We examined the kinetics of G␣ s and G␣ i regulation of human type V and type VI adenylyl cyclase (AC V and AC VI) in order to better model interactions between AC and its regulators. Activation of AC VI by G␣ s displayed classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics, whereas AC V activation by G␣ s was cooperative with a Hill coefficient of 1.4. The basal activity of human AC V, but not that of AC VI, was inhibited by G␣ i . Both enzymes showed greater inhibition by G␣ i at low G␣ s concentrations; however, human AC V was activated by G␣ i at high G␣ s concentrations. Neither regulator had an effect on the K m for Mg-ATP. Mutations made within the G␣ s binding pocket of AC V (N1090D) and VI (F1078S) displayed 6-and 14-fold greater EC 50 values for G␣ s activation but had no effect on G␣ i inhibition of basal activity or K m for Mg-ATP. G␣ s -stimulated AC VI-F1078S was not significantly inhibited by G␣ i , despite normal inhibition by G␣ i upon forskolin stimulation. Mechanistic models for G␣ s and G␣ i regulation of AC V and VI were derived to describe these results. Our models are consistent with previous studies, predicting a decrease in affinity of G␣ i in the presence of G␣ s . For AC VI, G␣ s is required for inhibition but not binding by G␣ i . For AC V, binding of two molecules of G␣ s and G␣ i to an AC dimer are required to fully describe the data. These models highlight the differences between AC V and VI and the complex interactions with two important regulators.The key to regulation of adenylyl cyclase (AC) 1 activity is the conformational state of the enzyme at the interface of the two large cytoplasmic domains (1-3). G␣ s binds to the second cytoplasmic (C 2 ) domain of AC and increases the affinity of the two domains for one another to promote catalysis (4 -8). G␣ i works in direct opposition to G␣ s , binding to the first cytoplasmic domain (C 1 ) and decreasing domain interaction to reduce formation of the AC catalytic site (3, 9).Although conformational changes at the domain interface are critical for regulation, other regions of AC play important roles as well. For example, the N terminus of rat AC VI interacts with the C 1 domain to modulate G␣ i -mediated inhibition (10) and glycosylation of AC VI may alter regulatory properties of the enzyme (11). Although native and recombinant G␣ s have similar effects on the cytoplasmic domains of AC, activation of full-length AC is less effectively inhibited by G␣ i upon stimulation of native versus recombinant G␣ s (12). Kleuss and Krause speculate that the palmitate on native G␣ s competes with the myristate on G␣ i for a hydrophobic binding pocket on AC (12). Previous studies by Taussig et al. (13) suggest that both G␣ s and G␣ i are bound simultaneously to the enzyme, seemingly in contradiction to studies using the independently expressed cytoplasmic domains (3). In an attempt to fully understand the regulation of full-length human AC V and VI, we have modeled the kinetics of G␣ s /G␣ i regulation.Types V and VI AC are generally grouped together as being hig...