Properties of a factor in cytosol that enhances hormones-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity.

1. The addition of 50 000g cytosol preparations of isolated human platelets, cultured rat osteogenic sarcoma or cultured bone cells to particulate preparations of adenylate cyclase, from the same or unrelated tissues, caused marked enhancement of the hormone-stimulated enzyme activities. 2. The degree of enhancement obtained by addition of the cytosol preparations was similar to that observed on addition of GTP. 3. The enhancing activity of the three cytosol types was found to be sensitive to digestion by trypsin and alkaline phosphatase, partially heat-labile and partially inactivated by exposure to charcoal. 4. Gel filtration studies indicated an apparent molecular weight of 20 000--30 000. Further, the 20000-30000-mol.wt. fractions obtained by gel filtration could enhance the adenylate cyclase activity of particulate preparations derived from unrelated cell types. 5. The results suggest a common or similar adenylate-cyclase-enhancing factor or factors, protein in nature, present in the three cytosol types.