S-Nitrosylation of protein thiol groups by nitric oxide (NO) is a widely recognized protein modification. In this study we show that nitrosonium tetrafluoroborate (BF 4 NO), a NO؉ donor, modified the thiol groups of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) by Snitrosylation and caused enzyme inhibition. The resultant protein-S-nitrosothiol was found to be unstable and to decompose spontaneously, thereby restoring enzyme activity. In contrast, the NO-releasing compound S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) promoted S-glutathionylation of a thiol group of GAPDH both in vitro and under cellular conditions. The GSH-mixed protein disulfide formed led to a permanent enzyme inhibition, but upon dithiothreitol addition a functional active GAPDH was recovered. This S-glutathionylation is specific for GSNO because GSH itself was unable to produce protein-mixed disulfides. During cellular nitrosative stress, the production of intracellular GSNO might channel signaling responses to form protein-mixed disulfide that can regulate intracellular function. Nitric oxide (NO)1 is an important biological messenger that plays a role in physiological and pathophysiological conditions such as endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, inflammation, and septic shock (1, 2). These multiple effects are based on its redox chemistry. NO can react with oxygen species and transition metals to form NO x , peroxynitrite (ONOO Ϫ ), and metal-NO adducts, respectively (3, 4). The interactions of NO with sulfhydryl-containing molecules and enzymes has gained considerable importance (5, 6). In many biological systems, nitrosation reactions transferring NO ϩ from a NO donor to a protein S Ϫ group affect protein function. Targets for this type of modification, among others, are bovine serum albumin (7), tissuetype plasminogen activator (8), gyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (9, 10), the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (11), oncogenic p21 ras (12), and transcriptional activators (13).The S-nitrosothiol of glutathione (GSNO) may be the most relevant biological molecule to carry out nitrosation reactions under physiological conditions (14 -16). It has been reestablished that the actions of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor more closely resemble a low molecular weight nitrosothiol rather than the NO ⅐ radical itself (17). However, S-nitrosothiols can decompose to form NO ⅐ and thiyl radicals (18), and the thiyl radical can lead to the production of protein-mixed disulfides also known as protein S-glutathionylation.In this study, we investigated the influence of NO donors on the glycolytic enzyme GAPDH which catalyzes the reversible oxidative phosphorylation of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate by NAD ϩ and inorganic phosphate. GAPDH is comprised of four identical 37-kDa subunits. Each subunit contains four cysteines; two of them (Cys-149 and Cys-153) are located in the catalytic site of each GAPDH subunit. The catalytically active cysteine 149 interacts with a histidine to form a highly reactive thiolate group (cys-S Ϫ ) which is required for GAPDH...

The possibility that Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells can provide an intact cell setting for reconstitution of the human 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) receptor with mammalian G protein subunits was explored. The 5-HT1A receptor was found to assume an uncoupled phenotype when expressed alone in Sf9 cells at relatively high levels (5-34 pmol of receptor/mg of membrane protein), i.e. agonist-binding to the receptor was characterized by a relatively high Kd and an insensitivity to GTP. Co-expression of the receptor with members of the alpha i "family" together with various combinations of beta 1 and gamma subunits increased the affinity for agonists to that observed for the coupled form of receptor in mammalian cells, concomitant with conferrance of guanosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imino)triphosphate sensitivity. The agonists employed were [3H]8-hydroxy-N,N-dipropyl-2-aminotetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT) and [125I]R(+)-trans-8-hydroxy-2-[N-n-propyl-N-(3'-iodo-2'-propenyl) amino]tetralin ([125I]8-OH-PIPAT). The binding of an antagonist, [125I]4-(2'-methoxyphenyl)-1-[2'-[N-(2"- pyridinyl)-p-iodobenzamido]ethyl]piperazine ([125I]p-MPPI), was unaffected by co-expression of G protein subunits. Both alpha and beta gamma subunits were required for optimal coupling. No differences were evident among alpha i1, alpha i2, alpha i3, alpha o, and alpha z when expressed with beta 1 gamma 2 in this regard, nor among most permutations of beta 1 gamma subunits when expressed with alpha i1 (beta 1 gamma 2 approximately beta 1 gamma 3 approximately beta 1 gamma 5 > beta 1 gamma 1). Alpha s and alpha q expressed with beta 1 gamma 2 did not participate in coupling. These data support the conclusion that normal interactions between a mammalian receptor and a select array of G proteins can be established in intact Sf9 cells, and extend previous observations of 5-HT1A receptor coupling to G(o) and the pertussis toxin-insensitive G protein Gz.

