Functional exchange of components between light-activated photoreceptor phosphodiesterase and hormone-activated adenylate cyclase systems.

Previous studies have noted profound similarities between the regulation of light-activated 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (3',5'-cyclic-nucleotide 5'-nucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.17) in retinal rods and hormone-activated adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1] in a variety of tissues. We report here the functional exchange of components isolated from the photoreceptor system, which displayed predicted functional characteristics when incubated with recipient adenylate cyclase systems from rat cerebral cortical and hypothalamic synaptic membranes and frog erythrocyte ghosts. We demonstrate functional exchange of photoreceptor components at each of three loci: the hormone receptor, the GTP-binding protein (GBP), and the catalytic moiety of adenylate cyclase. Illuminated (but not unilluminated) rhodopsin was fund to mimic the hormone-receptor complex, causing GTP-dependent activation of adenylate cyclase. The photoreceptor GBP complexed with guanosine 5'-[beta, gamma)imidotriphosphate (p[NH]ppG) produced a marked activation of recipient adenylate cyclase systems. Much smaller activation was observed when GBP was not complexed with p[NH]ppG. A heat-stable photoreceptor phosphodiesterase inhibitor reduced both basal and Mn2+-activated adenylate cyclase activities and this inhibition was reversed by photoreceptor GBP.p[NH]ppG. These data demonstrate a remarkable functional compatibility between subunits of both systems and furthermore imply that specialized peptide domains responsible for protein-protein interactions are highly conserved.