mu-Opioid receptors inhibit dopamine-stimulated activity of type V adenylyl cyclase but enhance dopamine-stimulated activity of type VII adenylyl cyclase.

The introduction of D1A dopamine receptors and mu-opioid receptors into HEK 293 cells that were also transiently transfected with adenylyl cyclase cDNA imparted to dopamine and to mu-opioid receptor agonists the ability to modulate the activity of the expressed adenylyl cyclase. Dopamine added to cells expressing D1A receptors and type V adenylyl cyclase significantly stimulated type V enzyme activity. The concomitant addition of morphine produced a dose-dependent inhibition of dopamine-stimulated type V adenylyl cyclase activity. On the other hand, if the HEK 293 cells were transfected with cDNA for type VII adenylyl cyclase instead of the type V isoform, morphine stimulated this adenylyl cyclase activity beyond the stimulation produced by dopamine. Both the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of morphine were blocked by naloxone or pretreatment of the transfected HEK 293 cells with pertussis toxin. When expressed in the HEK 293 cells, the alpha subunit of transducin, which is considered to be the putative scavenger of the beta gamma subunits of G proteins, suppressed the stimulatory effect of morphine on type VII adenylyl cyclase. We also expressed the adenylyl cyclases in cells that were transfected with D1A receptor and G beta 1 and G gamma 2 cDNAs. Dopamine was more efficacious in stimulating type VII adenylyl cyclase activity in cells concomitantly transfected with the beta gamma subunit cDNAs than in cells not transfected with these G protein subunits. Transfection with beta gamma subunit cDNAs did not affect dopamine stimulation of type V adenylyl cyclase activity, and morphine-induced inhibition of type V adenylyl cyclase activity was still evident in cells cotransfected with the alpha subunit of transducin. These data support the contention that the effects on type VII adenylyl cyclase activity mediated through the G1/G(o) proteins may depend on the actions of the beta gamma subunits. The same is not the case for type V adenylyl cyclase. Our data demonstrate that both qualitative and quantitative responses to mu-opioid receptor stimulation depend on the isoform of adenylyl cyclase expressed in neurons or other cells of the body.