Subcellular distribution and response to gastroinetstinal hormones of adenylate cyclase in the rat pancreas. Partial purification of a stable plasma membrane preparation.

1. The subcellular distribution of adenylate cyclase activity in rat pancreatic homogenates was examined after differential centrifugation. Divalent cations exerted significant effects on this distribution. In addition, the ratio of adenylate cyclase activities in the presence of the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin and secretin was lower in the crude 'mitochondrial' fraction than in 'microsomal' fractions. This difference was due to the lability of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin receptors compared to secretin receptors. The Km,app of activation was affected more than the V by this lability. Such a degradation of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin receptors was markedly delayed by isolation and storage in the presence of a phospholipid mixture. 2. A simple, reasonably rapid (6 h), and easily reproducible method was developed to prepare a stable semi-purified plasma membrane fraction, characterized by a 10-fold increase in the specific activity of adenylate cyclase with respect to the whole homogenate. At variance with data obtained on crude subcellular fractions, the V of adenylate cyclase activity observed in this preparation, under maximal concentration of the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin, was higher than that obtained with secretin or the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide.