cyclic AMP caused increases in TRH-R density. Hence, the effects of cyclic AMP on TRH-Rs in transfected C6-2 and COS-1 cells are different from those in GH3 cells while the effects of TRH on TRH-R are similar in all three cell types. These data show that regulation of TRH-Rs is cell type specific.

Benzodiazepines (BZs) have been shown to modulate voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in a number of neuronal and nonneuronal cell types and to competitively antagonize TRH binding to receptors on cells of the nervous system and anterior pituitary gland. Because interaction of TRH with its receptor is known to cause enhanced influx of Ca2+ through voltage-sensitive channels in rat pituitary GH3 cells, it was determined whether BZs and TRH were interacting with the same binding site on these cells. The potencies of three BZs, Ro5-4864, diazepam (DZP), and chlordiazepoxide (CDE), were compared as modulators of Ca2+ channels and as inhibitors of TRH binding in GH3 cells. Modulation of Ca2+ channel activity was measured as the inhibition by BZs of K+ depolarization-induced Ca2+ influx using intracellularly trapped quin 2 or 45Ca2+ uptake. The three BZs caused dose-dependent inhibition of Ca2+ influx with an order of potency of Ro 5-4864 greater than DZP greater than CDE. In contrast, the order of potency of the three BZs to inhibit [3H]TRH binding was CDE greater than DZP much greater than Ro 5-4864. The concentrations of BZs needed to inhibit Ca2+ influx and TRH binding were in the micromolar range. These data show that BZs can modulate Ca2+ channel activity in endocrine cells and that these sites are distinct from those that modulate TRH binding on pituitary cells.

Cobalt inhibition of stimulated prolactin secretion has been interpreted as demonstrating an essential role for enhanced calcium influx in the action of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in GH3 cells. However, this interpretation is based on the assumption that cobalt ion (Co2+) binds to the external surface of cells to antagonize calcium-mediated processes only by blocking influx of extracellular calcium ion (Ca2+). In this report, we present evidence that Co2+ acts at an intracellular locus (or loci) to inhibit prolactin secretion. When GH3 cells were incubated in medium containing 1.5 mM Ca2+, Co2+ inhibited basal as well as 50 mM K+- and TRH-induced secretion; half-maximal effect occurred between 0.1 and 0.3 mM Co2+. When cells were incubated in medium containing 0.05 and 0.003 mM Ca2+, concentrations that abolish 50 mM K+-induced prolactin secretion, Co2+ still inhibited basal and TRH-stimulated prolactin secretion. Co2+ also inhibited prolactin secretion stimulated by 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine, dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), and vasoactive intestinal peptide, three secretagogues that act to elevate intracellular cAMP, a mechanism which appears not to involve enhanced Ca2+ influx. Last, the presence of Co2+ within the cell was shown by fluorescence quenching of intracellularly trapped Quin 2, a chelator of divalent cations. These data demonstrate that Co2+ enters GH3 cells and that Co2+ inhibition of prolactin secretion does not involve extracellular Ca2+. We suggest that Co2+ not only blocks Ca2+ channels in GH3 cells, but it inhibits prolactin secretion at an intracellular locus (loci). Hence, inhibition by Co2+ should not be interpreted as demonstrating a requirement for Ca2+ influx in stimulated secretion.