guanosine-triphosphate and Adrenal-Cortex-Neoplasms

The role of G protein mutations in the pathogenesis of adrenal cortex neoplasms is controversial. Two published studies disagree on the existence of a cysteine or histidine for arginine substitution at position 179 (R179C/H) of the GTP binding region of the alpha chain of an inhibitory G protein (Gi2alpha) in these tumors. Prior studies using detection by mutation-specific oligonucleotide hybridization showed either 3 of 11 or 0 of 56 tumors harbored mutations. To resolve this discrepancy and ascertain the importance of the R179C/H Gi2alpha mutation in the development of adrenal cortex tumors, we screened tumors from 29 patients (24 with adenoma, 5 with carcinoma) using a more sensitive assay employing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and examination for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). Detection of the potential R179C/H mutation by this technique was possible because the wild-type coding sequence includes the BSTU-1 restriction endonuclease recognition site CGCG, whereas the mutated gene does not. Results showed complete digestion of the amplified DNA samples from all 29 patients and the negative control DNA by BSTU-1, indicating that all tumor samples exhibited only the wild-type sequence. Direct sequencing of PCR product from four tumor samples confirmed the presence of only the wild-type sequence. The 0 of 29 rate of R179C/H mutations we found in Gi2alpha is different than the 3 of 11 positive rate (p < 0.05, Fishers' exact) previously reported but agrees with the report showing 0 of 56 mutations. We conclude a mutation at position 179 of Gi2alpha is not important in the pathogenesis of most adrenal cortical tumors.

Topics: Adenoma; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Arginine; Base Sequence; Carcinoma; Codon; Cysteine; DNA Restriction Enzymes; GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine Triphosphate; Histidine; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Oncogenes; Point Mutation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

The present investigation was performed in order to study the properties of abnormal membrane function related to ACTH receptor-adenylate cyclase system interaction in human ACTH-unresponsive adrenocortical cancer. Two tissues of adrenocortical cancer obtained from a patient with Cushing's syndrome (CS) and a case presenting no abnormal endocrinological findings (NF) were used for in vitro studies, comparing with three normal adrenal tissues. The addition of ACTH alone and ACTH plus 10(-6) M GppNHp did not enhance the adenylate cyclase (AC) activity in the CS and NF tissues. Relative insensitivity of AC to GTP, GppNHp, and cholera toxin was observed for the NF tissue, while the rate of response to GppNHp for the CS tissue which also showed relative insensitivity to GTP and cholera toxin was similar to that for the normal tissues. Forskolin which is reported to directly activate the catalytic unit of the AC complex increased the AC activity of both CS and NF tissues as well as that of the normal tissues. Therefore, the function of the catalytic unit itself may be rather well preserved in these tumor tissues. These results suggest that the lack of ACTH receptor at the cell membrane surface might be responsible for ACTH-unresponsiveness in the CS tissue, although an accelerated degradation of GTP could contribute to decreased activity of GTP-binding protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Carcinoma; Cell Membrane; Cholera Toxin; Colforsin; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine Triphosphate; Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate; Humans; Receptors, Corticotropin; Receptors, Pituitary Hormone

Adrenocorticotropin(ACTH)-induced desensitization of adenylate cyclase was examined in subclones derived from the ACTH-responsive, Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cell line. This report describes clonal variation in ACTH-induced desensitization of adenylate cyclase and an associated variation in the level of a 68,000-dalton protein, p68. A subclone of Y1 cells with a low level of p68 (0.8% of total protein) exhibited a faster rate of desensitization and a slower rate of recovery from desensitization when compared with a clone containing a high level of p68 (10% of total protein). In three clones with low levels of p68, ACTH desensitized adenylate cyclase with ED50 values from 0.3 to 0.5 nM. In several clones with high levels of p68, the adenylate cyclase system was more resistant to ACTH-induced desensitization; the ED50 values for ACTH in these clones ranged from 2 to 12 nM. Among 11 ACTH-responsive subclones, the level of p68 correlated significantly (p less than 0.001, r = 0.87) with resistance to the desensitization induced by 1 nM ACTH. These results suggest that p68 may function in the maintenance of an ACTH-responsive adenylate cyclase system, or that the level of p68 and responsiveness to ACTH are coordinately regulated.

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Animals; Cell Line; Clone Cells; Guanosine Triphosphate; Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate; Kinetics; Mice; Molecular Weight; Neoplasms, Experimental

NPS(o-nitrophenyl sulfenyl)-ACTH stimulated steroidogenesis in Y1 cells to the same maximum level as did ACTH, but with a 60-fold lower potency than the native hormone. NPS-ACTH also stimulated the extracellular accumulation of cAMP in Y1 cells with lower potency than the unmodified hormone. The amount of cAMP accumulated in the presence of NPS-ACTH approached 75% of the maximum with ACTH. In Y1 plasma membranes, NPS-ACTH was a partial agonist of adenylate cyclase activity, witn an efficacy dependent upon the type of guanyl nucleotide present. The steroidogenic responses of two Y1(Kin) mutants and two Y1(Cyc) mutants to NPS-ACTH paralleled their responses to ACTH and reflected closely their defects in cAMP-dependent protein kinase and ACTH-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity. These data imply an obligatory role for adenylate cyclase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase activities in stimulation of steroidogenesis in Y1 cells by NPA-ACTH.

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Animals; Clone Cells; Cyclic AMP; Guanosine Triphosphate; Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate; Mice; Neoplasms, Experimental; Protein Kinases; Steroids

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Diphosphonates; Drug Resistance; Female; Guanine Nucleotides; Guanosine Triphosphate; Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate; Humans; Hydrocortisone; In Vitro Techniques; Prostaglandins E; Receptors, Drug; Receptors, Prostaglandin