Mechanisms of calcium release induced by GTP and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate

Recent studies show that Ca/sup 2 +/ efflux from ER is controlled by a sensitive and specific guanine nucleotide regulatory mechanism. Using microsomes of permeabilized cells derived from N1E-115 neuroblastoma or DDT/sub 1/MF-2 smooth muscle cell lines, both GTP and IP/sub 3/ effect Ca/sup 2 +/ release from a common intracellular pool; however, the mechanisms of activation of Ca/sup 2 +/ release by the two agents appear distinct with regard to several parameters. Studies using liver microsomes are currently investigating whether similar distinctions between the actions of IP/sub 3/ and GTP exist in other cell types. At present it is unknown if GTP-activated Ca/sup 2 +/ release is mediated by a G-protein-like activity. Studies indicate that such release is not altered by pertussis toxin. Since GTP..gamma..S is inactive and blocks the action of GTP, a modified G-protein activation process must be invoked. Current investigations are attempting to identify the protein(s) involved in GTP-mediated Ca/sup 2 +/ release by direct photo-crosslinking experiments using (..cap alpha..-/sup 32/P)GTP. Successful labeling of many nucleotide-binding proteins has been accomplished; most but not all labeling is displaced by ATP. GTP-specifically labeled proteins are being assessed as candidates for the GTP-mediated release process.