1. Guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]), if added before GTP, blocks both Ca2+ efflux promoted by GTP and the effect of GTP on enhancement of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3)-promoted Ca2+ release from preloaded microsomal vesicles. If, however, GTP[S] is added after GTP, it does not reverse the Ca2+ efflux promoted by GTP, nor does it inhibit IP3-promoted Ca2+ release. 2. The effect of GTP in enhancing IP3-promoted Ca2+ release is maintained after washing the microsomal vesicles free of added GTP. After this treatment, enhancement of IP3-promoted Ca2+ efflux can be observed in the absence of poly(ethylene glycol). 3. Electron microscopy shows that during GTP treatment of microsomal vesicles there is rapid production of very large vesicular structures, apparently produced by fusion of smaller vesicles. 4. Light-scattering changes are detectable during the fusion process. 5. Both Ca2+ efflux promoted by GTP and the enhancement of IP3-promoted Ca2+ release seen in the presence of GTP can probably be attributed to GTP-dependent vesicle fusion.

GTP, when added to a rat liver microsomal fraction that had previously been allowed to accumulate Ca2+, causes a slow release of Ca2+, which is greatly enhanced by addition of inositol trisphosphate (IP3). The Ca2+ release caused by IP3 under these conditions is very much greater than that observed in the absence of GTP. The effect of GTP is dependent on the presence of polyethylene glycol in the incubation medium and is not due to inhibition of the Ca2+-accumulation system. The response to GTP is time-dependent, particularly at low (4 microM) GTP concentrations, and cannot be mimicked by ATP, ITP, CTP, UTP and GDP. Studies with [gamma-32P]GTP show that, during incubation with microsomal fractions, the terminal phosphate of GTP is transferred to two protein species, of Mr 38 000 and 17 000. These protein phosphorylations are still present when an excess of unlabelled ATP is included in the incubation mixture, but appear to be unaffected by the presence or absence of IP3 and polyethylene glycol. As a working hypothesis, it is suggested that a protein, phosphorylated by GTP, has to bind to the microsomal membranes before IP3 can stimulate Ca2+ release, and that, in vitro, the binding of this protein is favoured by the presence of polyethylene glycol.

(1) CoA (IC50 23 microM) and acyl-CoAs (IC50 values 15-18 microM) inhibit GTP-dependent vesicle fusion in rat liver microsomal vesicles. Acyl-CoAs of carbon chain length C8 and C20 are much less effective than acyl-CoAs of carbon chain length C14-C18. The effect of CoA is mimicked by dephospho-CoA, but not by desulpho-CoA. High acyl-CoA concentrations (50 microM) appear to favour formation of small vesicles (budding), while 50 microM CoA does not. (2) Low concentrations of CoA (EC50 2 microM) and palmitoyl-CoA (10 microM) cause re-accumulation of Ca2+ released in response to GTP. This re-accumulation is into an Ins(1,4,5)P3-sensitive compartment. By investigation of the effects of CoA and palmitoyl-CoA on the thapsigargin-induced passive leak rate of Ca2+, and on the latency of the mannose-6-phosphatase of the vesicles, we conclude that CoA and palmitoyl-CoA cause decreased vesicle permeability rather than stimulation of Ca2+ pumping activity. (3) It is suggested that GTP-induced membrane fusion in rat liver microsomes involves an as yet uncharacterized acylation-deacylation reaction which is required to produce complete vesicle sealing.

Inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (Ins (1,4,5)P3)‐stimulated Ca2+ release is inhibited by low concentrations of heparin (IC50=4.5 μg/ml). GTP‐stimulated Ca2+ release is unaffected at a heparin concentration of 16 μ/ml. Addition of heparin after Ins (1,4,5)P3 causes the rapid re‐uptake of Ins (1,4,5)P3‐releasable Ca2+.

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