Effects of adenosine and adenosine-analogs on adenylate cyclase activity in the rat adipocyte plasma membrane: comparison of the properties of the enzyme with Mn2+ and Mg2+ as divalent cations.

We investigated the influence of Mg2+ and Mn2+ on the effects of adenosine and some derivatives on basal adenylate cyclase activity in rat fat cell membranes as well as on enzyme activity stimulated by isoprenaline or sodium fluoride. Adenosine and derivatives modified in the ribose function were inhibitory, irrespective of the stimulant used, both in the presence of MgCl2 or MnCl2. Inhibition of basal and sodium fluoride stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was more pronounced in the presence of MnCl2 than in the presence of MgCl2. N6-substituted adenosine analogs proved to be inhibitory in the presence of 5 mM MgCl2, but in the presence of 1 mM MnCl2 the fluoride stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was potentiated, while basal and isoprenaline stimulated activity were not significantly inhibited. These effects of adenosine and derivatives could not be blocked by theophylline with or without guanyl nucleotides. The potentiating effect of N6-substituted adenosine derivatives on sodium fluoride activated adenylate cyclase is dependent on the structure of the N6-substituent and consists of an enhancement of Vmax in combination with a small decrease of the Km for MnATP2-, indicative of an allosteric effect on adenylate cyclase. No potentiation by N6-phenylisopropyladenosine of sodium fluoride stimulated cyclase was found on digitonin solubilized cyclase, while the inhibitory effect of adenosine was retained. The relevance of these findings is discussed in connection with the current hypothesis concerning the presence of two adenosine-sensitive sites on rat fat cell membranes.