Evidence for the endogenous GTP-dependent ADP-ribosylation of the alpha-subunit of the stimulatory guanyl-nucleotide-binding protein concomitant with an increase in basal adenylyl cyclase activity in chicken spleen cell membrane.

We investigated the endogenous GTP-dependent ADP-ribosylation of the alpha-subunit of the stimulatory guanyl-nucleotide-binding protein (Gs alpha) concomitant with an increase of basal adenylyl cyclase activity in chicken spleen cell membranes. When these membranes were incubated with [adenylate-32P]NAD, there was significant incorporation of [32P]ADP-ribose into a 45-kDa acceptor protein in the membranes. This reaction was inhibited when 20 mM arginine was present during the incubation. When the membranes were incubated with unlabelled NAD, subsequent ADP ribosylation by cholera toxin was diminished significantly. Thus, chicken spleen cell membranes have the potential to endogenously ADP-ribosylate the arginine residue of Gs alpha. The endogenous ADP-ribosylation Gs alpha was enhanced by the addition of 0.1 mM GTP or 0.1 mM guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]), but not 0.1 mM GDP, 0.1 mM ATP or 0.1 mM ADP. The endogenous GTP-dependent ADP-ribosylation of Gs alpha stimulated basal adenylyl cyclase activity. Furthermore, NAD-induced stimulation of basal adenylyl cyclase activity was suppressed, when the membranes were incubated with NAD in the presence of novobiocin, an inhibitor of arginine-specific ADP-ribosyltransferase. These data represent the first demonstration that a eukaryotic cell membrane contains an ADP-ribosyltransferase which can catalyze the endogenous GTP-dependent ADP-ribosylation of the arginine residue of Gs alpha and that this modification enhances basal adenylyl cyclase activity in the membrane. In light of this evidence, the possible control of basal adenylyl cyclase activity via endogenous GTP-dependent ADP-ribosylation in eukaryotic cells warrants further attention.