Dependence of the hormonal stimulation of adenylate cyclase on the fraction of the plasma membrane accessible for lateral displacement of proteins of the adenylate cyclase complex

Hormonal activation of the adenylate cyclase complex is associated with lateral displacement in the membrane of the proteins that constitute this complex. In this work an experimental investigation was made of the changes in the interaction of the proteins of the adenylate cyclase complex with the changing fraction of fluid lipids in the cell membrane. A decrease in the fraction of fluid lipids of rat reticulocyte membranes led to a decrease (all the way down to a total suppression) of the interaction of the ..beta..-adrenoreceptors with the regulatory N-proteins. The interaction of the N-proteins with the catalytic proteins was also suppressed. On the other hand, an increase in the fraction of fluid lipids led to more effective interaction. It was shown that in this case the functional intactness of the interacting proteins is unimpaired. An analysis of the results obtained, performed on the basis of the percolation theory, suggests the conclusion that the hormonal stimulation of adenylate cyclase depends on the fraction of fluid lipids in the membrane, and the proteins are displaced during interaction over distances comparable with the size of the membrane itself. It was also shown that characteristic activity of the ..beta..-agonist 1-isoproterenol varies from 1.0 tomore » 0, depending on the fraction of fluid lipids in the membrane. The data obtained suggest that in the absence of guanylic nucleotides in the membrane in vitro there are no preexisting complexes with a high affinity for the agonist.« less