Stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in retro-orbital tissue membranes by thyrotropin and an exophthalmogenic factor derived from thyrotropin.

Retro-orbital tissue membranes have been shown to have adenylate cyclase activity which can be stimulated by thyrotropin and by an exophthalmogenic factor derived from the thyrotropin molecule by partial pepsin digestion. This stimulable activity is maximal after 15 min and is optimal in the presence of 3 mM magnesium and 1.5 mM ATP. Calcium salts are exquisitely inhibitory to the hormonal stimulation; sodium, lithium, and ammonium salts are significantly less inhibitory. Thyrotropin and the exophthalmogenic factor induce similar maximal levels of stimulation but a 4- to 5-fold higher concentration of exophthalmogenic factor is required to achieve this level. Fluoride stimulates adenylate cyclase activity 2- to 3-fold higher than either thyrotropin or the exophthalmogenic factor; thyrotropin, luteinizing hormone, the beta subunit of thyrotropin, and the alpha subunit of thyrotropin have relative activities for stimulation of cyclase activity of 100:2:2 less than 0.5. Several other polypeptide and glycoprotein hormones have no effect. The gamma-globulin from patients with malignant exophthalmos has no significant effect on cyclase activity either alone or in the presence of maximal levels of thyrotropin or the exophthalmogenic factor; this gamma-globulin does, however, stimulate cyclase activity at submaximal hormone levels. Trypsin not only destroys the hormone-stimulable adenylate cyclase activity on retro-orbital tissue plasma membranes, but also destroys it on the 15,000 to 30,000 molecular weight receptor fragment released from the membranes by the tryptic action.