Antisera against a guanine nucleotide binding protein from retina cross-react with the beta subunit of the adenylyl cyclase-associated guanine nucleotide binding proteins, Ns and Ni.

Antisera were produced in rabbits against a guanine nucleotide binding protein (N protein), transducin, purified from bovine retina. Antiserum AS/1, which recognized all three subunits (alpha, beta, and gamma) of the holoprotein, was tested for cross-reactivity with the subunits of the adenylyl cyclase [adenylate cyclase; ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1]-associated stimulatory (Ns) and inhibitory (Ni) N proteins purified from human erythrocytes. As/1 showed strong reactivity against the beta subunits of both Ns and Ni but failed to cross-react with either the alpha or gamma subunits of Ns and Ni. Seven additional antisera against transducin reacted with the beta subunits but not with the alpha or gamma subunits of Ns and Ni. A single antiserum against transducin reacted with the alpha subunit of Ni but not of Ns. Immunostaining of the beta subunits of Ns and Ni was proportional to the amount of beta subunit blotted and to the antiserum concentration. Immunostaining of either human erythrocyte or bovine cerebral cortical plasma membrane proteins with AS/1 showed a single band, comigrating with the beta subunit of transducin; this band was absent in bovine erythrocyte membranes. Estimation of the amount of beta subunit by immunoblotting with AS/1 showed that the beta subunit comprises approximately equal to 2% of bovine cerebral cortical plasma membrane protein, approximately equal to 100-fold more than in human erythrocyte membranes. These findings provide immunochemical evidence for similarities in the beta subunits and differences in the alpha and gamma subunits of this family of N proteins. Antisera against transducin react specifically with the beta subunits of Ns and Ni in crude plasma membranes and, thus, can serve as specific probes for the beta subunit.