Effect of Ca2+, Mg2+, NaN3, cholinergic agents, and gastrointestinal hormones on the guanylate cyclase from guinea pig gastric mucosa.

Guanylate cyclase in the guinea pig fundic mucosa occurred in two enzymatic forms: a "soluble" form and a particulate form. The mean basal activity of the soluble fraction measured in the presence of 300 micrometer guanosine-5'-triphosphate and 5 mM MnCl2 was 72.6 +/- 5.3 pmoles of cyclic GMP per mg of protein per min. Guanylate cyclase activity was dependent on Mn2+; it was increased by sodium azide (NaN3), CaCl2, cysteine, secretin, and cholecystokinin, but it was not influenced by gastrin, histamine, cholinergic esters, prostaglandins E1 and A1. NaN3 (1 mM) decreased the apparent Km for MnCl2 and potentiated the effects of MgCl2. The activity of the particulate fraction represented about 14% of that of the supernatant fraction. The guanylate cyclase activity of that fraction was not modified by NaN3, gastrin, cholinergic agents, secretin, or cholecystokinin. Cysteine inhibited its activity. These data do not support the hypothesis that cyclic GMP acts as a second messenger for the action of cholinergic agents and gastrin in the guinea pig gastric mucosa.