Intracellular receptor for somatostatin in gastric mucosal cells: decomposition and reconstitution of somatostatin-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphatases.

Using 32P-labeled histone as exogenous substrate, we showed a potent stimulatory effect of somatostatin on cytosolic phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPases; phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.16) in rat gastric mucosal cells. Partial purification of cytosolic fraction in DEAE-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography and further gel filtration on Sephadex C-75 and Sephadex G-100 separated somatostatin-dependent PPPases into three distinct molecular species. One corresponding to Mr 130,000 was devoid of any PPPase activity but specifically bound [Tyr1]somatostatin 125I-labeled on the Tyr ([125I-Tyr1]somatostatin) with an apparent equilibrium dissociation constant of 3 x 10(-10) M. The two other molecular species corresponded to Mrs 64,000 and 13,000. They produced catalytic dephosphorylation of 32P-labeled histone, but they were not sensitive to somatostatin and did not show any specific binding to radiolabeled hormone. Mixing of the larger with either of the two smaller molecular species resulted in concentration -dependent inhibition of PPPase activity. However this inhibition was reversed by increased concentrations of somatostatin, with the concentration for half-maximal reactivation on being close to 0.1 nM. Furthermore somatostatin stimulation in reconstituted materials developed according to a rapid time course (t1/2, less than 5 sec), consistent with that observed for binding of [125I-Tyr1]somatostatin. These results strongly argue for the presence of an intracellular somatostatin receptor in gastric mucosal cells and characterize this receptor as a PPPase regulatory subunit. Thus, substrate dephosphorylation could be the primary event triggering physiological effects of somatostatin in stomach and perhaps other organs of the digestive tract [Reyl, F. & Lewin, M. J.l M. (1981) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 675, 297-300].