Dr. Bachvarov et al., Bradykinin B-2 receptor endocytosis, recycling, and down-regulation assessed using green fluorescent protein conjugates, J PHARM EXP, 297(1), 2001, pp. 19-26
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Pharmacology & Toxicology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS
Agonist-induced endocytosis and/or down-regulation have been evaluated usin
g green fluorescent protein (GFP) conjugates of the rabbit bradykinin (BK)
B-2 receptor (B2R). COS-1 cells transiently transfected with vectors coding
for either of two rabbit B2R fluorescent variants, B2R-GFP and B2R-GFP Del
taS/T (with previously identified Ser/Thr phosphorylation sites in the C-te
rminal tail mutated to Ala), exhibited specific and saturable binding (K-D
in the lower nM range). The acute addition of BK (10-100 nM) to HEK 293 cel
ls stably expressing B2R-GFP in the presence of cycloheximide was rapidly f
ollowed by translocation of the surface receptors into the cells, with esse
ntially complete recycling of the surface receptors in 1 to 3 h (confocal m
icroscopy, cell fractionation). Adding captopril to inhibit angiotensin I-c
onverting enzyme activity increased the half-life of BK in the culture medi
um (enzyme immunoassay) and, accordingly, promoted B2R-GFP internalization
for at least 3 h. However, agonist-induced down-regulation was not observed
under conditions optimal for endocytosis (microscopy, immunoblot using ant
i-GFP antibodies). In contrast, B2R-GFP was partially degraded following a
short treatment of cells with trypsin. B2R-GFP internalized following agoni
st treatment was colocalized with fluorescent transferrin, supporting trans
location of the receptor to recycling endosomes. B2R-GFP DeltaS/T failed to
translocate into the cells following treatment with BK, but exhibited at b
aseline an altered subcellular distribution relative to B2R-GFP. The agonis
t BK promotes B2R receptor endocytosis followed by recycling to the cell su
rface, but does not promote receptor down-regulation in the heterologous sy
stem that we used here. Digestion initiated by extracellular proteases may
be involved in pathological B2R down-regulation, as suggested by the simula
tion involving trypsin.