Somatocrinin stimulates adenylate cyclase-Ns regulatory subunit in a GH3 cell-line: comparison with VIP.

We used a GH3 cell-line to compare the effects of rat GRF (rGRF) and VIP on the adenylate cyclase activity and to determine on what subunit the site of action of these two peptides is. In the GH3 cell-line, VIP was more potent than rGRF to stimulate adenylate cyclase activity. The stimulatory effects of rGRF and forskolin were additive. Cholera toxin decreased the apparent potency of these peptides and pertussis toxin reversed the inhibition by somatostatin of their adenylate cyclase stimulation. We conclude that rGRF acts on the regulatory subunit Ns, different from the regulatory subunit Ni on which somatostatin is suggested to be acting and that, in the GH3 cells, rGRF stimulates adenylate cyclase through VIP-preferring sites.