Development of vasoactive intestinal peptide-responsive adenylate cyclase during enterocytic differentiation of Caco-2 cells in culture. Evidence for an increased receptor level.

The purpose of this work was to study vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors and the adenylate cyclase response to VIP upon enterocytic differentiation of the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 in culture. The VIP-stimulated enzyme activity is very low, e.g. 20% above basal activity in undifferentiated cells (day 5) and is enhanced markedly at confluency reaching a maximum, e.g. 270%, above basal activity in fully differentiated cells (day 30). VIP potency is also slightly enhanced, the EC50 of VIP ranging from 0.31 nM at day 5 to 0.07 nM at day 30. Modifications of the adenylate cyclase system are not responsible for the development of VIP response. Indeed, forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity is unchanged during differentiation supporting no alteration of the enzyme catalytic subunit. The same holds true for NaF and guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido)trisphosphate, indicating a constant activity of the guanine nucleotide regulatory unit which mediates hormonal stimulation of adenylate cyclase (Ns). This is further supported by the similar extent of cholera toxin-catalyzed [32P]ADP-ribosylation of the Ns protein that is observed during differentiation. In sharp contrast, a dramatic increase of VIP receptor concentration is observed ranging from 32 fmol/mg of protein at day 5 to 414 fmol/mg of protein at day 30. This is confirmed by affinity cross-linking experiments showing an increased specific incorporation of 125I-VIP in a major 66,000-dalton component during differentiation. A slight increase in receptor affinity is also observed during differentiation with Kd ranging from 0.39 nM at day 5 to 0.08 nM at day 30. These data indicate that one population of VIP receptors accumulates during Caco-2 cell differentiation, representing the crucial event in the development of adenylate cyclase response to the peptide.