Coupling of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis to peptide hormone receptors expressed from adrenal and pituitary mRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

The expression of several neurotransmitter and drug receptors from injected exogenous mRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes has been demonstrated by electrophysiological measurements of ion channel activation. The expression of specific receptors for peptide hormones in such a translation system would facilitate studies on the structure and regulation of cell-surface receptors as well as their coupling to membrane transduction mechanisms. The expression of receptors for calcium-mobilizing hormones in Xenopus oocytes was sought by analysis of phospholipid turnover in hormone-stimulated oocytes. For this purpose, Xenopus oocytes were injected with mRNA extracted from bovine adrenal and pituitary glands and incubated with myo-[3H]inositol to label plasma-membrane phosphatidylinositol phosphates. The expression of functionally active receptors for angiotensin II (AII) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was demonstrated by the stimulation of [3H]inositol phosphate production by AII and TRH in the mRNA-injected, [3H]inositol-prelabeled oocytes. The ability of AII and TRH to act by way of newly synthesized receptors from mammalian endocrine tissues to stimulate phosphatidylinositol polyphosphate hydrolysis in Xenopus oocytes suggests a generalized and conserved mechanism of receptor coupling to the transduction mechanism responsible for activation of phospholipase C in the plasma membrane.