Forskolin-activated Adenylate Cyclase

Forskolin activated adenylate cyclase of purified rat adipocyte membranes in the absence of exogenous guanine nucleotides. Guanyl-5”yl imidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) inhibited the forskolin-activated cyclase immediately upon addition of the nucleotide at concentrations too low to activate adenylate cyclase (lo-’ to M). Inhibition seen with a very high concentration of Gpp(NH)p M) lasted for 3-4 min and was followed by an increase in the synthetic rate which remained constant for at least 15 min. The length of the transient inhibition did not vary with forskolin concentrations above 0.05 pi% but low Gpp(NH)p (lo-’ M) exhibited a lengthened (6-7 min) inhibitory phase. The transient inhibitory effects of Gpp(NH)p were eliminated by lo-’ M isoproterenol, high (40 mM) M e , or preincubation with Gpp(NH)p in the absence of forskolin. While forskolin stimulated fat cell cyclase in the presence of Mn2+, this ion blocked the inhibitory effects of Gpp(NH)p. The well documented inhibitory effects of GTP on the fat cell adenylate cyclase system were also observed in the presence of forskolin. However, the inhibition by GTP is not transitory. These findings indicate that Gpp(NH)p regulation of forskolin-stimulated cyclase has at least two components: 1) an inhibitory component which acts through an undetermined mechanism and which acts immediately to decrease cyclase activity; and 2) an activating component which modulates the inhibited cyclase activity through the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein.