The glucagon and fluoride sensitive adenyl cyclase in plasma membrane of rat liver.

Certain polypeptide hormones and catecholamines act to stimulate adenyl cyclase and then increase the formation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP). Cyclic AMP activates protein kinases which in turn affect the activities of certain enzymes and properties of some proteins. This process is thought to be important as a mechanism of hormone actions. The localization of adenyl cyclase in the plasma membrane of liver and the stimulation of the membrane bound adenyl cyclase by glucagon or epinephrine have been reported (Marinetti et al., 1969; Pohl et al., 1969). However, the mechanisms of the stimulation of adenyl cyclase by hormones and the property of this enzyme remain to be elucidated. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of hormones and fluoride ion on the activity of adenyl cyclase in plasma membranes of rat liver and the differences between the stimulations by glucagon and fluoride ion in terms of the effects of calcium ion, trypsin treatment and non-ionic detergent.