Phospholipase C activation by neurotensin and neuromedin N in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the rat neurotensin receptor.

The rat neurotensin receptor cDNA sequence was transfected in Chinese hamster ovary cells and cellular clones which stably express the corresponding protein were isolated and characterized. The Scatchard analysis of the specific binding of [3H]neurotensin indicated a Kd value of 0.45 +/- 0.08 nM and a Bmax value of 3.27 +/- 0.29 pmol/mg of protein. Displacement experiments using peptidic analogs of neurotensin and levocabastine confirmed that the transfected receptor exhibits the binding properties of the neurotensin receptor characterized in the rat brain. Neurotensin stimulated the phosphoinositides hydrolysis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and this effect was mimicked by neurotensin(8-13) and by neuromedin N. The stimulation of phosphoinositides hydrolysis was not inhibited by pertussis toxin. These results indicate that the transfected cells actively express the rat neurotensin receptor which is functionally coupled to phospholipase C through a pertussis toxin-insensitive GTP-binding protein, and that neuromedin N is able to induce the phosphoinositides turnover by interaction with the neurotensin receptor.