A potassium current evoked by growth hormone-releasing hormone in follicular oocytes of Xenopus laevis.

1. Electrophysiological properties of the growth hormone-releasing hormone (GRH) receptor were studied in Xenopus oocytes with an intact follicle cell layer (i.e. follicular oocytes) by measuring whole-cell current using the two-electrode voltage-clamp method. 2. A slow transient outward current was elicited in oocytes, clamped at -60 mV, by the application of rat GRH but not bovine, porcine, or human GRH. 3. The response to GRH was not suppressed by blockers known to inhibit other endogenous receptors present in follicular Xenopus oocytes; blockers used were timolol (2 microM; beta-adrenergic blocker), theophylline (0.1 mM; purinergic blocker) and atropine (100 nM; muscarinic blocker). 4. The current response evoked by rat GRH occurred in a dose-dependent manner. The concentrations of GRH for threshold and maximum responses were 1 and 100 nM respectively and the estimated EC50 (half-maximal effective concentration) was approximately 7 nM. The amplitude and conductance of the response became larger and the latency, time-to-peak and half-decay time were shortened when the concentration of GRH was increased. 5. The GRH response was reversibly inhibited by a K+ channel blocker, tetraethylammonium+ (TEA+; 20 mM). The reversal potential for the GRH response was around -100 mV and was compatible with the reported value for a K+ current in Xenopus oocytes. Furthermore, a depolarizing shift of 40 mV in the reversal potential was observed when the external K+ concentration was increased from 2 to 10 mM, agreeing with the Nernst equation. In contrast, no significant shift in the reversal potential was observed by changing the external concentration of Na+ or Cl-. 6. The GRH response was not suppressed in oocytes treated with an acetoxy-methyl ester of bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA/AM; 10 microM) which penetrates the cell membrane and chelates internal Ca2+. 7. The GRH response was potentiated by pre-treatment with forskolin (0.4 microM; 5 min), which stimulates adenylate cyclase and increases the internal concentration of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP). 8. The GRH response was not obtainable when follicle cells surrounding oocytes were removed mechanically with forceps or enzymically with collagenase (i.e. denuded oocytes). The response was also suppressed when gap junctions, which electrically couple follicle cells and the oocyte, were blocked by 1-octanol (1 mM). 9. The first amino acid is considered to be important for the binding of peptide ligands to their receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)