cAMP activates adenylate and guanylate cyclase of Dictyostelium discoideum cells by binding to different classes of cell-surface receptors. A study with extracellular Ca2+

cAMP induces a transient increase of cAMP and cGMP levels in Dictyostelium discoideum cells. Fast binding experiments reveal three types of cAMP-binding site (S, H and L), which have different off-rates (t0.5, 0.7-15 s) and different affinities (Kd, 15-450 nM). A time- and cAMP-concentration-dependent transition of H- to L-sites occurs during the binding reaction. Extracellular Ca2+ had multiple effects on cAMP-binding sites. (i) The number of H + L-sites increased 2.5-fold, while the number of S-sites was not strongly affected. (ii) The Kd of the S-sites was reduced from 16 nM to 5 nM (iii) The conversion of H-sites to L-sites was inhibited up to 80%. The kinetics of the cAMP-induced cAMP accumulation was not strongly altered by Ca2+, but the amount of cAMP produced was inhibited up to 80%. The kinetics of the cAMP-induced cGMP accumulation was strongly altered; maximal levels were obtained sooner, and the Ka was reduced from 15 to 3.5 nM cAMP. Ca2+, Mg2+ and Mn2+ increased the number of binding sites, all with EC50 = 0.5 mM. The S-sites and the cGMP response were modified by equal Ca2+ concentrations and by higher concentrations of Mg2+ and Mn2+ (EC50 are respectively 0.4 mM, 2.5 mM and about 25 mM). The conversion of H- to L-sites and the cAMP response were specifically inhibited by Ca2+ with EC50 = 20 µM. It is concluded that cAMP activates guanylate cyclase through the S-sites; adenylate cyclase is activated by the H + L-sites, in which the appearance of the L-sites during the binding reaction represents the coupling of occupied surface cAMP receptors to adenylate cyclase.

The Cell Density Factor CMF Regulates the Chemoattractant Receptor cAR1 in Dictyostelium

Starving Dictyostelium cells aggregate by chemotaxis to cAMP when a secreted protein called conditioned medium factor (CMF) reaches a threshold concentration. Cells expressing CMF antisense mRNA fail to aggregate and do not transduce signals from the cAMP receptor. Signal transduction and aggregation are restored by adding recombinant CMF. We show here that two other cAMP-induced events, the formation of a slow dissociating form of the cAMP receptor and the loss of ligand binding, which is the first step of ligand-induced receptor sequestration, also require CMF. Vegetative cells have very few CMF and cAMP receptors, while starved cells possess ~40,000 receptors for CMF and cAMP. Transformants overexpressing the cAMP receptor gene cAR1 show a 10-fold increase of [3H]cAMP binding and a similar increase of [125I]CMF binding; disruption of the cAR1 gene abolishes both cAMP and CMF binding. In wild-type cells, downregulation of cAR1 with high levels of cAMP also downregulates CMF binding, and CMF similarly downregulates cAMP and CMF binding. This suggests that the cAMP binding and CMF binding are closely linked. Binding of ~200 molecules of CMF to starved cells affects the affinity of the majority of the cAR1 cAMP receptors within 2 min, indicating that an amplifying mechanism allows one activated CMF receptor to regulate many cARs. In cells lacking the G-protein β subunit, cAMP induces a loss of cAMP binding, but not CMF binding, while CMF induces a reduction of CMF binding without affecting cAMP binding, suggesting that the linkage of the cell density-sensing CMF receptor and the chemoattractant cAMP receptor is through a G-protein.

Cyclic nucleotide specificity of the activator and catalytic sites of a cGMP-stimulated cGMP phosphodiesterase from Dictyostelium discoideum

The cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum has an intracellular phosphodiesterase which specifically hydrolyzes cGMP. The enzyme is activated by low cGMP concentrations, and is involved in the reduction of chemoattractant-mediated elevations of cGMP levels. The interaction of 20 cGMP derivatives with the activator site and with the catalytic site of the enzyme has been investigated. Binding of cGMP to the activator site is strongly reduced (more than 80-fold) if cGMP is no longer able to form a hydrogen bond at N2H2 or O2’H. Modifications at N7, C8, O3’ and O5’ induce only a small reduction of binding affinity. A cyclic phosphate structure, as well as a negatively charged oxygen atom at phosphorus, are essential to obtain activation of the enzyme. Substitution of the axial exocyclic oxygen atom by sulphur is tolerated; modification of the equatorial oxygen atom reduces the binding activity of cGMP to the activator site by 90-fold. Binding of cGMP to the catalytic site is strongly reduced if cGMP is modified at N1H, C6O, C8 and O3’, while modifications at N2H2, N3, N7, O2’H, and O5’ have minor effects. Both exocyclic oxygen atoms are important to obtain binding of cGMP to the catalytic site. The results indicate that activation of the enzyme by cGMP and hydrolysis of cGMP occur at different sites of the enzyme. cGMP is recognized at these sites by different types of molecular interaction between cGMP and the protein. cGMP derivatives at concentrations which saturate the activator site do not induce the same degree of activation of the enzyme (activation 2.3-6.6-fold). The binding affinities of the analogues for the activator site and their maximal activation are not correlated. Our results suggest that the enzyme is activated because cGMP bound to the activator site stabilizes a state of the enzyme which has a higher affinity for cGMP at the catalytic site.

Preparation and Analysis of PCL Spun Chitosan Scaffolds as Guidance Channels for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

The results of this work show that the process of oriented solidification and lyophilisation is able to produce porous chitosan scaffolds with appropriate porosity and pore size for nerve regeneration. Interesting in this context are the results of statistical analysis of image analysis from SEM micrographs of uncrosslinked and UV cross-linked samples. The average pore size and mean minimum pore diameter show only small differences if the cooling rate is varied from B = 1…5 K / min and the temperature gradient from G = 1, 1.5, 2.0 K / mm. The average pore size (cross sectional area) of these samples can be estimated with reasonable accuracy, with 2100 μm². The average minimum pore diameter is within the range of 36-38 μm. These values are in a favourable range for the cell growth of nerve regeneration

A Model for cAMP-mediated cGMP Response in Dictyostelium discoideum

In Dictyostelium discoideum extracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), as shown by previous studies, induces a transient accumulation of intracellular cyclic guanosine-5'-monophosphate (cGMP), which peaks at 10 s and recovers basal levels at 30 s after stimulation, even with persistent cAMP stimulation. Additional investigations have shown that the cAMP-mediated cGMP response is built up from surface cAMP receptor-mediated activation of guanylyl cyclase and hydrolysis of cGMP by phosphodiesterase. The regulation of these activities was measured in detail on a seconds time-scale, demonstrating complex adaptation of the receptor, allosteric activation of cGMP-phosphodiesterase by cGMP, and potent inhibition of guanylyl cyclase by Ca2+. In this paper we present a computer model that combines all experimental data on the cGMP response. The model is used to investigate the contribution of each structural and regulatory component in the final cGMP response. Four models for the activation and adaptation of the receptor are compared with experimental observations. Only one model describes the magnitude and kinetics of the response accurately. The effect of Ca2+ on the cGMP response is simulated by changing the Ca2+ concentrations outside the cell (Ca2+ influx) and in stores (IP3-mediated release) and changing phospholipase C activity. The simulations show that Ca2+ mainly determines the magnitude of the cGMP accumulation; simulations are in good agreement with experiments on the effect of Ca2+ in electropermeabilized cells. Finally, when cGMP-phosphodiesterase activity is deleted from the model, the simulated cGMP response is elevated and prolonged, which is in close agreement with the experimental observations in mutant stmF that lacks this enzyme activity. We conclude that the computer model provides a good description of the observed response, suggesting that the main structural and regulatory components have been identified

The Roco protein family:a functional perspective

In this review, we discuss the evolutionary, biochemical, and functional data available for members of the Roco protein family. They are characterized by having a conserved supradomain that contains a Ras-like GTPase domain, called Roc, and a characteristic COR (C-terminal of Roc) domain. A kinase domain and diverse regulatory and protein protein interaction domains are also often found in Roco proteins. First detected in the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, they have a broad phylogenetic range, being present in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The functions of these proteins are diverse. The best understood are Dictyostelium Rocos, which are involved in cell division, chemotaxis, and development. However, this family has received extensive attention because mutations in one of the human Roco genes (LRRK2) cause familial Parkinson disease. Other human Rocos are involved in epilepsy and cancer. Biochemical data suggest that Roc domains are capable of activating kinase domains intramolecularly. Interestingly, some of the dominant, disease-causing mutations in both the GTPase and kinase domains of LRRK2 increase kinase activity. Thus, Roco proteins may act as stand-alone transduction units, performing roles that were thought so far to require multiple proteins, as occur in the Ras transduction pathway