Regulatory proteins in presynaptic function.

Activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors, opioid, A1-adenosine, and PGE receptors inhibited the stimulation-induced [3H]noradrenaline release in brain tissue in a concentration-dependent manner. Under experimental conditions (360 pulses/3 Hz) where the released noradrenaline activated the presynaptic alpha 2-autoreceptors, the effects of the heteroreceptor (k-opioid, A1-adenosine, PGE) agonists were decreased. By avoiding autoinhibition by either blockade of the alpha 2-autoreceptors with yohimbine or stimulating the tissue with four pulses/100 Hz, the heteroreceptor-mediated inhibition of [3H]noradrenaline release was markedly increased. The dependence of the heteroreceptor-mediated inhibition of evoked noradrenaline release on the extent of alpha 2-autoreceptor activation suggests a common postreceptor signal transduction pathway. PTX-catalyzed [32P]ADP ribosylation of synaptosomal membrane proteins revealed three bands of polypeptides with molecular weights corresponding to the alpha subunits of Go (39,000) and the Gi proteins (40,000, 41,000). Pretreatment with NEM reduced the PTX-induced 32P labeling by alkylating the alpha subunits at or near the site that is ADP ribosylated by PTX in a concentration-dependent manner. K(+)-evoked release of [3H]noradrenaline from synaptosomes indicated the presynaptic localization of the PTX-sensitive G proteins coupled to alpha 2-, k-, and A1-receptors of noradrenergic nerve terminals. Electrically evoked [3H]noradrenaline release was only increased by PTX or NEM in a time- and concentration-dependent manner when autoinhibition was present. The alpha 2-, opioid, and A1-adenosine receptor-mediated inhibition of [3H]noradrenaline release was impaired similarly by PTX or NEM treatment. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of PGE2 remained unaffected. These results indicate that presynaptic alpha 2-, opioid, and A1-receptors but not PGE receptors of noradrenergic nerve terminals are linked to PTX-sensitive G proteins. The interaction between the alpha 2-autoreceptors and the PGE receptors therefore does not occur at the level of a common pool of G proteins but at some subsequent step of the signal transduction mechanism.