The molecular size of adenylate cyclase in the absence and presence of nucleotide and hormone effectors.

The molecular size of adenylate cyclase solubilized from frog erythrocyte membranes by digitonin extraction has been determined by chromatography on Sepharose 6B. Regardless of whether the membranes are exposed to catecholamines, GPP(NH)P, NaF or no effector prior to solubilization, the apparent molecular size of the adenylate cyclase enzyme is the same. Furthermore, a similar elution profile for the enzyme is observed when the catalytic activity in the eluates is measured in the presence of Mn++, rather than Mg++. Since it is generally assumed that the persistent activation of adenylate cyclase by GPP(NH)P requires interaction of the catalytic moiety with the guanine nucleotide regulatory site, it appears that the adenylate cyclase activity detected in the column eluates represents an intact catalytic-regulatory site complex. The adenylate cyclase activity derived from catecholamine pretreated frog erythrocyte membranes does not co-elute with catecholamine-occupied beta-adrenergic receptors, indicating that the agonist-promoted increase in apparent receptor size observed here and in earlier studies does not represent a physical coupling of the receptor and the adenylate cyclase enzyme.