Calcium signaling in rat pancreatic acinar cells: a role for Gαq, Gα11, and Gα14

Stimulus-secretion coupling in the pancreatic acinar cell is initiated by the secretagogues CCK and ACh and results in the secretion by exocytosis of the contents of zymogen granules. A key event in this pathway is the G protein-activated production of second messengers and the subsequent elevation of cytosolic-free Ca2+. The aim of this study was therefore to define the heterotrimeric G protein α-subunits present and participating in this pathway in rat pancreatic acinar cells. RT-PCR products were amplified from pancreatic acinar cell mRNA with primers specific for Gαq, Gα11, and Gα14 but were not amplified with primers specific for Gα15. The sequences of these PCR products confirmed them to be portions of the rat homologues of Gαq, Gα11, and Gα14. The pancreatic-derived cell line AR42J similarly expressed Gαq, Gα11, and Gα14; however, the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line only expressed Gα11 and Gαq. These data indicate that caution should be exercised when comparing signal transduction pathways be...