Forskolin as an activator of adenylate cyclase complex of differentiating erythroid bone-marrow cells.

The study concerns the manner in which forskolin activates the adenylate cyclase system of differentiating rabbit bone-marrow erythroid cells. The results presented show that forskolin can stimulate the basal activity of adenylate cyclase in the absence of guanine nucleotides in an in vitro assay containing plasma membranes derived from both dividing and non-dividing cells. In the presence of guanine nucleotide the activation of adenylate cyclase by forskolin is increased, but the effect is not additive and is abolished by the beta-thio analogue of GDP. Addition of forskolin to cell cultures causes a transient increase in the activity of adenylate cyclase, which is maximal by 30 minutes and disappears within 24 hours. The conclusion is made that the effect of forskolin on adenylate cyclase complex of differentiating rabbit bone-marrow erythroblasts is similar to the effect of erythropoietin (Bonanou-Tzedaki et al., 1986) and is transdusing via stimulatory guanine nucleotide-regulatory protein.