Activation of adenylate cyclase in rat fat cells promotes an increase in GTP content which controls the enzyme activity.

In previous studies, we demonstrated that the treatment of adipocytes with cholera toxin or Bordetella pertussis toxin (IAP) promoted an increase in the total guanosine triphosphate (GTP) content of the cells concomitant with the increase in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) level and the resulting lipolysis. In the present studies, we show that the acute challenge of fat cells with 1 microM isoproterenol (IPNE) is associated with a transient increase in GTP level (3-fold in 6 min). This increase may be attributed to an inhibition of the disposal of GTP or to a stimulation of its synthesis. To evaluate the actual role of GTP, we used virazole, an antitumor agent which inhibits inosinic acid dehydrogenase. After 2 h preincubation of the cells with 1 mM virazole, the effect of a 6 min challenge with 1 microM IPNE is decreased by 59% at the GTP level and by 42% in cyclic AMP production. One hour later, the resulting lipolytic efficiency is reduced by 57%. IAP treatment (10 micrograms/ml) produced its maximal effect on GTP and cyclic AMP levels and on lipolysis after 90 min incubation. The antilipolytic effect of 1 microM phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA) is almost abolished. When 1 mM virazole is added to the cell suspension to deplete the guanyl nucleotide pool, the resulting lipolysis due to IAP treatment is decreased by 85%, whereas GTP and cyclic AMP levels were decreased by 80 and 70%, respectively. We can conclude that the cyclic AMP synthesis in intact cells is accompanied by a parallel increase of their GTP content, whether the stimulation results from the activation of Gs or the inhibition of Gi. The reduction of the guanyl nucleotide pool under virazole results in a relatively less important inhibition of lipolysis when Gs is stimulated than when it is Gi.