The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) is a key regulator of cell proliferation and survival. Activation of the IGF-IR induces tyrosine autophosphorylation and the binding of a series of adaptor molecules, thereby leading to the activation of MAPK. It has been demonstrated that pertussis toxin, which inactivates the G i class of GTP-binding proteins, inhibits IGF-I-mediated activation of MAPK, and a specific role for G ␤␥ subunits in IGF-I signaling was shown. In the present study, we have investigated the role of heterotrimeric G i in IGF-IR signaling in neuronal cells. Pertussis toxin inhibited IGF-I-induced activation of MAPK in rat cerebellar granule neurons and NG-108 neuronal cells. G ␣i and G ␤ subunits were associated with IGF-IR immunoprecipitates. Similarly, in IGF-IR-null mouse embryo fibroblasts transfected with the human IGF-IR, G i was complexed with the IGF-IR. G ␣s was not associated with the IGF-IR in any cell type. IGF-I induced the release of the G ␤ subunits from the IGF-IR but had no effect on the association of G ␣i . These results demonstrate an association of heterotrimeric G i with the IGF-IR and identify a discrete pool of G ␤␥ subunits available for downstream signaling following stimulation with IGF-I.Many receptors are coupled to heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins). Prototypic G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) 1 contain a seven-membrane spanning region (1). Activated GPCRs bind to G-proteins and induce the release of G ␤␥ subunits from G ␣ subunits, which allows for the exchange of GDP for GTP on the G ␣ subunit. Activated G i subunits and G ␤␥ heterodimers interact with numerous signaling effectors, including adenylyl cyclase, ion channels, protein kinases, and phospholipases (2-4).In addition to their role in fully differentiated cells, GPCRs have been linked to mitogenesis and development (5-8). A specific role for G i in the induction of mitogenesis has been highlighted by the use of pertussis toxin, which inactivates G i by ADP-ribosylation of the G ␣ subunit. However, G ␣ subunits from several classes of G-proteins are not strongly mitogenic. Rather G ␤␥ heterodimer subunits activate a series of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, which in turn activates p21 ras and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (or MAPK). Thus, G ␤␥ subunits serve to bridge intracellular signaling of classical GPCRs and mitogenic tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs).G i also appears to be involved in the mitogenic actions of RTKs. Pertussis toxin variably inhibits the metabolic actions of insulin, both in vitro and in vivo (9 -16), and the insulin receptor may associate with G i (17)(18)(19). Importantly, mice with targeted knockout of G i have defects in insulin signaling (20). EGF-dependent signaling is also impaired by pertussis toxin in rat hepatocytes (21-23) and other cells (24 -27).The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR), which has strong homology to the insulin receptor, exists as an ␣ 2 -␤ 2 -heterodimer and contains a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase domain (28, 29). U...

The findings demonstrate that IGF-I-mediated MAPK activation is a sensitive target of ethanol in diverse neuronal cell types. The data are consistent with ethanol-induced inhibition of IGF-IR activity, although the extent of IGF-IR tyrosine autophosphorylation per se is a poor marker of the inhibitory action of ethanol on this receptor. Furthermore, despite uniform inhibition of MAPK in the different neuronal cell types, tyrosine phosphorylation of proximal mediators of the IGF-IR are differentially inhibited by ethanol.

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