Mechanism of nucleotide inhibition of gonadotropin binding to cell membranes of bovine corpus luteum.

ATP, CTP, ADP, AMP, cyclic 3',5'-AMP (cAMP) and cyclic 3',5'-CMP (cCMP) effectively inhibited the specific binding of 125I-labelled human chorionic gonadotropin ([125I]HCG) to bovine corpus luteum cell membranes. This inhibition was observed with 2.5 X 10(-4) M to 1.0 X 10(-3) M nucleotide concentrations, regardless of the presence of a nucleotide regenerating system. Submaximal concentrations of combinations of the nucleotides were additive in inhibiting binding. The inhibition of [125I]HCG binding was observed when the nucleotides were added at the beginning of or during incubation or preincubation of the membranes with nucleotides. Preincubation of membranes with CTP and cAMP, subsequent washing and reincubation with hormone, showed time-dependent inhibition of [125I]HCG binding when the preincubation temperature was 38 degrees C but not at 4 degrees C. The concentrated supernates from nucleotides preincubated with membranes had no inhibitory effect on [125I]HCG binding to fresh membranes. In the absence of added nucleotides, [125I]HCG-membrane interaction had the following apparent binding constants: a Kd of 1.5 X 10(-10) M, 46.3 fmoles of binding sites per mg membrane protein, and rate constants for association and dissociation 4.0 X 10(6) M-1 sec-1 and 1.0 X 10(-3) sec-1, respectively. At steady state conditions of [125I]HCG binding, CTP inhibited [125I]HCG at lower concentrations of added hormone (less than 3 X 10(-9) M) whereas at higher concentrations, this nucleotide enhanced [125I]HCG binding. Scatchard analysis of the data revealed that inhibition and enhancement of [125I]HCG binding in the presence of CTP were due to lowered affinity of gonadotropin receptors (32-37) fold) and to exposure of new low-affinity binding sites for [125I]HCG, respectively. At non-steady-state conditions, nucleotides increased dissociation rates (80 to 100%) and decreased association rates (30 to 38%). The data appear to be compatible with the suggestion that the nucleotides may bind to sites in the membranes and subsequently induce conformational changes in membrane components, resulting in a decreased affinity of gonadotropin receptors. The physiological significance of these findings needs to be determined.