Endocrinology, Vol 125, 948-956, Copyright © 1989 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Evidence for multiple protein constituents of the somatostatin receptor in pituitary tumor cells: affinity cross-linking and molecular characterization

KK Murthy, CB Srikant and YC Patel
Fraser Laboratories Department of Medicine, McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Previous studies have shown that somatostatin receptors on AtT-20 and GH3 pituitary tumor cells show relative preference for binding somatostatin-28 (S-28) and somatostatin-14 (S-14), respectively. Here we have attempted to determine whether this selectivity can be explained by molecular heterogeneity of the receptor. Cells were incubated with [125I-Tyr11]S-14, [125I-Leu8-D-Trp22,Tyr25]S-28, and [125I-Tyr3]SMS, and the bound ligand was chemically cross-linked with bis-[2-succinimido-oxycarbonyloxy)ethyl]sulfone, disuccinimidyl suberate, or dithiobis (succinimidyl propionate). The solubilized cross- linked material was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by autoradiography. [125I-Tyr11]S-14 labeled three specific receptor proteins of 57K, 42K, and 27K mol wt in AtT-20 cells. The relative proportions of the protein bands were unaltered by the use of whole cells or cell membranes or by the inclusion of dithiothreitol or antiproteolytic agents. With both [125I- Tyr11]S-14 and [125I-LTT]S-28, the 57K protein constituted the major labeled component, representing 70-75% of the total cross-linked proteins. Labeling of the three protein species by [125I-Tyr11]S-14 and [125I-LTT]S-28 was inhibited by both S-14 and S-28 in a dose-dependent manner. S-28 was 10-20 times more potent than S-14 for inhibiting the labeling by both ligands of the principal receptor species of 57K. By contrast, when a radioiodinated derivative of the octapeptide analog octreotide ([125I-Tyr3]SMS) was used as ligand, the 27K protein was preferentially labeled, whereas the 57K and 42K bands were detected only as minor components. Labeling of GH3 cells with [125I-Tyr11]S-14 and [125I-LTT]S-28 revealed three cross-linked proteins of 57K, 42K, and 27K mol wt similar to those observed in AtT-20 cells. However, in this cell line the 27K protein, not the 57K species, was the dominant component identified with these two ligands, comprising 40-50% of the total cross-linked proteins. These results suggest that there are three somatostatin receptor proteins of 57K, 42K, and 27K in pituitary cells. In AtT-20 cells, the 57K protein constitutes the major receptor protein labeled by [125I-Tyr11]S-14 and [125I-LTT]S-28, whereas the 27K protein is the major species labeled by [125I-Tyr3]SMS. The 27K, not the 57K, moiety is the principal receptor form in GH3 cells. Such ligand- and tissue-selective binding by the somatostatin receptor provides strong evidence for receptor molecular heterogeneity.